Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Where Does Obedience To Government End? Understanding Romans 13:1–7, Carleton Hafer

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

Rom 13:1–7 is the primary passage in the Bible on governmental obedience, yet it is often interpreted out of context. The purpose of this article is not only to provide exegetical guidelines, but also practical application of the biblical mandates. The thesis of this article is that that when properly interpreted in its historical context that Rom 13:1–7 is not a strict prohibition against disobeying the government, but that when possible it is desirable to maintain good relations with governmental authorities. This analysis is especially relevant today when church leaders must consider whether or not to obey commands by the …

What Can Church History Tell Us About The Debate Between Just War Theory And Pacifism And What Does This Mean For The Church Today?, Michael Payne

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

This paper, in addressing Just War Theory and Pacifism, will argue that throughout church history there are faithful Christians that can be found on both sides of the debate. With that being said, each side has an obligation to uphold peace and justice. The Just War adherent has an obligation to seek peace, be selective in what is deemed “just war,” and be conscious of the dangers of supporting his nation’s priorities over the teachings of Christ. On the other side, in the case of a just war, the pacifist cannot use his pacifism as an excuse to sit out. …

From Modernity To Post-Modernity: The Apologetic Legacy Of Paul Tillich, Michael W. Cunningham

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

Paul Tillich, dubbed an “apostle to the intellectuals,” was one of the twentieth-century’s influential and infamous theologians. Tillich’s apologetic of doubt, method of correlation, and non-traditional lifestyle challenged the cultural and religious norms of his day. The study of Paul Tillich’s theology provides perspective on the origins of subjective apologetics and process theology. His focus on ontology made his works accessible and famous. It put the human at the center of the process as they reasoned up to God instead of accepting unquestioned authoritative doctrines. By embracing existential doubt, he connected to the masses by appealing to the “being” and …

In The Wake Of Euthyphro's False Dilemma, Gregory S. Mckenzie

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

All moral apologists, at one time or another, engage with the Euthyphro dilemma and all theologians engage, at one point or another, the issue of continuity or discontinuity of the Mosaic Covenant and Torah in general. The general view among apologists is that correct theology can be determined by its logical consistency and explanatory power considering philosophical, existential, and scientific principles. This study examines how answering the Euthyphro dilemma as a false dilemma, which is a common position among apologists actually produces theological contradictions primarily in the realm of theology proper and specifically immutability, issues in hamartiology and an improper …

Women In Kingly Genealogies: The Queens, Widows, And Prostitutes That Changed The Story, Lydia Dowdell

Senior Honors Theses

While there are creative pieces theorizing about Tamar and her inclusion in both David and Jesus’ genealogies, there is a lack of research comparing King David’s genealogy in I Chronicles 2 with the kingly genealogies of the same time. Comparing the two shows that genealogies in the surrounding nations—Assyria, Babylonia, etc.—are lacking women. In contrast, the Old Testament is filled with kingly genealogical records that list and name women.

This thesis will touch on the differences and similarities between the kingly records/genealogies, theorize and explore the levirate marriage custom and matrilinear descent, and attempt to provide a better understanding of …

The Ecclesiastical Role Of Women During The Reformation, Emily Thomas

Senior Honors Theses

Women have held various positions of authority in the church. During the Protestant Reformation (1517-1600), women grew in religious influence through breaks with cold traditionalism, offering greater interpretive power to women. Through an examination of literature from both primary and secondary sources, views concerning the scope and depth of women’s expositional authority will be discussed, with specific analyses on Marie Dentire, Argula von Grumbach, and Anna Zwingli. The conclusion follows that the source and role of women’s authority in the church realm varied between Catholicism and Protestantism. The former provides respect of femininity given its emphasis on the Virgin Mary, …

Palestinian Evangelical Christian Music In Bethlehem, Israel/Palestine, Abby Smith

Senior Honors Theses

Often the story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is portrayed as Jewish vs. Muslim, Hebrew vs. Arab. There is little room in the international dialogue for minorities such as Arab Christians. Though Palestinians have a rich culture of Arabic musical and poetic heritage, they are unable to produce their own new songs. In this study I interviewed three members of Immanuel Evangelical Church on their experiences and opinions on local Christian worship. The findings show that Palestinian Christians may feel unable to write worship music because of a prevalent feeling of inadequacy and a lack of musical training. I propose several …

The Great Awokening, Samuel C. Smith

Helm's School of Government Conference - American Revival: Citizenship & Virtue

The Great “Awokening”[1]

“Were you to see him in his most violent agitations, you would be apt to think that he was a madman just broke from his chains.”—Boston Evening Post on James Davenport, Aug. 2, 1742.

“I'm actually not a fan of the word 'woke.' I think the connotation of that means being socially aware, which is a beautiful thing to be. But it does not take into account being self-aware.”—India Arie

Most of my historical research has been on The First Great Awakening, an eighteenth-century revival movement that played a major role in shaping the …

Arabic Christian Theology: A Contemporary Global Evangelical Perspective, Sherene N. Khouri

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

Andrea Zaki Stephanous, Arabic Christian Theology: A Contemporary Global Evangelical Perspective, Zondervan, 2019 (ISBN 978-0-310-32026-5), 493 pp. $34.99.

The Testing Of Jesus In Light Of The Dead Sea Scrolls And Intertextual Hermeneutics, Donald C. Mcintyre

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

This article will seek to interpret Matthew 4:1-11, commonly referred to as the “temptation account” by taking into consideration issues from Old Testament Textual Criticism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Historical and social contexts, as well as theory on inter-textuality. This article will seek to show how Jesus is seeking to prove his Divine Sonship through creating a comparison between himself and the Second Generation of Israel who inherited the Promised Land after their parents’ failures despite satanic harassment. This will be accomplished through an examination of Matthew’s main argument for the book, and move towards grammatical and syntactical issues within …

The Forgotten Disciples: The Faithful Witness Of Women In Early Christianity, Jessica C. Hughes

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

At its earliest, Christianity is a religion of respect and dignity for women. This paper examines the experience and contributions of women to Christianity, beginning at the time of Christ and continuing to through to approximately 300 A.D., or shortly before the Nicene Creed was developed. This paper demonstrates the way the church, from the outset, has largely relied on the contributions and gifts of women in order to fulfill its mission. This paper then applies this historic context to the American church in issues of life and gender, concluding that it is the recognition and partnership with women, not …

Removing God From Public Schools-Beneficial Or Not, Angela Kay Constantine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the Constitution allowing for the removal of religious conceptions from public schools, the perspectives of most United States middle school-age kids show that the cultural shift towards scientific naturalism as the de facto worldview has impacted worship music in the Church. The worldview is one of worship that presents more as a concert than that of praise. The data, such as suicide statistics, show that there is a correlation between a negatively shifted moral valuation and the aversion, or inability, for the subject of God to be approached in the school setting (i.e., the science classroom) - even where …