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Jesus In The Washat, Steven Nicholas Ceddia

Seminary Masters Theses

This thesis explores the history and theology of the Washat religion. The indigenous Native American peoples along the mid-Columbia River and Cascade Range of Washington and Oregon have a rich, intriguing, spirituality connecting them strongly with the Creator. This thesis assumes a disconnection for most of American Christianity with regard to the worship of the Creator (from now on, Creator and God will be used synonymously) in connection with the earth, something that the Washat give supreme priority. American Christianity can learn much from a spirituality that takes stewardship of the earth, along with many other aspects overlooked in American …

Validity Of The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System In Pediatric Populations, Christopher J. Fisher

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) (Delis, Kaplan, & Kramer, 2001) is a battery of tests purported to measure those higher-level abilities generally termed "executive functions." While the D-KEFS possesses generally credible psychometric properties, the absence of adequately demonstrated "ecological validity" has been identified as a weakness of the D-KEFS. The purpose of this study was to attempt to assess the ecological validity of the D-KEFS using a sample of child chess players.

All 18 of the D-KEFS tests appropriate for children were administered in this study. For comparison purposes, several other measures were also administered: the Wisconsin Card Sorting …

A Seven Strand Cord: Braiding Together Leadership Development For Mid-Adolescents, Richard Barrett Bartlett Ii

Doctor of Ministry

The emerging culture is necessitating different leadership paradigms: preparation of leaders in a "business as usual" fashion is becoming inadequate. Mid-adolescents in churches who are being "called" or "shoulder tapped" as emerging leaders need an intentional process of leadership development.

This paper will recommend leadership development of mid-adolescents through the metaphor of a seven strand braided cord which includes these threads: discernment, an understanding of call, rite of passage events, mentoring, spiritual formation, service/ministry opportunities, and commissioning. The goal of this research is to suggest that these kinds of learning experiences, which the Church could be providing today, will best …

Analysis Of Different Types Of Attentional Interference Compared To Working Memory, Joel A. Gregor

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Previous studies have shown a relationship between working memory (WM) and the Color-Word Stroop Task (CWS). Newer Stroop-like tasks such as the Color-Block Stroop-like Task (CBS) have been shown to cause interference but the nature of the interference is unclear. This study attempted to compare CWS and CBS to tests of working memory, specifically the Digits Span Backward task (DB) and an Operation Span (OSPAN) task. The first experiment involved no auditory stimuli. No significant correlation was found between WM and CWS. This led to a second experiment with the digit span administered auditorily. Again, no significant correlation between CWS …

Childhood Developmental Trends In Executive Function As Measured By The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System: An Exploration Of Gender Differences., Lane Karen Dewan

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The purpose of this study is to examine the development of Executive Function (EF). Specifically, this study investigates whether there are consistent increases in EF performance on the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) from the age of 8 years to 15 years. Gender differences in the development of EF are also examined. To this end, the standardization data for eight of the D-KEFS tests were analyzed, comparing performance across age groups (8- year-olds, 9-year-olds, etc.) and gender groups. Significant age effects were found for all tests overall. However, significant change between consecutive age groups was found only for some age …

Utilizing The Brief Symptom Inventory As A Prediction Tool For Treatment Response In Patients With Serious Mental Illness, Ryan Curtis Dix

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Current data suggest that the cost of caring for people with serious mental illness in the United States was 2.64 billion dollars in the years between 1997 and 2004. The proper utilization of these funds is an important consideration if we are to successfully address the needs of this population. To maximize the use of mental health funds, the provider must quickly identify effective and efficient treatments. Assessment can facilitate the screening process and subsequent treatment decisions. For that reason, my research question addresses the issue of effective screening measures notably the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) in predicting movement through …

Chaordic Ministry: Structuring Church Ministry For The Emerging Culture, Warren D. Schatz

Doctor of Ministry

Many churches are struggling to adapt to changing needs and characteristics of people in the twenty-first century. For decades churches operated by developing standardized programs to reach large groups of people with relatively homogenous needs. The fragmentation of culture into ever-smaller affinity circles means that people often have very different and unique needs from each other. Further, fragmentation has also affected the character and pattern of lifestyles in the emerging culture. There is no longer any standard pattern of work, recreation and home life. Each family has its own needs and its own schedule. This means people no longer have …

Chaordic Ministry: Structuring Church Ministry For The Emerging Culture, Warren D. Schatz

Doctor of Ministry

Many churches are struggling to adapt to changing needs and characteristics of people in the twenty-first century. For decades churches operated by developing standardized programs to reach large groups of people with relatively homogenous needs. The fragmentation of culture into ever-smaller affinity circles means thatpeople often have very different and unique needs from each other. Further, fragmentation has also affected the character and pattern of lifestyles in the emerging culture. There is no longer any standard pattern of work, recreation and home life. Each family has its own needs and its own schedule. This means people no longer have the …

Chaordic Ministry: Structuring Church Ministry For The Emerging Culture, Warren D. Schatz

Doctor of Ministry

Many churches are struggling to adapt to changing needs and characteristics of people in the twenty-first century. For decades churches operated by developing standardized programs to reach large groups of people with relatively homogenous needs. The fragmentation of culture into ever-smaller affinity circles means that.people often have very different and unique needs from each other. Further, fragmentation has also affected the character and pattern of lifestyles in the emerging culture. There is no longer any standard pattern of work, recreation and home life. Each family has its own needs and its own schedule. This means people no longer have the …

On Healing And Christianity: An Examination Of Origen And Tertullian's Views On Healing And Christianity, Brian L. Brunner

Doctor of Ministry

This paper examines the theological and practical views of Origen and Tertullian on the relationship between healing and Christianity. Its introduction examines the reason for the study, outlines research into this field, and explains the research method utilized. The following two chapters devoted to Origen and Tertullian begin by examining the role of healing in their theology. The chapters then move to a discussion of their understanding and view on the nascent Western medical science found in the Greco-Roman world. Each chapter then ends with a look at their views on the role of faith healing. All of these subjects …

William Hobson And William Keil: Religion And Polity In Nineteenth Century Oregon, Connor Fitzgerald Edmonds

Doctor of Ministry

In 1925, Ione Juanita Beale-Harkness compared the Quaker settlement in Oregon's Chehalem Valley (Newberg) to another Christian communitarian settlement less than twenty miles away in Aurora. Harkness ' research showed how differing Protestant faith traditions, separated in doctrinal beliefs, were united in their choice of settling in Oregon as a place to practice and preserve their lifestyle. By focusing on the administrative structure of both settlements and by providing more detail in respect to the historical antecedents of each settlement, this writing aspires to learn why these settlements, with such similar beginnings, are today very different in terms of the …

The Birkat Ha-Minim And Its Relationship To The Johannine Situation In The First Century, Matthew C. Versdahl

Doctor of Ministry

In the discussion of Christian origins, Judaism, and their relationship to the gospel of John, the Birkat ha-minim remains an important element; particularly as it pertains to the occurrence of άποσυνάγωγος; in John 9:22; 12:42; and 16:2 and John's pejorative presentation of the 'Ιουδαιοι. Some have contended that it explains why, in these verses, Jewish followers of Jesus were ostracized from the synagogue which resulted in John's animosity in the use of 'Ιουδαιοι. In other words, they hold that the Birkat ha-minim functioned as a means of programmatic expulsion of Jewish Christians from the synagogue in …

The Equipping Paradigm Of New Testament Fivefold Leaders For Parishoner- Based Ministry, Kenneth Ross

Doctor of Ministry

This study addresses the need for a more equipping oriented leadership model to engender parishioner based ministry in the church and community. The study begins by recognizing the steady national and ecclesial decline in morals, ethics, marriage and family in America. This decline reveals the waning influence of the church in American culture. At the same time, there is evidence of a significant departure from the institutional church, in great part by Christians that want to "be" the church rather than just attend church. I propose that one possible solution is to return to a more equipping role for ecclesial …

Pneumanaut: Demonstration And Proclamation Through Abstract, Metaphor And Sculpture, Eric Keck

Doctor of Ministry

The theology of academia lacks appropriate metaphors and abstracts to demonstrate, embody, and announce the kingdom of God. A solution is the creation of new metaphors and abstracts to add insight and definition. The purpose of this project, then, is to interpret and create some new metaphors for theological themes commonly used in academic circles. Because of prior knowledge readers bring with them when they engage with theology, their positions and starting points sometimes limit their understanding of the sensus plenior or fuller meaning, of the original text. By providing new metaphors for these theological themes, readers will enter into …

Exploring A New Paradigm For Evangelism In The Emerging Culture, Michael Mcnichols

Doctor of Ministry

It is my claim that evangelism has become focused on the proclamation of a message that is presumed to be an accurate expression of the biblical concept of gospel. Evangelism within the evangelical community, perceived primarily as proclamation, has become a specialized function of the church. It is too often separated not only from the normative experience of the average Christian but also from the idea of discipleship, or spiritual formation. There are possible solutions to this problem, such as more training, increased efforts at city-wide crusades, more seeker-oriented services, continuation of church planting, a stronger focus on those "gifted" …

The Cult Of Comfort, Raymond W. Leach

Doctor of Ministry

The tension in which we find ourselves when it comes to the accumulation of wealth and material possessions is a common one for Christians in the United States. This is a natural result of living in a culture that is driven by the pursuit of comfort. It is aggravated by the fact that so many of our tendencies when it comes to money, happiness, and success are conditioned by the world instead of being shaped by the Word of God. We strive for worldly kingship, but we are called to otherworldly kingdom participation. We pursue comfort as defined by our …

Reading Scripture With Both Eyes Open: God's Story Could Be Hazardous To Your Status Quo, Winn Griffin

Doctor of Ministry

The real-world ministry problem addressed in this dissertation is: Scripture is often read and studied in a de-storied, fragmented way as a result of the Enlightenment Project. This problem will be addressed by: proposing a theological narrative (Story) as the alternative way of reading and studying Scripture.

Section 1 will discuss the problem of how readers of Scripture can be helped to understand themselves within the larger narrative of the Story presented from Genesis to Revelation. Section 2 will discuss the problem of reading the text of Scripture in a fragmented way as a result of the Enlightenment's propensity toward …

Reading Scripture With Both Eyes Open: God's Story Could Be Hazardous To Your Status Quo, Winn Griffin

Seminary Masters Theses

The real-world ministry problem addressed in this dissertation is: Scripture is often read and studied in a de-storied, fragmented way as a result of the Enlightenment Project. This problem will be addressed by: proposing a theological narrative (Stor/) as the alternative way of reading and studying Scripture.

Section 1 will discuss the problem of how readers of Scripture can be helped to understand themselves within the larger narrative of the Story presented from Genesis to Revelation. Section 2 will discuss the problem of reading the text of Scripture in a fragmented way as a result of the Enlightenment's propensity toward …

Strengthening Church Leadership And Preventing Pastoral Burnout Through Imago Relationship Therapy, Keri Warren

Doctor of Ministry

Pastors have their own family system and, therefore, bring into the church and ministry their family-of-origin functional and dysfunctional thinking patterns and behaviors. Pastors who receive insight into and healing of early-life woundedness and dysfunctional patterns, especially those patterns that are core to Bowen's family systems theory, will be less likely to compensate for their woundedness through the church family system and less likely then to experience burnout. It is the thesis of this dissertation that pastors engage in Imago Relationship Theory techniques with their spouses, and experience personal healing and self-differentiation leading to further spiritual identity development, become better …

Exploring The Impact Of Rural And Urban Settings On Therapist Self-Disclosure, Katie Pierson Fruhauff

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

There has been a significant amount of research that addresses the topic of therapist self-disclosure. Issues such as what to disclose, when to disclose, the ethics of therapist disclosure, and the benefits and harm of therapist self-disclosure have been debated over the years. How self-disclosure varies among therapists has also been a focus of research. Unlike the area of self-disclosure, research on rural practice is a new and expanding field of research and there is great need for more research in this area. The hypothesis of this study proposes that therapist self-disclosure varies by setting; that rural therapists are more …

Differential Item Functioning In Asian-Americans On The Stanford-Binet Standardization Fifth Edition Verbal Subtests, Sheri L. Cardoza

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This research examined the Standardization Edition of the Stanford-Binet, Fifth Edition (SB5), in order to assess the cultural validity of items using an index of differential item functioning (DIF) among Asian American and White/Caucasian American children. Archival data, obtained from the SB5 publisher, was used to determine DIF of items for the 101 Asian American and 200 White/Caucasian American children, ages 4-18. Potential bias was determined through the use of partial correlation. A significant correlation between item and an ethnicity code (with overall ability partialed out) indicated that, in general, one group performed better on a particular item than the …

Shame In Body Image In Children's Literature, Joy Mauldin

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Even though children's books have been around for centuries, no research has addressed shame dynamics in children's literature. Psychologists can play an important role in the illumination of shaming content in literature, which will shape a child's perception of the world around her. In this qualitative study, five volunteers, non- psychologist adults ranging in ages 26-58 years, discovered that shame exists in children's books. The volunteers noted that shame can be both explicit and implicit in fashion. This study informs us that when given an understanding of shame, a non- psychologist layperson can identify shaming content in children's literature. This …

Phd And Psyd Graduates: More Alike Than Different, Elizabeth N. Wood

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

This study seeks to measure the attitudes and contributions of professional psychologists who have earned a PsyD degree. Initially developed as a degree to emphasize training in clinical practice over academia or research, the Doctor of Psychology degree follows the "Vail Model," also known as the "practitioner-scholar model." A random sample of practicing clinical psychologists was surveyed to determine if practicing c linical psychologists with a PsyD versus a PhD degree differ in attitude regarding serving diverse populations, public advocacy, and scholarship, and whether these attitudes are confirmed in practice. A questionnaire with practice-based questions was administered to 600 licensed …

Fundamentalism: The Extreme Reaction To German Higher Criticism, John M. Muir

Seminary Masters Theses

Preface

Beginning in the last half of the nineteenth century in America the Christian Church became radically divided over the issue of German Higher Criticism and the theory of evolution. Those who accepted German Higher Criticism and evolutionary theory called themselves Progressives, or Liberals, while those who rejected German Higher Criticism and evolutionary theory called themselves Fundamentalists. While those on the left usually see both names, Progressives and Liberals, as pejorative today, those in the Fundamentalist camp still hold proudly to the name and hold to the same basic beliefs. My thesis is that the Fundamentalist's rejection of German Higher …

Veterinary Professionals' Workplace Learning In A Corporate Organization: An Ethnographic Study, James F. Steele

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The purpose of this study was to investigate learning orientations, strategies and tactics of veterinarians, and generate explanatory theory grounded in ethnographic data. A theory of approaches to transdisciplinary and disciplinary learning emerged from qualitative analysis of interviews, learning journals and field observations. Eleven subjects in 4 regions were newly employed by a corporate veterinary practice. This research is framed by theories of adult learning, workplace learning, and occupational community. The study was guided by 3 research questions about learning orientations, approaches, strategies and tactics veterinarians applied in the workplace. Question 1 asked about orientation toward learning. Question 2 aimed …

Baptist Student Ministry: Object Lessons In The New Reality For Denominational Ministries, Nick Howard

Doctor of Ministry

The world in which we live is a world filled with opportunity. It is an exciting time to be alive and involved in ministry. This is especially true for those who minister to the more than 14 million university students on campuses across America today. To work on a university campus is to experience the quickening of the Spirit. There is a very real sense that one is ministering on the cusp of the postmodem world. In contrast with earlier generations of students, the beginning years of the 21st century are times in which students are characterized by an optimism …

In His Steps: An Asian Christian View To Discerning God's Will, Philip J. J. Chen

Doctor of Ministry

Most Asian cultures are polytheistic, and the people of these cultures have evolved specific ways to discern the gods' wills for their lives. 1 When an individual from an Asian background converts to Christianity, he or she faces many challenges. For example, family members may pressure the believer to return to polytheism, and the believer must respond to their difficult challenge. Polytheism provides many ways to discern the will of the gods, but Christianity limits its methods to prayer, guidance from the Bible, and the direction of the Holy Spirit.2 This dissertation will describe methods of spiritual discernment for Christians …

Via Media : The Necessity Of Deeper Theological Refection For The Genuine Renewal Of Church In The Emerging Culture And Context / By Jason Clark., Jason Clark

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Prayground.Tv: Penultimate Written Statement, David Mcdonald

Doctor of Ministry

Prayground.tv is an online experiential prayer exercise. It is designed to facilitate personal expression and creativity, high user interactivity, and conversation among peers in order to help postmoderns engage spirituality that is both individual and communal. The Internet has quickly become the voice for virtual community and personal expression and prayground.tv is a helpful tool in exploring the tension between the communityoriented teachings of Jesus while helping each user internalize those teachings.

Section Two will show that, based on external data and outside sources, this dichotomy is especially real in a postmodern context and needs to be addressed. Here I …

Re-Envisioning Theological Education And Formation For Mission, In-Context, Using Distance Education, David Wollenburg

Doctor of Ministry

Distance Education Leading To Ordination (DELTO) is a program of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) designed to prepare individuals for pastoral ministry. It is non-residential, and it is contextual, as those in the program are already engaged in ministry.

Three concerns about DELTO are addressed in this work: the first is that it is a "dumbing-down" of pastoral formation; the second is that it is not possible to form a spiritual commWlity of support on-line; and the third is the need for the seminary faculty to have enough information to be able to confidently certify DELTO graduates for ordination.

This …