Digital Commons Network^™

A Service Of Lessons And Carols, The Ouachita Singers, The Women's Chorus, The Handbell Ringers, Adam Haas

Student Concert Performances, Programs, and Posters

This is the video and program for OBU's 20th annual A Service of Lessons and Carols, held on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall. The service featured nine scripture readings from the books of Genesis, Isaiah, Matthew, Luke and John. Each reading was followed by a carol that reflects Advent and Christmas themes.

Advent 2016: Isaiah 3: 8-15, "They Display Their Sins", S. Ray Granade

Creative Works

Isaiah’s promise of judgment sounds perfect even at first reading. We nod our heads when we read that things will go badly for the wicked, who will get what they deserve. Child or adult, perhaps our most favorite human statement is “That’s not fair!” We assume the role of judge and jury, look at people and events in our world, and make our determinations. But the phrase as stated is incomplete. What we really mean is “Things aren’t going my way and I want them to and they should and it’s not fair when they don’t!” Our standard for judgment …

Of Kings And Kin : Bayit And The Dynastic Family Of David, Jeremy Eng Chong Chew

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Sabbath In The Gospel Of Matthew: A Paradigm For Understanding The Law In Matthew?, Robert K. Mciver

Robert McIver

No abstract provided.

The End Of Satan, Steven Thompson

Steven Thompson

No abstract provided.

Does It Really Matter? Choosing A Bible Translation For Use In Schools, Lorinda Bruce, Steven Thompson

Steven Thompson

No abstract provided.

“It’S Not A Fucking Book, It’S A Weapon!”: Authority, Power, And Mediation In The Book Of Eli, Seth M. Walker

Journal of Religion & Film

The mediation of religious narratives through sacred texts is intimately bound to the power relations involved in their transmission and maintenance. Those who possess such mediated messages and control their access and interpretation have historically held privileged positions of authority, especially when those positions are not easily contested. The 2010 film The Book of Eli uniquely engages these elements by placing the alleged last copy of the King James Version of the Christian Bible at the forefront of a clash between different individuals in a post-nuclear wasteland. This paper, drawing on Max Weber’s notion of “charisma,” and scholars addressing religion, …

The Crimes Of Love. The (Un)Censored Version Of The Flood Story In Noah (2014), Wojciech Kosior

Journal of Religion & Film

A swift survey of Noah reviews clearly shows that the audience’s sensitivity was challenged in several regards; Noah was portrayed as a “religious extremist” and “borderline psychopath”, the Creator proved to be a “distant—unaware or uncaring—overseer”, while Aronofsky himself was said to have a “sinister purpose of leading people to believe that Christianity and Judaism are something they are not.” On closer examination, however, the above summarized pleas are not entirely relevant for two basic reasons. First, the movie consists of ideas that have been in use since antiquity, rearranged and composed into a new-old story and all the arguments …

“My Heart Falters, Fear Makes Me Tremble” (Isaiah 21:4 Niv): Emotions And Prophetic Writings In The Bible, Gerald A. Klingbeil, Chantal J. Klingbeil

Faculty Publications

"Emotions are an intricate part of what it means to be human. They are part of complex coping mechanisms installed by a Creator God whose own emotions are reflected in humanity’s creation in the imago Dei, the “image of God” (Gen. 1:27).¹ Joy, exuberance, anticipation, pleasure, delight, and happiness, must have all been part of God’s original make-up of humanity, for they characterize our existence today. We also experience, however, anger, sadness, sorrow, fear, depression, dejection, misery, and fury—emotions that became part of our emotive repertoire following the Fall in Genesis 3.²

Unfortunately, we have traditionally …

The Book Of Everything, Rebeca Wallin

Children's Book and Media Review

When Thomas grows up he wants to be – happy. This admirable goal does not quite seem achievable in the opening act of the play. Based on the book of the same name by Guus Kuijer, this play shows Thomas living in post WWII Amsterdam with his loving mother and domineering, violent father. The family is expected to adhere to the strict rules of their father’s Christian faith and rule breaking or mistakes are severely punished. This punishment extends to the abuse of Thomas’s mother. Despite the grim circumstances that he lives in Thomas takes comfort in his mother’s love …

The Tapestry Of Early Christian Discourse: Rhetoric, Society, And Ideology [Review] / Vernon K. Robbins., Ruben R. Dupertuis

Ruben R Dupertuis

No abstract provided.

What Role Do Bible Scholars Play In Your Bible Reading?, Benjamin J. Lappenga

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Biblical scholars have the skills and expertise to explain important historical and textual information [and] to provide guidance for what translations are most useful for close study."

Posting about helpful guides for understanding the Bible from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/what-role-do-bible-scholars-play-in-your-bible-reading/

The Book Of Revelation [Lecture Notes], Scott Gambrill Sinclair

The Scott Sinclair Lecture Notes Collection

An examination of the context, message, and contemporary relevance of this extraordinary final book of the Christian New Testament.

Student Learning Outcomes: Student will demonstrate a knowledge of

1. the literal contents of the Book of Revelation
2. the cultural and/or historical situations to which they respond, and 3) the enduring theological perspectives that appear in these responses.

The Gospel And Epistles Of John [Lecture Notes], Scott Gambrill Sinclair

The Scott Sinclair Lecture Notes Collection

This course will study the major themes of John's Gospel and Epistles. It will pay special attention to the gospel's Christology and presentation of the stages in the Christian spiritual life.

Student learning outcomes: Students will:

1. demonstrate a knowledge of the social setting and major ideas of the Johannine Epistles
2. demonstrate a knowledge of the social setting of John's Gospel
3. demonstrate an understanding of the Gospel's major themes, especially, its Christology and its presentation of the stages in the Christian spiritual life
4. reflect on whether the course material is helpful in the students’ own quest for meaning and spiritual well-being.

The Gospels Of Matthew, Mark, And Luke And The Acts Of The Apostles [Lecture Notes], Scott Gambrill Sinclair

The Scott Sinclair Lecture Notes Collection

A detailed study of the New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and of the historical Jesus. We will reconstruct the social setting of each gospel and examine the gospels' major theological themes. Then we will examine the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Some attention will also be paid to the contents and message of the Acts of the Apostles.

Student Learning Outcomes: Students will demonstrate:

1. A knowledge of the social settings of the New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and the Acts of the Apostles
2. a knowledge of the basic theological ideas …

Understanding Ellen White: Ellen White’S Passion For The Love Of God In Christ, Merlin D. Burt

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Problem Of Authority In Conservative Evangelical Christianity: A Critique Of American And South Korean Expressions, Harold Arthur Brower Iv

MSU Graduate Theses

This thesis explores and compares the ways in which the Bible is read, interpreted, and held as an authority by conservative Evangelicals in the United States and South Korea. By examining the history, literary practices, and social systems in each country, I reveal authorities other than the Bible that emerge from Evangelical culture. Discourse theory, reader-response theory, and rhetorical criticism provide the theoretical lenses through which each expression is viewed. My research strategies included: (1) a six month ethnographic project held in two Korean Evangelical communities; and (2) a survey of Korean laity. Data were collected from direct observations, Evangelical …

The Life And Witness Of Peter, Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Le Détective Biblique: Daniel, "Le Festin De Balthazar" Ou Une Histoire Souterraine Du Roman Policier, Rebecca Josephy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

La problématique de cette étude s’ancre dans un constat : à la fin du XIX^e siècle et au cours du XX^e un épisode biblique dans le Livre de Daniel, mieux connu sous le titre « Le Festin de Balthazar » apparaît dans un nombre significatif de romans policiers, y compris le tout premier texte de la série Sherlock Holmes, Une étude en rouge. Que pourrait expliquer cette occurrence fréquente dans un nombre aussi canonique d’œuvres du roman policier ? « Le Festin de Balthazar », pourrait-il être considéré comme un ancêtre lointain de ce genre littéraire ? …

“The Pondering Repose Of If”: Herman Melville’S Literary Exegesis, Damien Brian Schlarb

English Dissertations

This study examines how Herman Melville’s oeuvre interacts with Old Testament (OT) wisdom literature (the Books of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes). Using recent historical findings on the rise of religious skepticism and the erosion of Biblical authority in both Europe and the United States, I read Melville as an author steeped in the theological controversies of the eighteenth-century. Specifically, I am interested in teasing out the surprising disavowals of overt religious skepticism in Melville’s writing. By tracing the so-called Solomonic wisdom tradition throughout Melville’s oeuvre, I argue that Melville had developed an epistemology of contemplation towards that body of Biblical …

Redemption From Darkness: A Study Of Form And Function, Sacred And Secular, Within The Genre Of Apocalypse, Margaret R. Butterfield

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The genre of apocalypse has an irresistible draw. The concepts of beginning and end to humankind as well as the cosmos situate themselves in our daily stories, microcosmic narratives that repeat through time, placing the footprint of humankind a little more firmly into the earth, a place we have called our home from beginning and, naturally, to the end. In a world that constantly pushes forward to the next piece of technological equipment, reducing mass pandemics to mere over the counter solutions, and extending its hand into the abyss of the unknown universe, humanity craves the elusive next chapter in …

Encouraging Word : The Pastor's Role In Increasing Biblical Literacy In The Local Congregation, Todd A. Leach

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Dynamics Of Transformative Change Of Lectio Divina In The Context Of Transformative Learning Theory, Joyce M. Chen

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Reformers' Interpretation Of Jesus' Teaching On Divorce And Marriage, Jason K. Lee

Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Chronology Of The Events In Zechariah 12-14, Won Jin Jeon

Honors Theses

In current scholarship, there is a lack of consensus on the timing of the specific events in Zechariah 12-14, with a focus on eschatological or sequential chronologies. Preliminary exegetical research has revealed many connections between the three chapters. For instance, the phrase “in that day” ( ביום־ההוא ) occurs 17 times (versus four times in the rest of Zechariah). This concentrated usage closely interconnects the three chapters and suggests that the timeliness of all of the events is in close succession. Through findings in literary structures, key words, and intertextualities with other passages of the Old Testament, the conclusion is …

Comfort, Dennis Vander Plaats

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Death, the last enemy we face, is evil. God does not will evil things."

Posting about God's comfort from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/comfort/

Reclaiming A Biblical View For Agriculture, Wayne A. Kobes

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"A study of modern approaches to the Christian mission reveals a longstanding debate between an evangelical approach that advocates a 'word' ministry and an ecumenical view that argues for a 'deed' emphasis."

Posting about agricultural mission work from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/reclaiming-a-biblical-view-for-agriculture/

Social Principles Of Good Agriculture, Ronald Vos

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"If Christians are to live out their lives before the face of God, where should they look for guiding principles in how to conduct agriculture?"

Posting about ­­­­­­­­transformation in the field of agriculture from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/social-principles-of-good-agriculture/

Answering Your Question: Knowing The Truth, Neal Deroo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"To turn the question of truth towards the person of Christ then helps us answer the question of how we can know that we can know the truth."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­knowing the truth from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life,death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/answering-your-question-knowing-the-truth/

What Has Coruscant To Do With Jerusalem? A Response And Reflections At The Crossroads Of Hebrew Bible And Science Fiction, James F. Mcgrath

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

No abstract provided.