Digital Commons Network^™

Ecotheology In Context: A Critical Phenomenological Study Of Graduates Of Environmentally Focused Seminary Programs In The United States Of America, Cherice Bock

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

In recent decades, the field of ecotheology has emerged in dialogue with the context of the interconnected environmental and climate crises, particularly relating to the critique of Christianity being used to justify human and resource exploitation. A range of disciplines within the religious academy have taken up these intersecting concerns, together termed “ecologically informed theological education.” Graduate institutions training faith leaders and theological educators have created degree programs and certifications, and/or incorporated awareness of ecology, sustainability, and care for creation into their curricula. A research approach for ecotheology is described through the conceptual framework of critical ecotheology, which acknowledges ecotheology …

Retired Missionaries And Faith In A Changing Society, Carmel Gallagher

Books/Book chapters

Retired Missionaries and Faith in a Changing Society offers a sociological study of the Irish missionary diaspora. It draws on a series of interviews with female and male Catholic missionaries, mainly nuns and priests, who have worked in Asia, Africa and Central and South America, and who have returned to live in Ireland. The chapters provide unique insight into their experiences, exploring how they have navigated life-course changes in the context of changing church and changing societies. Retired missionaries have several vantage points from which to communicate their understandings, having worked across cultures and encountered some of the most challenging …

Online Vs On-Site: Navigating The Tension Between Curating Content And Cultivating Connections For Children In The Post-Pandemic Church, Mckinzie Marcus

Senior Honors Theses

The common Christian cliche “church is not a place, but rather a people” was challenged by the Coronavirus pandemic of early 2020. With the traditional means of assembling in physical spaces unavailable, congregations worldwide resigned themselves to adapting their in-person programs into internet assemblies. As churches step into the post-pandemic era, it is important to consider the implications of this forced shift, especially as it relates to children’s ministry. A consideration of traditional messages and trending methods is necessary. Twenty-first century children’s ministries must seek a healthy balance between curating content and cultivating connections for the children in their churches.

Growing In Global Perspectives: A Review Of Reading The Bible Around The World, Eoghan Holdahl, Jaelyn Dragt, Joya Schreurs, Susan Wang, Hannah Landman

Student Work

"Effects of colonization, refuge seeking, and persecution affect how communities interpret meaning in Scripture."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the book Reading the Bible Around the World from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/growing-in-global-perspectives-a-review-of-reading-the-bible-around-the-world/

Publication Citations (Calendar Year 2022), Valparaiso University

Valparaiso Scholarship and Creative Works Reception

No abstract provided.

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 Relationship Between Multicultural Christianity And Spiritual Formation: Quantitative Correlational Study, Jack Andrew Wingard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The population in America has changed dramatically over the past twenty years. The homogenous communities present when churches began in America have become heterogeneous. The homogeneous church growth models have possibly hindered spiritual formation for churches in America. Multicultural churches seek to solve this problem by creating environments that strategically create congregations that match the demographics of American communities. This correlational study aimed to explore if a relationship exists between multicultural church practices and spiritual formation in spiritual, social, and intellectual areas. The study employed survey instrumentation that used the MCSFS. Overall, five distinctly multicultural churches spread out across America …

Racial Reconciliation: A Theological Approach To Building Relationships, Calvin Glass

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Racism within the Christian community in America has resulted in social unrest and has plagued the Christian church in a way that mandates urgent solutions to this untamed malady. This research focus is centered on learning a practicable methodology based on biblical principles that address racial reconciliation (building God-approved relationships) that will combat racial disunity among Christians. The study method used BBR (Building Better Relationships) consisted of interviewing and teaching a focus group representing a Black pastor and five church participants on racial relations issues within the church context. From the recommendations of the senior pastor, a focus group from …

A Groundbreaking Christian Ministry Study On The Authority Of God Among Independent Churches In Mid-Atlantic America, Troy Shawn Stewart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The commandments and covenants in the Bible are important in Christian ministry. Defining these aspects may cultivate Christian organizations such as Christian citizenship and Christian organization is vital in addressing the fabric of designing a loving and ethical culture built on the commandments and covenants. This includes love God, love one’s neighbor, or love one another. Designing a strong and integrity driven culture and showing how love should be put in operation in the church such as how a Christian leader views the actions and policies of the church. In return, this can create a love God design for churches …

[Review Of The Book Christianity, Empire, And The Spirit: (Re)Configuring Faith And Culture, By N. Medina], John Francis Burke

Political Science Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Works Written By Black Old Testament Scholars : Bibliography, Charlie Trimm

Faculty Articles & Research

...This bibliography seeks to address this problem by highlighting the work of Black Old Testament scholars to encourage others to use these publications in research and teaching. The bibliography is not designed to be comprehensive, but merely to illustrate the range of scholarship available from these Black scholars.

Interdisciplinarity As A Means Of Doing Theology: Jose Mario Francisco, Jr., Sj, Phd And His Writings, Ruben C. Mendoza

Theology Department Faculty Publications

As a Jesuit, Jose Mario Francisco has occupied various positions in the academe as a teacher and an administrator. At the same time, he has engaged in research on various topics such as Asian theology, religious identity, Christology, literary theory, Philippine literature in English, translation, and hermeneutics. A thread that runs through his writings is his interdisciplinary approach to the subject of his inquiry. A particular interest of Francisco in his efforts to understand Filipino Catholicism is his emphasis on mission as translation which for him necessarily involves interpretation.

Prosperity Gospel In Liberia: A Theological Alternative To The Gospel Of Jesus Christ, Jerome A. Newman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many indigenous Liberian pastors are not theologically grounded on a solid biblical foundation. As such, many Liberian Christians lack foundational knowledge of the truths of the Gospel of Christ for salvation. The prosperity gospel or “Faith, Wealth, and Health” theology in Liberia is a significant deviation from the Gospel of Christ that undermines sound hermeneutical interpretation of Scripture. This study examines why a growing number of pastors in Liberia are replacing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the prosperity gospel. An anonymous survey research study of 12 pastors from Unity Light Ministry Network (Unity Community Church) in Kakata, Liberia, West …

Race, Ethnicity & Culture With Purpose: The Growth Of A Multicultural Church Ministry, Jamar R. Mabry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christianity is a major galvanizing factor. However, it is prudent to pay attention to the real and latent divisions in society that hinder social harmony: even without the calming effect of the Christian faith. Attempting to form a multicultural church must therefore involve an understanding of the races and ethnicities that comprise the target population. That process is as academic as it is pragmatic. The academic aspect of conceiving race involves a historically literate understanding of the heritage and factors that created the present race and ethnic power relations not only in the locale: but across the entire country as …

From Vatican Ii To Amoris Laetitia: The Catholic Social And Sexual Ethics Division And A Way Of Ecclesial Interconnection, Alexandre Andrade Martins

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

This paper navigates the development of ethical issues during Vatican II and the impulse to develop a new moral theology just after the Council. This paper argues, on one hand, that Gaudium et Spes develops a new moral theology based on the imperative of conscience mediated by faith in issues of social ethics. On the other hand, the old moral orientation was preserved on sexual ethics. After the council, these two moral faces have led magisterial teaching to two different paths that can be seen chronologically in approaches used for issues of social and sexual ethics. Vatican II encouraged a …

Litigation, Liberty, And Legitimation: The Experience Of The Church Of Scientology In Australian Law, Bernard Doherty, James T. Richardson

Law Papers and Journal Articles

Freedom of religion, the paradigm of freedom of conscience, is of the essence of a free society. The chief function in the law of a definition of religion is to mark out an area within which a person subject to the law is free to believe and to act in accordance with his belief without legal restraint.

Quakers And Creation Care: Potentials And Pitfalls For An Ecotheology Of Friends (Chapter Five In Quakers, Creation Care, And Sustainability), Cherice Bock

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

While Friends have a strong tradition of activism around the social justice issues of each era, we also tend to spiritualize our faith, disconnecting it from the material world. Environmental concerns are arguably one of the most important social justice issues of of our time, and in many ways, activism, advocacy, and lifestyle witness seem like natural ways for Friends to engage in social justice in this time in history. This essay will explore some of the historical and theological strengths Friends can draw from our tradition that can help build a particularly Quaker ecotheology, as well as some of …

Redemptive Penology Vs. Exclusive Retributive Justice, Samuel Chuks Japhets

Masters Theses

Grounded on long-standing penal notions of exclusive retributivism inherited from classical theorists, Ancient Near East lex talionis, and theonomist penology, the United States federal sentencing and corrections system aims to administer just desert sentences on offenders, to curtail crimes. This exclusively retributive model of criminal sanction is, presumably transformative and innately capable of dispensing holistic justice to society, victims, and criminals. However, the preponderance of high rates of recidivism raises the question of whether this exclusively retributive doctrinal framework that drives the federal penology empirically results in a redemptive administration of penal justice, especially to the offender. Given the traditional …

Church And State: The Impact Of Christianity On South African Politics During And Post-Apartheid, Calista Struby

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Within the South African context, there exists an intimate relationship between religion and politics. South Africa by definition is a secular society however data indicates that the South African population that is overwhelmingly religious. According to a General Household Survey published in 2015, 86% of the South African population identifies with some form of the Christian faith (“General Household Survey,” 2015). Historically religious civil society has played a prominent role in shaping the political climate and the political involvement of South African citizens. During Apartheid, Christianity played an influential role in the ideological formation and justification of the Apartheid political …

Church, Faith, Future: What We Face, What We Can Do. By Louis J. Cameli. Collegeville, Mn: Liturgical Press, 2017., Michael M. Canaris

Institute of Pastoral Studies: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A review of Louis J Cameli's book, Church, Faith, Future: What We Face, What We Can Do written by Michael Canaris.

Developing A Theologically Self-Reflexive Critique With Comparative Theologians And The Sociological Analysis Of Pierre Bourdieu, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In this article I attempt to locate productive foundations for a critical theological methodology through engaging with both the inherently critical nature of comparative theology alongside the sociological, self-reflexive analysis of Pierre Bourdieu. I turn, first, to comparative theology because it is a field with a heightened sensibility for how self-reflexive critique functions within a theological context, as it assumes that both sides in any conversation maintain the possibility of re-examining their own premises and foundations. I turn, second, to the work of the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu because it is his analysis of symbolic power that provides an examination of …

Exiles In Their Own Land: Japanese Protestant Mission History And Theory In Conversation With Practical Theology, Thomas John Hastings

Yale Divinity Library Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

The Continuing Relevance Of “Queer” Theology For The Rest Of The Field, Colby Dickinson, Meghan Toomey

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

What does it mean to queer theology? How is this task of queering theology relevant to and engaged with mainstream academic theological discourse? What is already queer about theology? What direction should queering theology take in the future? This special issue examines these key questions, among others, which are at the heart of the overall project that has been referred to as “queer theology”. In this introduction to the volume, we outline common strands of thought, and key issues and questions that undergird and interlace the essays in this volume. We also provide a brief history of queer theology, highlighting …

Fragmented, Messianic, Paradoxical, Antinomian, Revolutionary, Secular: The Hermeneutics Of Eschatology, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Multiple philosophical-theological efforts in the last century, from W. Benjamin to J. Caputo, have been centered on a messianic opposition to normative structures, a challenge that invokes a long history in the West of breaking down the codes of ordered, civilized and religious society. That such an apocalyptic fervor is nothing new to the history of theology should not surprise us. What should surprise us, however, is how infrequently we are able to see the larger pattern behind these particular movements. Taking up the recent emergence of ‘queer theology’ as the current manifestation of such a trend, I want to …

Journal Of Lanka Bible College (Sri Lanka), Vol 1, 2017, Lbc Centre For Graduate Studies Dehiwala, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Holy Spirit Research Center, Oral Roberts University

Journal of Lanka Bible College (Sri Lanka)

Journal of Lanka Bible College (Sri Lanka), Vol 1 (2017)

A publication for LBC Centre for Graduate Studies Dhiwala, Colombo, Sri Lanka

http://www.lbcs.edu.lk/

Articles Include:

• “Breaking The ‘Donor-Recipient’ Godlessness In International Relationships” - Rev Dr Stuart Brooking
• “Christ and the Spirit in the Light of Paul’s use of the Old Testament in Romans 15.7-13” - Dr Danny Moses
• “Driving Jesus out of Gerasenes” - M Alroy Mascrenghe
• “Youth Ministry as Missiology ‘Cross-Cultural’ Outreach: A Missiological Perspective on Youth Ministry” - Dr Paul Borthwick
• “The Foundations of Theological Thought” - Dr Peter Mead
• “Some ways Christians and Muslims can work together …

Religious Aspirations Among Urban Christians In Contemporary Indonesia, Chang Yau Hoon

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Recognizing that the Christians in Indonesia are not a homogeneous group, this article examines the various contested spiritual, social, and political aspirations of urban Christians in the contexts of the historical trajectory of Indonesian modernity, forces of globalization and urbanization, the role of capital, and the development of Islam - the indispensable religious 'Other' to this minority religion in contemporary Indonesia. It sheds light on the ways in which this minority exercises agency in using political participation and social activism as a counterbalance to the growing Islamization of Indonesia, and how they strategically utilize their extensive economic, social, and political …

Book Notes And Review - Chinese Christian Theology, Anthony E. Clark

History Faculty Scholarship

Book review of Alexander Chow's Theosis, Sino-Christian Theology and the Second Chinese Enlightenment.

Key Socio-Ecclesial Themes Arising In The Asian American Community (Chapter One Of Evangelical Pilgrims From The East: Faith Fundamentals Of Korean American Protestant Diasporas), Sunggu Yang

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

The chapter examines the socio-ecclesial or practical theological situation of Asian Americans, of which Korean Americans are a part and out of which Korean American evangelical diasporas seek their unique cultural faith formation-the topics of the following chapters.1 The Asian American socio-ecclesial context is a hard one to analyze because of its cultural complexity. Mainly, the complexity comes from the dual identity or double consciousness of Asian American life-being Asian on the one hand and American on the other. This hybridity without a doubt complicates the cultural investigation of Asian American Christianity. At the same time, however, that hybridity is …

Climatologists, Theologians, And Prophets: Toward An Ecotheology Of Critical Hope, Cherice Bock

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

As people of faith begin to recognize in larger numbers that our relationship with creation is one of the most important challenges facing us today, I find myself pondering what we have to offer the environmental movement. The Christian scriptures begin and end with stories of God and creation: the oft-mentioned creation stories of Genesis 1-2, and the eschatological reflections on the new heaven and earth, and the river and tree of life in Revelation 21-22. (1) In between are the stories of the people of faith, and how we interact with God in the midst of creation. These stories …

New Testament Precedents To The Practice Of Contextualization In Contemporary Mission, Boubakar Sanou

Faculty Publications

Although every culture needs to be transformed by the Spirit and the Word of God (Pierson, 2009:257), it is still essential that the communication of the gospel, in whatever setting, seeks to make the gospel concepts and ideas relevant to people within their own cultures (Hiebert, 1985:55). However, the need to be culturally appropriate always should be closely coupled with an in-depth analysis of the Scriptures. Because “people can only understand that which is part of their cultural frame of reference” (Rogers, 2004:65), the presentation of the gospel must be both biblically sound and culturally relevant in order to be …