Digital Commons Network^™

Saying Goodbye To Grandma, Courtney A. Brown

Comparative Woman

No abstract provided.

Out Of The Blue, Braxton Church

Children's Book and Media Review

Ten days after Jaya’s mother dies, angels start falling from the sky—and not a single one has survived. Eighty fallen angels later, Jaya’s father drags her to Edinburgh to try and catch one. Jaya hates her father’s obsession and wants nothing to do with the angels, until one falls in front of her and lives. With two new friends, Jaya helps the angel recover so she can return to wherever she fell from. But Jaya must also deal with the fact that she’s betraying her father who’s so desperate for a miracle. Only when the angel can fly does Jaya …

No Parking At The End Of Times, Meagan Andrus

Children's Book and Media Review

Sixteen-year-old Abigail lives in a van in San Francisco with her parents and her twin brother, Aaron. They sold their house and everything they owned, following a pastor named Brother John, to prepare for the end of the world. After a few weeks, the apocalypse still hasn't happened. Abigail is worried about Aaron, who disappears every night, and she's also worried about her parents, who don't seem to be doing anything to make a more permanent home. When she follows Aaron one night to find him meeting up with other homeless teenagers, she's at first upset and then relieved to …

“You Believe Your Thing, I’Ll Believe My Thing”: How Christian College Students Communicate With Peers About Religion, Samantha Phelan

Communication Studies

This phenomenological study examines how Christian college students communicate with their peers about religion. Six undergraduate college students at a private university in San Francisco were individually interviewed about their experiences at the university and how they feel about discussing their religion among friends. Of the participants, three were male, and three were female. All participants self-identified as Christian. Interviews lasted approximately 30 minutes. They were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed that students tended to avoid religious conversations, but bonded with other Christian students over the shared experiences of growing up in their faith. In …

Ecstasy In The Classroom: Trance, Self, And The Academic Profession In Medieval Paris, Ayelet Even-Ezra

Religion

Can ecstatic experiences be studied with the academic instruments of rational investigation? What kinds of religious illumination are experienced by academically minded people? And what is the specific nature of the knowledge of God that university theologians of the Middle Ages enjoyed compared with other modes of knowing God, such as rapture, prophecy, the beatific vision, or simple faith? Ecstasy in the Classroom explores the interface between academic theology and ecstatic experience in the first half of the thirteenth century, formative years in the history of the University of Paris, medieval Europe’s “fountain of knowledge.” It considers little-known texts by …

What Is Social Justice?, Maddie Bailey

Social Justice Class Papers

The term social justice is a very broad word with many both positive and negative connotations for different people. It is hard to define a term whose meaning is subjective to the one talking about it. As I have been growing in my knowledge at Ouachita about injustices in the world, life in general, and my faith, my perspective on many things have shifted as well as been widened. My first thought at the beginning when I chose Social Justice was that I want to learn to help people like Christ as I prepare for law school. That was it. …

Thoughts On Social Justice: A Personal Manifesto, Grace Howell

Social Justice Class Papers

Social Justice is a phrase that has been flippantly thrown around for decades. Professionals, media, politicians, activists, religious leaders, and lay people use this term to refer to a variety of different focuses. How can something so progressive in nature lack such direction among the people fighting for its cause? The reality of this lack in clarity has cluttered my thoughts over the past semester as I have plummeted into this question. One simple question has left me with many more. In a journey of self-discovery, I plan to attempt to narrow the views of many on social justice into …

The Gospel-Centered Christian, Timothy Saleska

Concordia Pages

When I was a seminarian back in 1980 we were less than six years distant from the synodical upheavals that came to a head in 1974. One of the documents that every seminarian was required to read in those days was the 1970 report of the LCMS Commission of Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) entitled, Gospel & Scripture. Prof. Harry Huth of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, who served as the primary drafter for the report, penned what is arguably one of the most important reports ever put out by the CTCR. Or at the very least, it was a …

Critical Literacy For Older Adults: Engaging (And Resisting) Transformative Education As An Older Methodist Woman, Janet Bean

Janet Bean

The “Boatloads” Bible Study: A Report On The Spiritual Growth Resulting From Participation In A Small Group Bible Study, Abigail Brewer

The Kabod

Developed in January 2018, the “Boatloads” Bible study series sought to encourage members of a college life group in Lynchburg, Virginia, to grow spiritually by studying the power of God in ten passages of Scripture involving boats. At the end of the semester, members of the life group were asked to complete an anonymous survey about their experience in the Bible study. To analyze how the “Boatloads” Bible study affected spiritual growth in the lives of its attendees, Abigail Brewer, one of the leaders of the life group, created a two-part survey with ten statements and five questions. Using a …

An Overview Of The Theology Of Oral Roberts, R. Samuel Thorpe

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Oral Roberts’ life and healing ministry were shaped by his theology of God. Roberts viewed God as good, who personally worked in the lives of people in the present, and who had good plans for each believer. The manifestation of these plans depended, however, on the faith of the individual believer. God was affected by events in time, was limited in his ability to act by the cooperation of the believer, and suffered emotional distress even as people do. The overriding element in all of Roberts’ message is that “Something good is going to happen to you.” Christians should expect …

Transgender People’S Reflections On Identity, Faith, And Christian Faith Communities In The U.S., Kristen Benson, Eli Westerfield, Bradley Van Eeden-Moorefield

Department of Family Science and Human Development Scholarship and Creative Works

Relational therapists have limited access to resources and information about transgender people’s faith beliefs and experiences in Christian communities of faith, which is largely absent from the professional literature. The purpose of this article is to examine the Christian religious and spiritual experiences of transgender people located in the U.S. Seven self-identified transgender people participated in in-depth interviews. Results of the study indicated that participants had various experiences in faith communities, with both supportive and discriminatory responses from others. The results also suggest that participants maintained their faith beliefs even when they experience rejection from faith communities. Moreover, participants reported …

Chapel: A Space Between Faith And Learning?, Ryan Mcilhenny

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Pollen On Your Nose, Calvin Seerveld

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Christianity On Adult Resiliency When Overcoming Grief, Mia-Tiara S. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Grief seems to affect everyone in some way over the course of life. This research conducted a thematic analysis using grounded theory methods to understand the process in which Christians overcome grief when losing a loved one. A total of six participants volunteered to be able to share their stories. The questions to be answered included: “What is the process of growing resilience among Christians who experience grief due to losing a loved one?” and “How does one’s faith impact this process of overcoming grief?” Utilizing Strauss and Corbin (1990), the data collected in this study was analyzed by open, …

The Puzzle Of Faith, Jason C. Stigall

Philosophy Theses

This essay introduces ‘The Puzzle of Faith,’ which highlights an apparent tension between faith and belief. To resolve this tension, I will present a solution to The Puzzle of Faith by identifying the sort of cognitive attitude that is sufficient for faith. I will argue two theses. (1) That the cognitive attitude in religious faith need not be belief in the philosopher’s regimented sense, but it can be an attitude which I call creedal acceptance. (2) If there are cases in which faith entails belief, then these ‘beliefs’ are different from the evidentially vulnerable beliefs talked about in philosophical literature. …

Just Play: On Being Fully Human In Sport, Amy Gray Bird

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Bird, Amy, S.G. “Just Play: On Being Fully Human in Sport.” Master’s thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2018. 73 pp.

Is competing in competitive sport worthy of a Christian’s time, energy, and resources? If so, how does one compete in a God-pleasing way? Certainly, several factors are at work here, but to gain a theologically faithful understanding of sport this paper considers two concepts as vital: the Lutheran doctrine of vocation and the concept of leisure as articulated by Catholic moral theologian Josef Pieper. This thesis considers both vocation and leisure and explores how when taken together vocation and leisure clarify the …

World Communism, The Disintegration Of A Secular Faith, W. B. Ballis, Richard Lowenthal

Naval War College Review

No abstract provided.

Otherwise Known As Attempting Christianity, Rebecca Evans

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between the pursuit of spiritual principles and the genre of the essay. The three essays are accounts of the author’s experiences with faith, hope, and charity.

The introduction provides a thorough explanation for the motivations, limitations, and goals of the project. It also helps to highlight the reasons why the essay genre was the most suitable style for this thesis.

The first essay, “Be Believing” discusses the role of faith in book censorship. The second piece, “Hope of Israel” explores how the average person can maintain hope in a world full of serious conflicts. Inspiration …

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.

Cada Día Por Dios (Every Day For God): A Look Inside La Luz Del Mundo And The Expansion Of Hispanic Evangelicalism, Jennifer King

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

“Cada día por Dios,” which translates to English as “Every Day for God” tells the story of the local congregation of the Hispanic evangelical church Iglesia del Dios Vivo, Columna y Apoyo de la Verdad, La Luz del Mundo. More commonly, the church is referred to as La Luz del Mundo or the Light of the World church. The local congregation of La Luz del Mundo is part of a larger trend of evangelical expansion in the Hispanic population and serves as a microcosm of the international church community.

The doctrine of the Light of the World church hearkens back …

“After This Manner Did He Speak”: Mormon’S Discourse On Faith, Hope, And Charity, Charles Swift

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Literary scholar Richard Dilworth Rust calls Mormon’s discourse in Moroni 7 “one of the most tightly woven and forceful sermons in the Book of Mormon.” It is a masterful example of a prophet not simply stating doctrinal truth but building a case for it. Mormon creates an argument that begins with teachings that seem almost completely unrelated to what he ends up saying in his conclusion, yet the argument is so tightly constructed that each step beautifully and powerfully leads to the next.

Christ’S Faith: The Pattern Jesus Set For The World, Austen Haney

Senior Honors Theses

Over the past 50 years, there has been a ripple throughout the Christian community on how to interpret one of its most precious doctrines, the doctrine of justification by faith. Some may think that this issue was resolved during the Reformation or the Enlightenment, but thanks to the New Perspective on Paul movement, the controversy is once again as intensely passionate as ever. The questions range from the vicariousness of Christ’s death, to Paul’s view of the law, and the fundamental meaning of saving faith. This thesis is an attempt to carefully unite the old perspective with the new, to …

Spirituality And Sense Of Coherence In Muslim Students : A Mixed Methods Study, Mohamed A. Ali, Franco Zengaro, Sally A. Zengaro

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this mixed methods research was to measure sense of coherence of convenient sample of college Muslim students in Tennessee and to investigate from their perspective, meaning attached to faith as a source of strength, motivation and courage. This research was framed in salutogenic model (sense of coherence). Two questions guided the research,1) to what degree do Muslim students indicate, through their education, age groups, place of birth, gender and marital status a sense of coherence? 2) Why and how is their faith important to them-when dealing with stressors- as sources of strength, meaning and courage to cope …

C3: Christ Centered Coaching, Utilizing Faith To Impact Athletes, David B. Holstein

Publications Related to EdD Dissertations

Imagine a more disciplined, balanced, stress-relieving way to impact your athletes for good. In an environment that is highly emotional and sometimes volatile, it’s critical to have core principles that promote centering yourself for balance, leading through intrapersonal skill development, and recognizing what your athletes are looking for in a coach. C3: Christ Centered Coaching presents just these principles, drawing from the Christian way of life and sport.

Why They're Leaving And Why It Matters: Gen Z'S Mass Exodus From Church, Aaron Baart

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Whether we want to admit it or not, the Church has an image problem. Today’s iteration of the Church isn’t appealing to Gen Z."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­reasons for the decline in church affiliation 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/why-theyre-leaving-and-why-it-matters-gen-zs-mass-exodus-from-church/

Essence Of World Outlook And Its To Philosophical Forms, O Mejevnikova, B Vedyaykin

Central Asian Journal of Education

Essence of the "world outlook" notion, its levels, forms and main components are revealed in the article. Such forms of the world outlook as theoretical, life-practical, individual and mass were considered. Pre-philosophic forms of the world outlook – mythological and religious – were presented. Such notions, as totemism, animism, faith, cult were revealed. Forms of mythological and religious world outlook, their particularities, dynamics and influence upon society development were demonstrated. Comparative analysis of mythological and religious world outlooks was given

Faith, Feminism, And The Other: Rethinking Christian And Muslim Women’S Engagement, Idrisa Pandit

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Deeper Understanding Through Novels And Biographies, Brice Balmer

Consensus

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of The Impact Of Financial Coaching As A Social Work Intervention In A Church-Based Setting In Texas, Chelsea Fordham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although strides have been made to reduce the negative effects of poverty, the

implementation of effective programs and policies is essential in the fight to end poverty. Literatures suggests that churches and faith-based programs offer clients a unique type of service due to the affiliation of religion that can be used as a strength and sense of support for clients. This study attempts to offer empirical data regarding the effectiveness of a program of this type by exploring the impact of a church-based financial coaching program for participants who received financial assistance and those who did not receive financial assistance. …