Digital Commons Network^™

An (Enduring) Ecclesiology Beyond The Cultural Captivity Of The Church, Chad Lakies

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This dissertation is located within the larger conversation about ecclesiology as it is emerging in our post-Christian era. Its effort is both theoretical and practical. Not only will it provide a theological account of the church, but it will do so for the sake of reflective practitioners who are looking for guidance in navigating and negotiating our post-Christian culture in the effort to form faithful Christians. Thus, this dissertation will articulate an ecclesiology of the Christian life, thereby enabling the church to diagnose, assess, and respond to contemporary instances of its own cultural captivity so that it might better embody …

A Discipleship Workshop For Trinity Lutheran Church, Walnut Creek, California, David Moore

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Moore, David R. “A Discipleship Workshop for Trinity Lutheran Church, Walnut Creek, California.” D.Min diss., Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, 2013, 150 pp.

Trinity Lutheran Church was established as a congregation of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) on November 19, 1946 in Walnut Creek, California, and is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay. Over the last thirty years the culture in this area has been changing from a culture that was relatively sympathetic to the church’s values and message to a culture that is indifferent or hostile to the church. The activities that once attracted people …

Re-Visioning The Semantic And Semiotic Registers In The Study Of Culture And Religion, Gary S. Bedford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The term `God' may be understood as the desire for the complete epistemological condition of thought; language expresses this condition in statements of `meaning.' `Religion' expresses this desire in texts and ritual practice which may be examined by in academic study; however, because the `third term' of religio is understood as the condition of being `bounded to or by,' the study of religion is itself bounded to or by this desire for the completion of thought. This desire cannot be understood as an `alterity' of thought but is rather the internal native or `alter-native' condition of thought itself. …

The Impacts Of Terror Management And Self-Monitoring On Religiosity, Caitlin M. Silvia

Honors Theses

Previous research has shown that the cultural worldview a person holds has an impact on his or her attitudes and behaviors throughout life. Terror management theory posits that this worldview functions as a cultural anxiety-buffer from the overwhelming anxiety and terror that results from a person becoming aware of his or her own mortality. In particular, terror management theory suggests that there is a master motive behind religion, and that when placed in a mortality salience condition, a person’s beliefs and worldview will strengthen. Another personality variable that requires a strong worldview or framework is self-monitoring, which allows a person …

Swimming In Static, Sahalie Saecker Hashim

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this novel, two young adults exist simultaneously in separate worlds. Torn apart by perception, culture, and socioeconomic differences, these individuals come to learn what it means to see the world, and understand one another through extraordinary experiences.

Creating A Culture Of Community Involvement In The Adventist Church In Gugulethu Township, South Africa, Jongimpi Papu

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Most Adventist churches in South Africa live in isolation from their communities. Christianity in general and Adventism in particular are becoming irrelevant to the needs of the church, with serious implications for church growth.

Methodology

Tembalethu Adventist church in Gugulethu Township in South Africa was used to pilot a community services program by adopting a school nearby. A mixed approach of both qualitative and quantitative methods was used. This consisted of structured interviews, both personal and by telephone, and questionnaires. An analysis of a government census was also done.

Results

Tembalethu started an after-care program which was attended by …

Aesthetics In The Ecotheology Of Sallie Mcfague: A Critique And A Proposal For A Theological Aesthetics Of Nature, Mary-Paula Cancienne

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the ecological theology of Sallie McFague, who, as part of her work, employs the use of aesthetics. This study recognizes her contribution and then seeks to build upon it.
In aim of this goal, a limited history of aesthetics in the Western tradition is surveyed and attention is given to three significant contemporary scholars in the field of aesthetics and nature/environment (Emily Brady, Allen Carlson, and Arnold Berleant). While this work intended to propose the rudiments of a Theological Aesthetics of Nature, we find that nature and culture are so intertwined that what is initially called …

The Use Of Cinema As Contemporary Metaphor Sources In Assisting Lutheran High North, Houston, Texas, Students In Understanding And Using Gospel Metaphors, Donn Paul Williams

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

In order to clarify (and confuse), Jesus would quite often use common sources in His metaphors with which people of His day could identify. However, the clear meaning for many Gospel metaphor sources are lost in today's culture, especially among youth. The purpose of this Major Applied Project was to help high school students gain a greater understanding of the Gospel message by updating the metaphor sources, by using a common element in their culture, cinema. Scenes from popular movies were used to help students better understand and articulate the following Gospel metaphors: redemption, ransom, rescue, reconciliation, regeneration, replace and …

Ethnographic Field Research Methods, Edicta Grullon

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Presents ethnographic research methods along with characteristics (evidential and non-evidential "identities") of an anthropologist that may affect his/her access to information and the quality of data collected. Offers several examples from experiences of field researchers. Considers Muslim North Africa as a region demanding attention to its specific cultural realities. Explores ethics and the role of the ethnographer.

Preparing Thinking Christians To Survive And Thrive In A Culture Of Choice, Scott Sommerfeld

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Sommerfeld, Scott G. "Preparing Thinking Christians To Survive And Thrive In A Culture Of Choice." D.Min. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, 2007. 211 pp.

Youth are ill-prepared to think and live as Christians in our post-modern world. A retreat for high school seniors and graduates is one way of preparing youth to survive and thrive in a culture of choice, where perhaps the greatest challenge regards rationality for choosing ones religion. Here youth are introduced to the real truth regarding the Bible, choosing God, and living as disciples. While youth were assisted in thinking theologically through the retreat, this …

San Francesco D'Assisi E Santa Caterina Da Siena. La Loro Influenza Sulla Letteratura, La Cultura, La Religione E L'Arte Italiana Dei Primordi, Ann-Frances Hamill

Master's Theses, Dissertations, Graduate Research and Major Papers Overview

Examines the works and thoughts of two Italian saints: Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) and Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380). Explores the common ideological denominator in the works of these major figures and analyzes their impact on Italian society and culture.

The Christian Concept Of God And Japan-An Examination Of The Christian Concept Of God In Japanese Culture, Utilizing The Two Realms Theology Of The Lutheran Framework, Chikako Drawbaugh

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Therefore, it is essential to recognize that God, the author of the earth and heavens, has placed people in cultures with a variety of lifestyles and values. Even though circumstances may differ, our Christian identity remains unchanged because of faith in Christ. It is also crucial to appreciate culture as God's gift to human beings. At the same time, however, Christians need to recognize the idolatrous attitudes in their lives. Christians uniquely possess the character of living within and beyond cultures. This prompts us to consider what it means to live as a Christian while also belonging to a particular …

Making Friends To Last A Lifetime: An Ethnographic Study Of Parasocial Relationships And Soap Opera Characters, Emmalee Elizabeth Haight Pryor

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to build theory about parasocial relationships and to examine what affect, if any, religion had on parasocial relationships. Using qualitative methods, the researcher watched the show three times with five women followed by an in-depth interview. The women chosen were LDS stay-at-home moms who had watched a soap opera for at least a year.
From this data came several surprising findings about religion and soap opera viewing. The women said they did not feel guilty about the content of the shows, rather the time required to watch. This guilt was alleviated by structuring their …

Analysis And Critique Of "Christ The Transformer Of Culture" In The Thought Of H. Richard Niebuhr, Michael Eugene Wittmer

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation examines the world view slogan, "Christ the transformer of culture," in the thought of its creator, H. Richard Niebuhr. Although the phrase is popular in Neo-Calvinist circles, this study finds that its meaning in Niebuhr's theology deviates from Reformed orthodoxy. In order to understand what Niebuhr intends by Christ transforming culture, we begin by outlining his understanding of the biblical narrative of creation, fall, and redemption. Niebuhr describes the triadic community that exists between God, individuals, and the rest of creation. Unfortunately, humanity has always broken this community by distrusting God and being disloyal to his cause. Such …

Cross-Cultural Conversion Narratives: An American Missionary In Taichung, Taiwan, Amy Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was eight years old. You could say I was sort of born into it, as my father, mother, seven other siblings, and both sets of grandparents are all members as well. I grew up in a small, rural town in Southern Idaho where vegetation is almost as sparse as non-LDS families. As children we were never quite sure which denomination these families belonged to: that they were not Mormon was the only distinction we made. As I was growing up my parents saw to …

A Study Of Haitian Mormon Converts Dwelling In New York City: A Cross-Cultural Perspective In Understanding, Interpreting, And Experiencing The Mormon Subculture, Yvon Milien

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the roles played by understanding, interpretation of practices, and experience in Mormon culture when Haitians convert to Mormonism. In relationship to their previous cultural practices, this thesis explores whether Haitian converts develop one of three types of behaviors: discard old practices, retain elements of old practices, or seek to establish a balance between former and new religious practices. In-depth interviews with twelve subjects living in New York City suggest that most active converts discarded their old cultural traditions. This study suggests that only interpretation influences developing types of behavior. However, it was not expected that most converts …

A Voice From The Fire: The Authority Of Experience, Colleen C. Bernhard

Theses and Dissertations

Over all, this thesis was written to be a "ramble" of its own around and through three issues that are central to the writing of the personal essay-voice, authority, and experience-and central to the emergence of this author's own sense of "self."
Drawing upon years of voluminous journals, this collection of six personal essays demonstrates what the scholarly introduction proposes: that the personal essay is both a valid genre and a magnificent bridge from informal life-writing to genuine literary accomplishment. Drawing on Phillip Lopate's differentiation of "memoiristic" essays from the more classic autobiographical form, this collection includes three of each …

An Intellectual Approach To The Communication Of The Biblical Message To Secular People, Michele Buonfiglio

Professional Dissertations DMin

One of the most important responsibilities given Christians is to "make disciples from all nations." This includes secular people. The communication of the biblical message to secular people is a complex and difficult assignment. The difficulty increases when secular people are intellectuals. Many currents of thought including philosophy and scientific understandings of reality have contributed to the formation of the Western secular mind.

In Part One of the dissertation, philosophical, theological, and scientific theories that have contributed to the development of the process of secularization are considered. The section culminates with a profile of secular people. The methods and strategy …

Theology Of The Pain Of God: An Analysis And Evaluation Of Kazoh Kitamori's (1916- ) Work In Japanese Protestantism, Akio Hashimoto

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The overall negative appraisal of Kitamori must be considered as a critical reaction to various aspects of his own theology. Perhaps not one or two aspects of his theology alone are responsible for this. The reason for the negative responses is surely of a composite nature. However, it is not the main concern of this study to find answers individually to the questions raised above. The intention of this study is to analyze and assess Kitamori's theology as a whole. But to try to find the answers to the questions is useful for the purpose here: they provide methodological clues.

Nature's Second Course: Water Culture In The Mormon Communities Of Cache Valley, Utah, 1860-1916, Kathryn T. Morse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nineteenth-century Mormon settlers in Utah combined a unique set of religious beliefs with a fervent agrarianism and a strong sense of community. They encountered a specific arid environment along the Wasatch Front. A distinctive cultural set of irrigation institutions and practices developed out of the complex interchanges between nature and culture in Cache Valley, Utah, between 1860 and 1916. The structure of water flow, and conflicts over water rights and responsibilities, reflected the fundamental tensions within Mormon communities between individual gain and collective progress; it also reflected the patriarchal essence of Mormon culture.

The season-to-season workings of irrigation institutions that …

Presbyterian Missions To Indians In Western Canada, James Codling

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

This paper seeks to explain the success and failure of Presbyterian missions to Indians in western Canada. It attempts to discover if there has been an authentic engagement between the Gospel of Christ and the cultures of these Indians. The focus is on the theology of missions and its application. The question of Christian relationship to culture is an important issue.

The problem that the Presbyterian Church in Canada faced in its missions to Indians was theological. The Christian faith challenged an Indian religion. It was theology that determined how the religion of the Indian should be approached by Presbyterian …

The Impact Of The Mormon Migration On The Community Of Kirtland, Ohio, 1830-1839, Mark R. Grandstaff

Theses and Dissertations

In the early decades of the nineteenth-century, an era of cultural change and disorientation, many turned to revivals to displace insecure emotionalism and to insure themselves of a place in the emerging society. Others, such as the Mormons sought an all encompassing plan that would dispel confusion and restore order to a decadent society. This search led some Mormons to follow their Prophet to Kirtland, Ohio. Once in Kirtland, various sociological conflicts developed which affected how the citizens of Kirtland would perceive their Mormon neighbors. Tantamount to these conflicts was the rapidly increasing Mormon population which triggered a corresponding rise …

The Cultural Shape Of Preaching: A Rationale For A Course In Biblical Preaching Emphasizing Culturally Contextualized Proclamation In East Africa, Per W. Naesheim

Professional Dissertations DMin

This project seeks to set out a rationale for culturally contextualized preaching in East Africa, with a specific focus on Kenya, and on this basis develops a syllabus for a college course in Biblical preaching. A survey of contemporary East African culture shows it to be still largely based on traditional African patterns but modified by many outside influences. When compared with the cultural context of the Bible or with Western society, East African culture shows significant differences. An understanding of this is necessary in order to preach effectively in Kenya.

Many preachers, both missionaries and East Africans 2 3 …

A Study Of The Concepts Of Worship Held By Korean Seventh-Day Adventist Youth Undergoing Cultural Shift In The United States, Kwang Rim Chough

Professional Dissertations DMin

The purpose of this study was to develop a theology of corporate worship and to study the concepts of worship held by the youth of a specific ethnic group who are moving away from their native cultural background, and will inevitably be exposed to the new culture. The researcher of this project intends to apply these theological concepts of worship to a specifically situated group of youth, namely representatives of the second generation of the Korean Seventh-day Adventist churches in the United States.

This research and.investigation was carried out in a selected number of Korean Seventh-day Adventist churches in the …

Ministry To The Single Young Adult, David Prinz

Bachelor of Divinity

This paper will attempt to reflect the present concept of ministry to one such human situation and population segment, the life situation of the single young adult in the metropolitan area. This particular population segment and life situation group is relatively new in arriving on the American cultural scene. The postwar baby boom is now entering the young adult period which is categorized with the ages of eighteen through twenty-four. It is difficult to limit the age to twenty four, however, for there are possibililities that the ideals, mode of living and cohesiveness of the group may push the age …

Evidences Of Culture Contacts Between Polynesia And The Americas In Precolumbian Times, John L. Sorenson Sr.

Theses and Dissertations

Of the great unsettled problems of archaeology and anthropology perhaps the most hotly debated has been the relative importance of migration, diffusion, and independent invention in the origin of culture elements. The question has obvious importance, both for a proper understanding of man and culture, that ambitiously comprehensive goal of modern anthropology, and for historical reconstruction, the latter a necessary preliminary of the former.

The concern of this thesis is with culture movement in the eastern Pacific Ocean area. The Pacific area as a whole has long been the geographical center of the diffusion problem (if we may so term …

The Theology And Psychology Of The Negroes' Religion Prior To 1860 As Shown Particularly In The Spirituals: A Thesis, Norman Gregg Long

Honors Papers

In this thesis the writer has endeavored to treat the distinctive religion of the American Negroes so as to make evident, as far as he is able, the circumstances of its origin, its early development, the changes which have conditioned it, the theology in which it has been formulated, and the psychological motives which have been expressed in it. This study is made with the following specific objectives in view:

1. To study the Negro Spirituals as a body of musical literature in which the Negroes' religion prior to 1861 is embodied.

2. To point out the most outstanding features …