A Leadership Strategy To Train And Equip African Pastors And Lay Leaders For Effective Ministry To Central African Refugees And Immigrants In Phoenix, Arizona, 2024 Andrews University
A Leadership Strategy To Train And Equip African Pastors And Lay Leaders For Effective Ministry To Central African Refugees And Immigrants In Phoenix, Arizona, Joel Mpabwanimana
Professional Dissertations DMin
Problem
Since 2010, there has been a growing number of Central African refugees and immigrants resettling in Arizona. This transition adds many other challenges to the trauma some of them have already endured. Unfortunately, there is a lack of trained pastors and lay leaders to effectively minister to them. I designed this project to develop and implement an effective strategy to train and equip pastors and lay leaders to minister to Central African refugee and immigrant communities in the Ubumwe Seventh-day Adventist Church and Glendale Seventh-day Adventist Church in Phoenix, Arizona.
Method
This project had several primary objectives: (1) to …
Intergenerational Mentorship Model For Membership Revitalization And Involvement At The Guelph Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 2024 Andrews University
Intergenerational Mentorship Model For Membership Revitalization And Involvement At The Guelph Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Aundrea A. Thompson
Professional Dissertations DMin
Problem
The Guelph Seventh-day Adventist Church faced challenges characterized by low spiritual vitality and a generational divide. These factors jeopardized the spiritual well-being of some members, leading to a decline in church engagement.
Method
Recognizing the urgency of revitalization, the study explored the impact of a seven-week intergenerational mentorship model on participants’ spiritual health and church involvement. Employing a Participatory Action Research approach led by the pastor-researcher in collaboration with the church board, the study utilized Lifeway’s Spiritual Growth Assessment and Growing Together: Taking Mentoring Beyond Small Talk and Prayer Requests by Melissa Kruger (2020) to guide the development and …
Harmony Unveiled: Navigating The Trinity’S Practical Symphony With Lacugna And Augustine, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Harmony Unveiled: Navigating The Trinity’S Practical Symphony With Lacugna And Augustine, Andrenique D. Rolle
Obsculta
This paper compares Catherine M. LaCugna's practical take on the Trinity with Augustine's theoretical insights. LaCugna highlights real-world implications, while Augustine delves into philosophical intricacies. Despite differences, both converge on perichoresis, emphasizing an inseparable communion within the Triune God. Together, they offer a holistic view—bridging theory and practice for spiritual fulfillment and communal harmony.
Newman's Faith In A Synodal Church, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Newman's Faith In A Synodal Church, Emily Heidick
Obsculta
This piece is a brief exploration of the theology of how the church develops by John Henry Newman with particular attention to the connection to the synodal church of today.
Paul And Gender: Early Reception And Modern Implications, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Paul And Gender: Early Reception And Modern Implications, Phoebe Carstens
Obsculta
Within Paul’s letters, there is a wealth of theological and ministerial material with a variety of implications and interpretations—what Paul seems to say about the position of women in the Church is the object of much debate. This piece highlights the ways in which Paul displays an openness to greater involvement of women in the Christian movement and a breaking of traditional female gender roles, yet simultaneously upholds rigid boundaries of marked gender distinction, thus mirroring a current stance of the Church today.
Different Forms Of Power In Worship Spaces, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Different Forms Of Power In Worship Spaces, Patrick Russell
Obsculta
This project examines the importance of power in a worship space. In particular, looking at the historical structures of St. Paul's Cathedral in London and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, this paper strives to lay out the presence of power inherent in places of worship. While other aspects could be used: power as a political structure, power of shared identity, power of scale, and power as a means of limits are given here for consideration.
Bioethics And A Theology Of Vulnerability, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Bioethics And A Theology Of Vulnerability, Carrie Oneil-Smith
Obsculta
This essay looks at how a theology of vulnerability can contribute to ethical decision-making in an increasingly secular society. Relationality, power dynamics and scriptural justifications are considered, as well as early contributions made to this nascent field of Christian thought. This essay was written for a class on Health Care Ethics taught by Dr. Mary Ann Kish.
Considering Hope, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Considering Hope, Rachel Henry
Obsculta
Hope based on an expected outcome can be elusive in a world that contains so much suffering. This piece considers Karl Rahner's theological hope as a more appropriate and helpful framework in the context of the diminishing vocations to monastic communities in the United States.
Pastoral Leadership Of Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In Sub-Saharan Africa And Congregational Giving During 2020-2021: A Grounded Theory Study, 2024 Andrews University
Pastoral Leadership Of Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In Sub-Saharan Africa And Congregational Giving During 2020-2021: A Grounded Theory Study, Eric Jean-Bruno Aniel Barbe
Dissertations
Problem
The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical model that describes how the behavioral strategies of Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) pastors in Sub-Saharan Africa may have positively influenced congregational giving during the years 2020-2021 of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method
A qualitative grounded theory research design was used (Corbin & Strauss, 2015). In-depth interviews were conducted to collect data from a purposive sample of SDA pastoral leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa. The collected data were analyzed using an iterative process consisting of open, axial, and selective coding, thereby facilitating the construction of subcategories and a core category. This analytical process …
Encouraging Intergenerational Faith Transmission And Spiritual Growth In Home And Church: Reconnecting Youth And Older Generations Through Family Systems Concepts At The Adelaide Seventh-Day Adventist Church, The Bahamas, 2024 Andrews University
Encouraging Intergenerational Faith Transmission And Spiritual Growth In Home And Church: Reconnecting Youth And Older Generations Through Family Systems Concepts At The Adelaide Seventh-Day Adventist Church, The Bahamas, Larry L. Green
Professional Dissertations DMin
Problem
This Doctor of Ministry (DMin) project addresses a pressing issue within the church context of the Adelaide Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Bahamas. We first observed sporadic attendance of our youth (Gen Z and Millennials) and their lack of identity with the church. Wider observation revealed weak relationships among the various generations within our church as well as in our homes. This absence of relatedness across generations potentially hinders some from embracing the community’s faith and growing spiritually.
Method
This study aimed to understand and address the nuanced factors contributing to this generational disconnection through the intervention of an …
To Embody Christ's Image: Queer Presence In Liturgy, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
To Embody Christ's Image: Queer Presence In Liturgy, Maggie Nadalin
Obsculta
This paper examines how approaching liturgical issues from a Queer vantage-point in both theory and practice offers a fresh lens for not only understanding liturgy but recognizing the urgent need for Queer-influenced liturgical rites.
Gluten-Free Hosts And The Cross: Revelatory Suffering In Christianity, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Gluten-Free Hosts And The Cross: Revelatory Suffering In Christianity, Gilbert Perez
Obsculta
The body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus are said to be made present by the Eucharist: bread and wine placed on the altar. However, the Roman Catholic Church teaches there is no validity to consecrations with gluten-free Hosts. This article notes the past permissions on gluten-free hosts and explores how present and former practices exhibit the nature of the Crucifixion, humanity’s participation in a world it abuses, and, furthermore, how to remedy this source of exclusion.
Sunday Celebration In The Absence Of A Priest And Women's Role In Presiding, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Sunday Celebration In The Absence Of A Priest And Women's Role In Presiding, Kristyn Demers
Obsculta
This essay explores instances of Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest, specifically within the rural context where the effects of the priesthood shortage are felt most strongly. Additionally, this paper examines the role that women play in the church, especially the rural church, and calls for the church to respond by creating more equitable roles for women within church leadership and ministry.
Namesake: An Ekphrasis On La Sagrada Familia Basilica In Barcelona, Spain, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Namesake: An Ekphrasis On La Sagrada Familia Basilica In Barcelona, Spain, Rachel Henry
Obsculta
Ekphrasis is a literary description of a work of art or architecture—a kind of over-the-top ode. The Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, commonly known as La Sagrada Familia, in Barcelona, Spain, has been under construction for 142 years and is expected to be completed by 2032. With its integral sculptures, soaring towers, and feats of engineering, Architect Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece is unlike any other church or cathedral in the world. Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the temple as a minor basilica in 2010. This article delves into La Sagrada Familia and aims to aid the reader in imaginatively exploring the …
We Hope: Sot/Sem Midday Prayer Reflection - November 9, 2023, 2024 College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
We Hope: Sot/Sem Midday Prayer Reflection - November 9, 2023, Kathleen A. Cahalan
Obsculta
Every week, the faculty, staff, and students of the Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary gather together in common worship for Ecumenical Midday Prayer and Convivium, a shared meal. This reflection was given by Kathleen Cahalan—Professor of Practical Theology—in November of 2023 and explores the role of hope in the life of the Christian disciple.
Book Review: Intergenerational Christian Formation, 2nd Edition: Bringing The Whole Church Together In Ministry, Community, And Worship, By Holly Catterton Allen, Christine Lawton, And Cory L. Seibel, 2024 Andrews University
Book Review: Intergenerational Christian Formation, 2nd Edition: Bringing The Whole Church Together In Ministry, Community, And Worship, By Holly Catterton Allen, Christine Lawton, And Cory L. Seibel, Steve Case
Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries
No abstract provided.
Spiritual Practices And Artistic Professionals Of Faith, 2024 Asbury Theological Seminary
Spiritual Practices And Artistic Professionals Of Faith, Daniel L. Wilt
ATS Dissertations
No abstract provided.
Leadership And Emergent Faith Communities In Canada: A Phenomenological Study, 2024 Wilfrid Laurier University
Leadership And Emergent Faith Communities In Canada: A Phenomenological Study, Anne Anderson
Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)
The purpose of this study is to explore how participants within emergent faith communities in Canada experience leadership. Through a phenomenological approach, members from five emergent faith communities across Canada have been interviewed in a semi-structured format. Emerging themes of transformational leadership, community along with belonging, and possible future areas of research will be discussed.
Annunciation And The Cross: The Marian Theology Of Incarnation In James Macmillan’S Music And Public Discourse, 2023 University of St Andrews
Annunciation And The Cross: The Marian Theology Of Incarnation In James Macmillan’S Music And Public Discourse, Joel Clarkson
Yale Journal of Music & Religion
Many of Scottish composer James MacMillan’s most essential works are influenced by his Catholic faith, and thematically focused on a theological expression of Incarnation and suffering worked out through a dissonant musical style. MacMillan has developed a robust public discourse that includes statements about his faith and the way it informs his music, and his forthright demeanor has often provoked tension with various figures and groups. This article suggests that these two forms of conflict—discordance in his composition, and elements of conflict in his public dialogue—are both driven by a Marian theology of Incarnation that provides the impetus both for …
Christological Application Of The Mosaic Law: A Hermeneutical And Exegetical Exploration, 2023 Liberty University
Christological Application Of The Mosaic Law: A Hermeneutical And Exegetical Exploration, Nabeel Saqib
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study is a hermeneutical and exegetical exploration of the Christological application of the Mosaic Law for Christians. It involves a clear understanding of the relationship between the continuity and discontinuity from the Old Testament to the New Testament, the relationship between Israel and the Church as people of God, and the relationship between the Old and the New Covenant. It also requires a clear understanding of the meaning and purpose of the law for the initial audience, and its current significance for Christians today. Romans 10:4 presents Christ as the culmination of the law as it sees him as …