Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Irruption: Placing Theology At The Centre Of The Discourse On Church Amalgamation, John Mackenzie

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

When church attendance declines, congregational amalgamation is often looked to as a solution. To that end, institutional church bodies responsible for ecclesiastical governance offer guidance literature as a means of shepherding congregations through this complex process. As it currently exists, however, such guidance literature on how to proceed with amalgamation focuses on practical matters, and neglects a theological dimension. The aim of this paper is to highlight this paucity of theological foundation in matters of church amalgamation, and posits that this engenders sub-optimal conditions for successful congregational amalgamation outcomes. It looks primarily to Friedrich Schleiermacher for theological insights that may …

Toward A Theology Of Community., Jiří Moskala

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Grace Of God In The Law Of Moses: A Second Look At Israel’S Written Code, Jeffrey S. Krause

Fidei et Veritatis: The Liberty University Journal of Graduate Research

For centuries, the Mosaic Code (“MC”) has been viewed as Israel’s prescriptive legislation, whereby Jewish leaders were to judge infractions by the “letter of the law.” This view is one which permeates both pulpit and pew alike, even in this modern era. However, recent developments in scholarship are challenging this understanding of MC, concluding instead that this “law code” was not utilized in Israelite jurisprudence, but rather as a covenant contract that worked not prescriptively in the lives of the Jews, but rather descriptively, in that it relayed the heart of YHWH to its reader. Accordingly, MC was to be …

The Relationship Between Critical Spiritual Incidences And Their Impact On Pastors' Calling, Ministry Philosophy And Success In Ministry, Timothy Walter Ehrlich

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Biblical Principles Of Small Group Ministry, Shawn Barr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Small group ministry models abound today, and so do the materials that provide the methodology for these models. However, there seems to be a dearth of resources that connect the methods with a theological foundation. This project will demonstrate the need for examining small groups from a theological aspect, and then examine the principles of biblical community as found in Scripture. These principles will then be measured through surveys of at least fifty participants in small group settings from several churches, including the churches where the author was the small group pastor for the last seven years and where he …

Tom Bombadil And Goldberry: Romantic Theology As Revelation In Tolkien’S The Lord Of The Rings, Brandon Best

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

While the majority of literary critics suggest Tom Bombadil either subverts or dilutes the Rivendell’s against Mordor, this essay analyzes Bombadil and Goldberry through the romantic theology of Charles Williams, Tolkiens’ fellow Inkling. William’s romantic theology suggests romantic experiences reveals glimpses of perfection, suggesting the Hobbits’ stay at Tom Bombadil’s home within Withywindle reveals the ideal of salvation within The Lord of the Rings. Utilizing Williams’ Outlines of Romantic Theology, this essay shows how Tolkien’s vision for an ideal community guides Bombadil as the moral model for the rest of the free peoples to follow. While romantic theology clearly influenced …

Rethinking Resurrection: Choosing Interdisciplinary Dialogue Over Dualism, Jesse Dymond

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Christianity is plagued by two dualistic concepts: first, an ontological dualism that divides the human person into body and soul, and second, an epistemological dualism that claims science and theology are incompatible. However, these polarized (and polarizing) theological frameworks are no longer sufficient, especially as scientific research provides new understanding about the brain and human identity. The existence of the nonphysical soul has long been called into question, thereby creating a theological crisis at the very core of Christian belief: the resurrection. This thesis will examine the crisis as it manifests itself in contemporary Christian society, pointing to the perpetuation …

Dr. King And The Image Of God: A Theology Of Voting Rights In Ava Duvernay's Selma, Marcos Norris

Journal of Religion & Film

This article argues that Ava DuVernay’s 2014 film Selma develops a theology of voting rights by staging a conflict between President Lyndon B. Johnson and political activist Martin Luther King, Jr. Though many reviewers fault the film for its besmirching portrayal of LBJ, DuVernay’s (mis)representations of Johnson establish a link between the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and King’s theological anthropology. In King’s view, mankind was created in the image of God, endowed with free will and the capacity to reason. The denial of Black voting rights, while literally depriving African Americans of their political agency, also represented the disavowal …

All Things New: A Holistic Theology Of Major Depression And Pastoral Care, T. S. Giovanetto

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Dissertation Notice:

M.A. Thesis, Trinity International University, 2015.

Full Text of the Thesis available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global

This study approaches the topic of mental illness within the church, integrating biblical theology and clinical psychology to propose a model of pastoral care for the severely depressed. Examining the history of distrust between the church and the social sciences, and criticizing prominent models of pastoral care built upon the chastisement of mentally ill individuals, the thesis proposes a model of care built upon the acceptance and validation of persons facing psychological distress. In this model, ministers teach sufferers to …

God, Power, And Gospel In A Postmodern World–A Critique Of Griffin’S Postmodern God, Jenifer Daley

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

"The paper is primarily concerned with an exploration of divine power as proffered by David Griffin’s “constructive” model vis-à-vis a biblical Seventh-day Adventist perspective. As part of the process it implies the importance of a wholistic and systematic biblical perspective of God to the understanding and reception of the gospel and broadly suggests a strategy for missions in contemporary society. Of primary importance in this paper is the potential tension as it relates to the issue of the gospel of salvation and an understanding of God’s power: can a God who is less than omnipotent save? Conversely, does a God …

Into Ministry : The Pastorals, The Early Church, And The Free Methodist Church In The Early Twenty-First Century, Jason Aaron Leininger

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.