Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Toward A More Helpful Preaching Technique In The Nursing Home, Keith Schweitzer

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This Major Applied Project presents reminiscent preaching as a homiletical method to be used in a nursing home setting. As reminiscing is a common characteristic among the aged, applying it in the preaching ministry and worship activity among nursing home residents can serve the purpose of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in many helpful ways.

This MAP explains and presents examples of how reminiscing from the past in the lives of the residents draws forth vivid memories in their minds. Used as a method in preaching, these memories can also strengthen and deepen the faith of the aged individual who …

The Effectiveness Of Illustrations In Preaching: Understanding And Retaining Biblical Truths, Ronald Rall

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This project explored how illustrations function in sermons to facilitate the understanding and retention of Biblical truths. Personal interviews with members of the congregation and focus groups that evaluated sermons provided feedback and insights related to the effectiveness of illustrations in preaching. The researcher compiled responses from the interviews and the focus groups to draw some conclusions about how illustrations function most effectively in aiding comprehension and facilitating an effective hearing of the message. On the basis of this study the researcher offers recommendations that preachers may find helpful in using illustrations in their preaching.

The Development Of Apophatic Theology From The Pre-Socratics To The Early Christian Fathers., Kevin Teed Millsaps

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is apparent that what is characterized as Christian Apophatic Theology has been poorly related to its antecedents existing in Greco-Roman philosophy. This study proposed the following research hypothesis: Greco-Roman philosophy exerted a structural and terminological influence upon Christian apophatic theology.

To prove or disprove this hypothesis, apophatic terminology and textual structures in Greco-Roman philosophical texts were compared to classic Christian apophatic texts, primarily from the Apostolic and Cappadocian Fathers. Throughout this process, Michael Sells' clasic definition of apophatic language, consisting of the apearance of the metaphor of emanation, dis-ontological language, and dialectical language of immanence and transcendence, was used …

Angels And The Future Of The Elect, Tina Ziemnick

Master of Art Theology Thesis

As a Director of Christian Education in a parish, I encountered many youth and adults who believed that people become angels at death. As I talked with them, I realized that they were looking for comfort and hope in a world filled with uncertainty and tragedy. They wanted a picture of eternity and this notion of dying and becoming an angel made the concept of eternal life tangible. As I talked with other DCEs and Pastors I found that they had similar conversations with members of their congregations.' The frequency of these conversations within my professional meetings as well as …

Congregational Caring For Those Experiencing Pain And Suffering, Nanette Dost

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Often people feel inadequate both in handling their own pain and in helping others who are in pain. It is easier to walk away and refuse to see the pain we know is there. In a world where self-help books and medical treatments abound, how can the Christian congregation offer its unique contribution of the Gospel? Christian community can help to remove pain, teach skills in coping with pain, and integrate pain meaningfully into life. A benefit of Christian community for individuals is in giving meaning to the pain they experience through Jesus' presence.

Chapter 1will explore the history and …

I Will Sing Unto The Lord A Rhetorical-Narrative Analysis Of The Poem In Exodus 15:1-21, Robert Shreckhise

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

The Song by the Sea (Exodus 15:1-21) has been studied frequently in modem scholarship. A natural and expected question is why study it once again? Despite frequent treatments within the academy, some key aspects of its relationship to the surrounding narrative and its function within that narrative have been neglected. The study advanced here considers the narrative and poem in relationship to one another in their basic bipartite structure, their character portrayals, their plot resolution, and their rhetoric. The resulting analysis presents an understanding of the poem as a hinge between the two main plots of Exodus that is important …

Happiness Is Service In The Spirit Of Vincent De Paul And Frederic Ozanam A Youth Ministry Catechesis For Service Learning Formation, Timothy Michael Henry Kelly

Pastoral Institute

The Capstone Project and subsequent writings incorporated in this portfolio, referred to as Phase II, is a cumulative and collaborative effort between two colleagues from The Pastoral Institute of The University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas. The first phase was successfully completed to fulfill requirements for a Master of Arts in Religious Studies. Phase I was intended to: plan, implement and evaluate a catechesis pilot program for a senior high school CCD class. This pilot was to have its foundation in the Gospel readings of the liturgical calendar. More importantly, this program was designed to afford youth and …

Blessing And Sending The Church Into The World For The Sake Of The World, Using Congregational Blessings As A Missional Enterprise, Michael Harbour

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This thesis project equipped the elders to function as a community of men called and authorized by God to bless and send his people into the world for the sake of the world. They were equipped through seven sessions of theological reflection on Scripture and reflection on narratives of those who have offered pastoral blessings. The sessions also included an examination of templates and the opportunity to practice writing and speaking blessings. The elders have been speaking a shepherd’s blessing as the last liturgical act of the Sunday assembly. In this project, missional and textual focus was given to the …

Chaordic Ministry: Structuring Church Ministry For The Emerging Culture, Warren D. Schatz

Doctor of Ministry

Many churches are struggling to adapt to changing needs and characteristics of people in the twenty-first century. For decades churches operated by developing standardized programs to reach large groups of people with relatively homogenous needs. The fragmentation of culture into ever-smaller affinity circles means that.people often have very different and unique needs from each other. Further, fragmentation has also affected the character and pattern of lifestyles in the emerging culture. There is no longer any standard pattern of work, recreation and home life. Each family has its own needs and its own schedule. This means people no longer have the …

Chaordic Ministry: Structuring Church Ministry For The Emerging Culture, Warren D. Schatz

Doctor of Ministry

Many churches are struggling to adapt to changing needs and characteristics of people in the twenty-first century. For decades churches operated by developing standardized programs to reach large groups of people with relatively homogenous needs. The fragmentation of culture into ever-smaller affinity circles means that people often have very different and unique needs from each other. Further, fragmentation has also affected the character and pattern of lifestyles in the emerging culture. There is no longer any standard pattern of work, recreation and home life. Each family has its own needs and its own schedule. This means people no longer have …

Chaordic Ministry: Structuring Church Ministry For The Emerging Culture, Warren D. Schatz

Doctor of Ministry

Many churches are struggling to adapt to changing needs and characteristics of people in the twenty-first century. For decades churches operated by developing standardized programs to reach large groups of people with relatively homogenous needs. The fragmentation of culture into ever-smaller affinity circles means thatpeople often have very different and unique needs from each other. Further, fragmentation has also affected the character and pattern of lifestyles in the emerging culture. There is no longer any standard pattern of work, recreation and home life. Each family has its own needs and its own schedule. This means people no longer have the …

A Key And Classic Text: Ephesians 5:21-33, Katinka Nadine Ellen Evers

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

This paper is an exegesis of the difficult pericope of Ephesians 5:21-33, a stumbling block to many, but truly a cornerstone when viewed through Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. After a brief introduction familiarizing readers with the passage, this paper shows how the section is treated by
Patristic authors (with Origen and Saint Jerome as examples), by feminist theologian E. Elizabeth Johnson, and by Peter T. O’Brien (who demonstrates an Evangelical Protestant view). Finally, Pope John Paul II’s theology is introduced, along with his concept of mutual submission and his emphasis on the importance of Ephesians 5:21-33. …

Concealing To Reveal: Modesty In Pope John Paul Ii’S Theology Of The Body, Katinka Nadine Ellen Evers

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

Responding to a need in the sphere of serious academic scholarship to address the topic of modesty, this paper delves into that theme. It examines the use and importance of the term ‘modesty’ in relation to comparable words, providing a definition of modesty that is useful for further theological discussion. It then incorporates Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body as a helpful tool in understanding the concept of modesty. Finally, this paper concludes with some implications this theological exercise entails, both for the particular sphere of sexual morality, and the broader spectrum of anthropological questions such as the …

Cicero And St. Augustine's Just War Theory: Classical Influences On A Christian Idea, Berit Van Neste

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The theology of Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, and the origin of his theory of Just War are subjects of serious scholarly debate. Just War involved the use of the state army to eliminate heresy by killing heretics who refused to convert to mainstream Christianity. The purpose of this paper is to argue that Augustine primarily based his theory of Just War on Cicero's own theory of Just War.

Augustine was quite heavily influenced by Cicero. He credited Cicero with his own conversion to Christianity. He drew heavily from Cicero's works as a basis for many of his own writings, …

A Pastor And His Ministry: Gregory Thamaturgus' Address Of Thanksgiving To Origen As Pastoral Practice, Edwin Harkey

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

One such student of his times was Origen. In his writings we see glimpses that while his goal was ultimately a deeply spiritual one-no less than a union with the Divine-he seemed no stranger to a more holistic approach in his encounters with the students who placed themselves under his tutelage. One of those students, Gregory Thaumaturgus, often called the "Wonderworker," even bequeathed to the church a most revealing document that enables us to get a rare glimpse of Origen and his method and style. It is that document, Gregory's Address of Thanksgiving to Origen, that will be the subject …

The Birkat Ha-Minim And Its Relationship To The Johannine Situation In The First Century, Matthew C. Versdahl

Doctor of Ministry

In the discussion of Christian origins, Judaism, and their relationship to the gospel of John, the Birkat ha-minim remains an important element; particularly as it pertains to the occurrence of άποσυνάγωγος; in John 9:22; 12:42; and 16:2 and John's pejorative presentation of the 'Ιουδαιοι. Some have contended that it explains why, in these verses, Jewish followers of Jesus were ostracized from the synagogue which resulted in John's animosity in the use of 'Ιουδαιοι. In other words, they hold that the Birkat ha-minim functioned as a means of programmatic expulsion of Jewish Christians from the synagogue in …

On Healing And Christianity: An Examination Of Origen And Tertullian's Views On Healing And Christianity, Brian L. Brunner

Doctor of Ministry

This paper examines the theological and practical views of Origen and Tertullian on the relationship between healing and Christianity. Its introduction examines the reason for the study, outlines research into this field, and explains the research method utilized. The following two chapters devoted to Origen and Tertullian begin by examining the role of healing in their theology. The chapters then move to a discussion of their understanding and view on the nascent Western medical science found in the Greco-Roman world. Each chapter then ends with a look at their views on the role of faith healing. All of these subjects …

Considering The Rationality Of African Ritual Behavior, Joel Grant Mort

Dissertations

The traditional social scientific method undervalues the role that cognitive processes play in human behavior and instead focuses on posited external causal forces, the most common of which is 'culture.' Normative models of rationality, on the other hand, often do suggest and emphasize cognitive reasoning strategies. What is lacking is a familiarity and understanding of what human beings actually do which is, ironically, something social scientists do know something about. Both assume a sort of rational normative baseline cognitive structure and then try to discover those circumstances in which this structure is compromised by the culture, the environment, learning, and …

William Hobson And William Keil: Religion And Polity In Nineteenth Century Oregon, Connor Fitzgerald Edmonds

Doctor of Ministry

In 1925, Ione Juanita Beale-Harkness compared the Quaker settlement in Oregon's Chehalem Valley (Newberg) to another Christian communitarian settlement less than twenty miles away in Aurora. Harkness ' research showed how differing Protestant faith traditions, separated in doctrinal beliefs, were united in their choice of settling in Oregon as a place to practice and preserve their lifestyle. By focusing on the administrative structure of both settlements and by providing more detail in respect to the historical antecedents of each settlement, this writing aspires to learn why these settlements, with such similar beginnings, are today very different in terms of the …

The Equipping Paradigm Of New Testament Fivefold Leaders For Parishoner- Based Ministry, Kenneth Ross

Doctor of Ministry

This study addresses the need for a more equipping oriented leadership model to engender parishioner based ministry in the church and community. The study begins by recognizing the steady national and ecclesial decline in morals, ethics, marriage and family in America. This decline reveals the waning influence of the church in American culture. At the same time, there is evidence of a significant departure from the institutional church, in great part by Christians that want to "be" the church rather than just attend church. I propose that one possible solution is to return to a more equipping role for ecclesial …

Pneumanaut: Demonstration And Proclamation Through Abstract, Metaphor And Sculpture, Eric Keck

Doctor of Ministry

The theology of academia lacks appropriate metaphors and abstracts to demonstrate, embody, and announce the kingdom of God. A solution is the creation of new metaphors and abstracts to add insight and definition. The purpose of this project, then, is to interpret and create some new metaphors for theological themes commonly used in academic circles. Because of prior knowledge readers bring with them when they engage with theology, their positions and starting points sometimes limit their understanding of the sensus plenior or fuller meaning, of the original text. By providing new metaphors for these theological themes, readers will enter into …

Exploring A New Paradigm For Evangelism In The Emerging Culture, Michael Mcnichols

Doctor of Ministry

It is my claim that evangelism has become focused on the proclamation of a message that is presumed to be an accurate expression of the biblical concept of gospel. Evangelism within the evangelical community, perceived primarily as proclamation, has become a specialized function of the church. It is too often separated not only from the normative experience of the average Christian but also from the idea of discipleship, or spiritual formation. There are possible solutions to this problem, such as more training, increased efforts at city-wide crusades, more seeker-oriented services, continuation of church planting, a stronger focus on those "gifted" …

Where Are The Moderate American Muslims? Struggling To Be Seen And Heard On Cable News/Entertainment Programs, Carole A. Chouinard

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

With the continuation of terrorist attacks committed by Muslim extremists, it is necessary for moderate Muslims Americans to disassociate themselves from terrorist groups and to make their moderate and progressive views known. In the United States, moderate Muslim Americans have been less than successful at having their voices heard through media. The questions in this study ask why that is and will direct two hypotheses at certain cable news/entertainment programs. The first hypothesis asks, as scholar Edward W. Said proposed, if the Islamic world is simply too foreign to be properly understood by western media. The second hypothesis to be …

Reading Scripture With Both Eyes Open: God's Story Could Be Hazardous To Your Status Quo, Winn Griffin

Seminary Masters Theses

The real-world ministry problem addressed in this dissertation is: Scripture is often read and studied in a de-storied, fragmented way as a result of the Enlightenment Project. This problem will be addressed by: proposing a theological narrative (Stor/) as the alternative way of reading and studying Scripture.

Section 1 will discuss the problem of how readers of Scripture can be helped to understand themselves within the larger narrative of the Story presented from Genesis to Revelation. Section 2 will discuss the problem of reading the text of Scripture in a fragmented way as a result of the Enlightenment's propensity toward …

Strengthening Church Leadership And Preventing Pastoral Burnout Through Imago Relationship Therapy, Keri Warren

Doctor of Ministry

Pastors have their own family system and, therefore, bring into the church and ministry their family-of-origin functional and dysfunctional thinking patterns and behaviors. Pastors who receive insight into and healing of early-life woundedness and dysfunctional patterns, especially those patterns that are core to Bowen's family systems theory, will be less likely to compensate for their woundedness through the church family system and less likely then to experience burnout. It is the thesis of this dissertation that pastors engage in Imago Relationship Theory techniques with their spouses, and experience personal healing and self-differentiation leading to further spiritual identity development, become better …

The Cult Of Comfort, Raymond W. Leach

Doctor of Ministry

The tension in which we find ourselves when it comes to the accumulation of wealth and material possessions is a common one for Christians in the United States. This is a natural result of living in a culture that is driven by the pursuit of comfort. It is aggravated by the fact that so many of our tendencies when it comes to money, happiness, and success are conditioned by the world instead of being shaped by the Word of God. We strive for worldly kingship, but we are called to otherworldly kingdom participation. We pursue comfort as defined by our …

Reading Scripture With Both Eyes Open: God's Story Could Be Hazardous To Your Status Quo, Winn Griffin

Doctor of Ministry

The real-world ministry problem addressed in this dissertation is: Scripture is often read and studied in a de-storied, fragmented way as a result of the Enlightenment Project. This problem will be addressed by: proposing a theological narrative (Story) as the alternative way of reading and studying Scripture.

Section 1 will discuss the problem of how readers of Scripture can be helped to understand themselves within the larger narrative of the Story presented from Genesis to Revelation. Section 2 will discuss the problem of reading the text of Scripture in a fragmented way as a result of the Enlightenment's propensity toward …

Conversations With Women In Ma'sarah, Cairo, Jeannette Rizk

Archived Theses and Dissertations

My research centers around the daily realities and lives of three women of one family in Ma'sarah, Cairo. The particularities of their life experiences speak to the experience of Egyptian women in general, while their own unique situation as Evangelical Christians in a majority Muslim country sets them apart from both their Muslim and Coptic neighbors, about whom much has been written. Various methods are used to illuminate their perception of life with a focus on gender identity. The written prose captures their personal narratives while the visual narrative, a documentary film, allows the women to speak for themselves. Together …

The Use Of Children's Liturgy In Teaching Worship To The Preliterate, Scott Lemmerman

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The goal of this project is to teach the preliterate child to worship. To reach this goal it is necessary to assist and to reinvigorate spiritually delinquent baptized member parents so they can be nourished with Word and Sacrament. I believe adjusting an existing order of worship into a preliterate child's liturgy can do this. This would lead parents to engage regularly with the Word in the congregation's worship, as well as become the primary education provider for their children by assisting them with learning the actions, gestures and spoken words at church. I need to research the viability of …

Biblical Storytelling And Preaching, Dennis J. Goff

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This Major Applied Project seeks to clarify the relationship between a Biblical text of Scripture being "read" or "told" and how that connects to the sermon preached on that text. It is believed that in many worship settings there is often a "disconnect" between the lectionary read (Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel readings) and the sermon text selected from one of those readings. By the time the preacher begins his sermon the hearer has often forgotten the Scripture read earlier. The use of Biblical storytelling can assist the listener in hearing, understanding, remembering and connecting the text of Scripture with …