Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Comparative Analysis Of Ministry Participation Among Dormant, Stable, And Popular Seventh-Day Adventist Churches: A Focus On Weekly Involvement, Ray Opao, Jimiah Jr. Adil, Carthy Joy Aguillon, Susa Opao, Arceli Rosario

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This study examines ministry participation in Seventh-day Adventist churches, categorized as dormant, stable, and popular. While Sabbath ministry involvement showed no significant difference across church types, weekly ministry involvement was significantly higher in popular churches, highlighting the impact of church attendance patterns on member engagement in ministry activities.

The Ability And Willingness Of Adventist Churches To Communicate And Welcome People From Different Cultural Backgrounds: A Comparison Of Early And Late Joiners, Ray Opao, Jimiah Jr. Adil, Carthy Joy Aguillon, Susa Opao, Arceli Rosario

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This paper examines how the age at joining the Adventist Church affects the ability and willingness of Adventists to communicate and welcome people from different cultural backgrounds. Using a survey of Adventist members, it finds that late joiners score significantly higher than early joiners on both dimensions. It discusses the implications of these findings for the Adventist Church’s policies and practices on cultural diversity.

The Role Of Social Media In Advancing The Mission Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Ray Opao, Jimiah Jr. Adil, Carthy Joy Aguillon, Susa Opao, Arceli Rosario

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This study investigates the role of social media in advancing the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It explores the impact of various aspects of social media use, including religious engagement, positive and negative experiences, and general usage, on the frequency of witnessing to non-Adventists in the community.

The Total Member Involvement Initiative Across Church Types, Ray Opao, Jimiah Jr. Adil, Carthy Joy Aguillon, Susa Opao, Arceli Rosario

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This study investigates participation in the Total Member Involvement initiative across different Seventh-day Adventist church types. Findings reveal higher participation in dormant churches compared to stable or popular ones. The results highlight the influence of church type on member involvement, with potential implications for planning church initiatives.

Belonging In Unashamed Authenticity, Nathan R. Kitchen

Together We RISE (Making Excellence Inclusive)

In 2020, the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute reported that 47% of LGBTQ adults were moderately or highly religious. This equates to 5.3 million religious LGBTQ adults in America. We cannot ignore this population.

When making the transition into young adulthood, many religious LGBTQ youth feel they must make a choice between their spiritual well-being or their queerness. As a university community interested in the success of the rising generation, we can provide support for religious queer young adults through understanding:

1. What is happening in this transition and why,

2. The well-being needs of religious queer young adults …

Adventist Spirituality In A Post-Modern World, Monthusi Legodi

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

The Adventist movement, which originated in the 19th century, has long placed a strong emphasis on the study of biblical prophecy and the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath. As the world continues to change and evolve, Adventists are faced with the challenge of maintaining their traditional spiritual practices while also adapting to the realities of a postmodern society. The challenge of maintaining their traditional spiritual practices while also adapting to the realities of a post-modern society. This research paper aims to explore the role of tradition and innovation in Adventist spirituality in the 21st century.

The Role Of Young People On The Future Of Adventism On Health, Education, Socio- Economic Growth, And Spiritually., Jerimiah Rogito

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Adventism is a unique global faith that seeks to ensure wholistic growth of an individual. The faith seeks to build an individual socially, economically, spiritually, and physically leading to a thriving and fulfilling lifestyle. This paper, through a theoretical review of thematic literature of various articles and books, seeks to highlight the role of young people in the future of Adventism on health, education, socio-economic growth, and spirituality with a focus on the role of faith in healing and thriving.

Developing A Research Agenda: Collaborative And Impactful Research For Adventist Ministry And Education In Australia And New Zealand, Tracie Mafile'o, Erika Puni Dr, Michelle Ralston Dr, Daniela Brown Ms, Branimir Schubert Dr

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

Adventist human-subject research ought to have a positive impact and to address real-world challenges. This presentation reports on a current qualitative study which aims to develop a research agenda for collaborative and impactful research for the Adventist ministry and education in Australia and New Zealand.

We Are Kamea Christians Not Because We Sing Like Berrien Springs Christians: Towards A Methodology Of Developing A Biblical Theology In Context, Unia Api

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This paper attempts to demonstrate a methodological approach to doing theology in context. A lot of homogenizations of Western Christianity have very much impacted the way we do church in Melanesia (Pacific Islands). This trend motivated me to ride on the wave of Melanesian thinkers to make theology relevant in the Melanesian context. Title: Exploring

Laughable At Best, Criminal At Worst: Why Adventist Clergy Leave Pastoral Ministry, René Drumm, Petr Cincala

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This presentation highlights Findings from a qualitative, study of former Adventist pastors. The analysis reveals a number of conditions that lead clergy to leave pastoral ministry for other endeavors. These findings are important in stabilizing the pastorate in North America. We conclude with recommendations to Church administrators and educational institutions.

Faith Experience Of African Students In Secular Universities In Russia: A Narrative Inquiry, Pavel Zubkov

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

For decades young Africans to come to study in Russian universities. Apart from social issues the Adventist students face a faith challenge in observing Sabbath and confronting secular worldview. This study will explore the life stories of African students to identify the reasons, why some keep Adventist faith and others give up.

The Invitation Of Prayer: A Fresh Perspective On How To Fellowship With The Triune God, Simone Twibell

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Prayer seems intimidating to many Christians. We wonder if we are doing it right, or saying the right things, or praying often enough, or in the right way. In this paper, I propose that there is absolutely no wrong way to pray. Instead, opening ourselves up to prayer is opening ourselves up to receiving and enacting the grace of God already at work in our lives to fill us even more deeply. Here, I examine prayer from a triune perspective that engages God the Father, in the name of Jesus, through the power of the Spirit. Learning to fellowship with …

Social Media As Second Creation: Cyber-Space As A Denial Of Cosmic Community, Carter Ford

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Social media aims to move the communal sphere into the digital world. It is often quipped that the current generation is the most “connected” yet “disconnected” generation in history. If social media truly succeeds in moving the social community into a digital sphere, what is the source of the widely experienced disconnect from one another? I will argue that evaluating social media in light of Bonhoeffer’s cosmic community reveals that social media insufficiently invades the space of human relationship, not capable of supporting either connection between individuals or creation. Thus, rather than affirming real relationship online, social media replaces community …

How Does The Harry Potter Series Connect To Plato's Belief In The Immortality Of The Soul And Finitude Of The Body?, Julia Strimling

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Plato has long been acknowledged for his significant role in the development of the Christian perspective regarding immortality. The following analysis demonstrates how Plato’s perspective on what follows death, which shaped Christian eschatology, aligns with the themes presented in the Harry Potter series. Using Plato’s Phaedo, this paper will compare Plato’s ideas about the immortality of the soul to how J. K. Rowling portrays immortality, illuminating the presence of Christian thought in the famous Harry Potter series. These connections include the beliefs that the soul survives the physical death of the body, one must nourish and protect their soul, …

Spiritual Mysteries That Matter When Leading, Gregg Chenoweth

Scholar Week 2016 - present

We need a God who guides, right now, in real time, through the projects and ambitions of our lives. The Apostle Paul did too. Like us, he never met the material Jesus and had to cultivate what he called a “competence” for being guided by God in the Spirit. This identity became so central to his life, he told the Church in Corinth his reputation should be as a “steward of mysteries.” We can be that too. We must. We lead in a world fixated on, "believe it when you see it," yet God provides more to us than sight. …

Great Men Are Almost Always Bad Men: The Cultural Revolution Of The Techno-Totalitarians, Gregory S. Mckenzie

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

No abstract provided.

Fratelli Tutti: Pope Francis And The Catholic Response To Human Rights, Tiffany Hunsinger

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

On October 4, 2020, Pope Francis issued a letter to the world entitled Fratelli Tutti, On Fraternity and Social Friendship.

The document served as a culmination of the Church’s response to the global pandemic, as well as the more considerable perils of throwaway culture. This presentation will explore the specific response of the Catholic Church as it attempts to counter destructive boundaries and structure of its institution.

Pope Francis continues a tradition in pastoral response to the “signs of the times.” However, can the Church respond effectively in this current world?

Or do the needed changes surpass the capability …

Augustine Of Hippo: A Historical Theology Evaluation, Zachary Monte

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Historical Theology Survey Critique: Augustine of Hippo evaluates how current historical theology survey texts understand and present the theology of Augustine. The texts will be examined to assess the following: the accuracy of presentation on discussed topics, the specific theological topics which Augustine addressed which are excluded in the surveys, and if there is any discernible theological bias on the part of the authors. The historical theology surveys that are focused on within this research paper include Greg Allison’s Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine, Justo González’s A History of Christian Thought, and Alister McGrath’s Historical Theology: An Introduction …

The Sermon On The Mount: A Call To Obedience, Rylee Roberts

Scholars Day Conference

I recently went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay of the Hawaiian Island, Oahu. Coral reefs and big, brightly-colored fish fill the Bay. Without goggles, I could only float on top, unaware of the depth and beauty below. When I put them on, however, I could observe the life and beauty of the ecosystem for myself. I could dive under the surface and explore what I had not known was there. I could find firm places to plant my feet when I needed to stand. I have found studying Scripture to be a similar experience. Learning more about historical and particularly cultural …

Memoria Y Resistencia: Sharing Ud Experiences At The Encuentro To Close The School Of The Americas, Mary Niebler, Christina Baker

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

At UD, our Catholic and Marianist values inform us to uphold the human rights of all people, especially those whose agency has been diminished by unjust laws and corporate government policies. Guided by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, including solidarity with the poor, we seek ways to join together to bring about a more peaceful and just world. The annual SOA Watch Encuentro, a peaceful protest to close the School of the Americas (SOA), is such a movement.

Established in 1946, the SOA has operated at Fort Benning, Georgia since the 1980s. Technically closed in 2000, it immediately reopened …

Generation Z And Faith: The Cognitive, Experiential, And Praxis, Houston Thompson, Nikki Dention, Julia Mcqueen, Abby Groters

Scholar Week 2016 - present

With every generation there is a sociological shift in the way faith is understood and expressed. Generation Z, those born after 1995, have been influenced by post-modernity and a changing worldview. Like generations before them, Generation Z is forming their own interpretations and experiences to define and express faith. This research discovers the attitudes and behaviors of Generation Z about their faith by looking at three aspects: 1) cognitive development; 2) personal experience; 3) expression or practice.

Pastors And Politics: Considerations For Missional Church Leaders Addressing Political Matters, Matthew Stinson

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

We live in a politically divided time. Long-standing questions about the political role of the church have taken on a renewed interest for American Christians who see this political divide widening and have trouble reconciling their beliefs with the platforms of either major party. How ought Church leaders, seeking to lead missional congregations, speak to our current political context?

This paper lays out a framework for political engagement by missional Church leaders. It first offers a definition of a missional church and a missional church leader. Second, it surveys some of the various approaches to Church and State relations in …

"Returning To My Father" : A Decolonial Reading Of Lk 15:11-32 Towards A Reconstruction Of African Theological Anthropology For Authentic Sacramental Ethics Via Indigenous Divinity Graduate Schools., Besem Etchi

Graduate Student Research Symposium

This paper makes three hermeneutical contributions: (1) By uncovering the Indigenous Norse zero-point subtext structuring today's Catholic liturgy, the paper constructs ancestral primacy as the delinking methodology for indigeniztion; (2) By emphasizing ritual as transformative technology for identity and relationship, in its wielding of neurolinguistic programming, the paper establishes indigenous epistemology as the proper spatial locus for any symbolic exchange that emerges authentic sacramental ethics; (3) By discussing the possibilities that creating indigenous Divinity graduate schools in African countries offers, a path of realizing sociopolitical stability and harmony in African states as a communal body is systematized.

With the ritual …

The Historic Liturgy: Important Or Adiaphoron? Yes

Theological Symposia

>p>I humbly submit to you today that this is the current problem in our beloved synod, concerning the proper role of the historic liturgy. If we are going to begin to have an accurate understanding of the liturgy, we must carefully stay on the tightrope and avoid falling to one side or the other.

Today I would like to focus on two polar elements concerning the historic liturgy and suggest several specific ways they can be kept in balance. In all of this, I hope to present five theological principles (or if you are Waltherian—theses) which will help guide …

The Historic Liturgy: Important Or Adiaphoron? Yes, John Tape

Theological Symposia

I humbly submit to you today that this is the current problem in our beloved synod, concerning the proper role of the historic liturgy. If we are going to begin to have an accurate understanding of the liturgy, we must carefully stay on the tightrope and avoid falling to one side or the other.

Today I would like to focus on two polar elements concerning the historic liturgy and suggest several specific ways they can be kept in balance. In all of this, I hope to present five theological principles (or if you are Waltherian—theses) which will help guide us …

Toward A Theology Of Transformation: Destroying The Sycamore Tree Of White Supremacy, Hannah Kathleen Griggs

Celebration of Learning

Black liberation theologians come to terms with white supremacy by collectively remembering the story of the Exodus and Jesus' crucifixion--affirming God's preference for freedom and in-the-world salvation. The particular history of white American Christianity requires a different story to provide the foundation for our social memory. As white American Christians, we have certain blind spots—blind spots created by historical and social privileges that have given white people unequal access to power and resources. The story of Zacchaeus has the potential to help reframe white Christianity’s conception of race relations in the United States, shifting from a reconciliation paradigm to a …

Wrap-Up Report, Wonsuk Ma

Empowered21 Scholars' Consultations

No abstract provided.

East African Perspectives Of Family And Community, And How They Can Inform Western Ecclesiology, Ben Strait

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Research into the daily lives of East Africans is either outdated or too narrowly focused. This presentation is the result of field research done in East Africa, especially focusing on how East Africans view and practice family and community living. It answers the questions of: What is "family" to an East African? What does community living look like in East Africa? And how can Westerners apply these intercultural ideas in practical ways?

The Sonic Sacrament: An Emerging Sacramental Theology Of Music In Contemporary Evangelical Churches, Joshua Altrock

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

This essay contends that in contemporary liturgies, a sonic sacrament of Eucharist is emerging through the medium of contemporary worship music. After laying out a theology of worship, sacrament, and participation, the article examines three major churches in Los Angeles: Hillsong LA, Mosaic LA, and Reality LA, and analyzes their liturgical practice. Based on this analysis, the author contends that American churches are exchanging the traditional sacrament of Eucharist with Contemporary Worship Music. The remainder of the article considers the implications of this shift.

1 Timothy 3: Who Can Be An Officer? An Exegetical And Historical Study, Jose N. Briones

Seminary Scholarship Symposium

Who is able to hold the offices of the church, deacons and elders, within the Seventh-day Adventist Church? The question of gender roles and the church’s understanding of who is sanctioned by the Scriptures to aspire to that office is a revolving matter today. The topic has been around in discussion for about 40 years now without a final answer within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Therefore, it is the aim of this paper to focus on the consistency of the Seventh-day Adventist Church with its own statements and policies, and the text of 1 Timothy 3. Moreover, it will propose …