Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
-
- Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis (31)
- Calvin University (5)
- Marquette University (5)
- Andrews University (3)
- George Fox University (3)
-
- Butler University (2)
- College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University (2)
- Duquesne University (2)
- University of Denver (2)
- City University of New York (CUNY) (1)
- Luther Seminary (1)
- Missouri State University (1)
- Oberlin (1)
- Olivet Nazarene University (1)
- Southeastern University (1)
- The University of Notre Dame Australia (1)
- University of New Orleans (1)
- Western University (1)
- Publication Year
- Publication
-
- Master of Sacred Theology Thesis (15)
- Bachelor of Divinity (6)
- Dissertations (1934 -) (5)
- CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations (4)
- Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation (4)
-
- Doctor of Theology Dissertation (4)
- Electronic Theses and Dissertations (4)
- Dissertations (3)
- Doctor of Ministry (3)
- Graduate Thesis Collection (2)
- Master of Divinity Thesis (2)
- School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses (2)
- CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses (1)
- Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects (1)
- Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository (1)
- Honors Papers (1)
- M.A. in Biblical Studies Theses (1)
- MSU Graduate Theses (1)
- Master of Theology Theses (1)
- Selected Honors Theses (1)
- Theses (1)
- University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 64
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Numbered, Weighed, Divided: Revolution And/As Apocalypse In The Modern Liberal Tradition, Asher J. Wycoff
Numbered, Weighed, Divided: Revolution And/As Apocalypse In The Modern Liberal Tradition, Asher J. Wycoff
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
A long-standing political-theological critique contends that liberalism lacks the capacity to address theological challenges, and qualitative political challenges more generally. This charge is prevalent in our current age of crises, when the capacity to address such challenges is essential to any political tradition’s self-legitimation. I argue that the liberal tradition, broadly conceived, has long contended with theological challenges, particularly during modern revolutionary periods. Theological discourses, especially eschatological ones, circulate widely in these moments. Modern political actors impute cosmic significance to the events of their present, with a central analogy crystallizing between revolution and apocalypse. Reading major theorists of three modern …
Covenant-Apocalyptic Soteriology: N. T. Wright’S Apocalyptic Jesus In Conversation With The Liberationist Critique Of Atonement, Joseph Smith
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation develops a theory of atonement in accordance with N. T. Wright’s covenant-apocalyptic interpretation of the ministry and message of the historical Jesus. A covenant-apocalyptic atonement theory, in opposition to the trajectory of contemporary soteriology, prioritizes divine causality in the means of salvation, because, as is generally expected from an apocalyptic hermeneutic, it peers behind systems of violence and oppression to the intangible powers that underlie them. Unlike other strands of apocalyptic theology, though, a covenant-apocalyptic soteriology can stand up to a liberationist critique of the escapism and the divine sadism of a certain popular form of Christian soteriology, …
Rewriting The Ending: Malachi's Threat And The Destruction Of The Temple In The Gospel Of Mark, John Michael Strachan
Rewriting The Ending: Malachi's Threat And The Destruction Of The Temple In The Gospel Of Mark, John Michael Strachan
Dissertations (1934 -)
This is a study of the presence of the OT book of Malachi in the Gospel of Mark. The Gospel begins (1:2–3) with a conflated quotation of Mal 3:1; Exod 23:20; and Isa 40:3. Recent studies have judged that Isa 40:3 is hermeneutically influential on Mark’s presentation of Jesus. Similarly, I aim to show that Mal 3:1, with its promise of a messenger who would proceed Yahweh’s sudden arrival at the temple, is hermeneutically influential in ways heretofore not commonly recognized. The heart of my proposal is that Mark 1–13, that is, roughly three-quarters of the Gospel, is framed by …
The Hope And History Debate In Fundamental Theology, David Patrick Collits
The Hope And History Debate In Fundamental Theology, David Patrick Collits
Theses
The hope and history debate in twentieth century Catholic theology concerned to what extent the object(s) of eschatological hope could be realised within history. Its context was the ‘secularisation of Christian eschatology’. On the one hand, Joseph Ratzinger, who was indebted to the philosophical work of Josef Pieper, considered hope’s object to belong to the realm of gift. He was sceptical of the extent to which hope could be manufactured by human means within history. On the other, Edward Schillebeeckx, Johann Baptist Metz and Gustavo Gutiérrez presented theologies of futurity, including political theology and liberation theology, in which the realisation …
Revitalizing The Church Through Reaching Men With Families, Mike Conan
Revitalizing The Church Through Reaching Men With Families, Mike Conan
Doctor of Ministry
Churches today face a unique crisis as most of them are either declining or plateaued, and the culture around them has changed, and men have not responded with faith and godliness, but instead with fear and withdrawal. Churches, especially conservative evangelical churches, who can overcome the worldview struggles and learn to embrace the postmodern, and overcome the struggles of patriarchy and learn to see how the power bestowed by society can be used for good, can see revitalization that will bring renewal to every part of their churches. Reaching these men usually brings new life to the entire church, as …
Optimism For Church Growth: Encouraging Lessons From Christian Revivalists For Generations Primed To Flourish, Michael L. Wilson
Optimism For Church Growth: Encouraging Lessons From Christian Revivalists For Generations Primed To Flourish, Michael L. Wilson
Doctor of Ministry
Negativity is contributing to the numerical decline of the Christian church in America. Dogmatism, judgmentalism, hypocrisy, and pessimism have added to the image problem that repels pre-Christians. The common self-critiquing statement of many Christians, that Christianity has become known more for what it is against than what it is for, identifies part of the error that has led to the image problem that burdens the Christian church, but it stops short of diagnosing the full spectrum of the limiting effects of negativity.
In vision-casting, tone matters, and it’s difficult to trust a sinking ship. Reversing the judgmental and pessimistic tone …
New Every Morning: Epectasy As A Theology For Innovation, Joel Hinck
New Every Morning: Epectasy As A Theology For Innovation, Joel Hinck
Master of Theology Theses
No abstract provided.
Hope As A Strategy: Messianism In The Philosophy Of Emmanuel Levinas, Gary Ray Sunshine
Hope As A Strategy: Messianism In The Philosophy Of Emmanuel Levinas, Gary Ray Sunshine
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This essay is an explication of the role of messianism, often expressed as hope, in the work of Emmanuel Levinas. Levinas's single philosophical project from 1933 until his passing in 1996 was to establish ethics as first philosophy. This effort was in opposition to the primacy of ontology in the work of Martin Heidegger. Levinas uses a phenomenological method similar to Heidegger's to establish messianic hope as a fundamental human motivation. Throughout Levinas's work, he borrows a religious vocabulary from his Jewish heritage that he resets into a philosophical domain. He takes a religious concept of messianism, specifically Jewish formulations …
Tragic Creation: Hope For The Future—Moltmann's Creative (Mis)Reading Of Hegel's Philosophy, John Michael Bechtold
Tragic Creation: Hope For The Future—Moltmann's Creative (Mis)Reading Of Hegel's Philosophy, John Michael Bechtold
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Christian theology, in its many and varied forms, and to the detriment of both the church and the world, is often built upon a shaky epistemological foundation. In this dissertation, I describe this shaky foundation by the term 'insular universalism'. The oxymoronic nature of the term is both intentional and telling. A theology which strives for, or unwittingly arrives at, a position which is here being called 'insular universalism' achieves neither while rejecting or misunderstanding the complexity of both. When considered theologically, insular universalism could be simplistically described as the idea that "one cultural expression of the religion is exclusive …
Eschatological Pneumatology As A Theological Framework For Evaluating The Pneumatology Of The International Church Of God’S Grace In Brazil, Gerson Linden
Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation
Linden, Gerson, L. “Eschatological Pneumatology as a Theological Framework for Evaluating the Pneumatology of the International Church of God’s Grace in Brazil.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2017. 238 pp.
The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the phenomenon of Neopentecostalism in Brazil, particularly as seen in the International Church of God’s Grace (ICGG), a large and well-known Denomination in Brazil, with communities in several countries in the world. This Denomination may be seen as part of a larger movement, as an expression of what has been called the third wave of Pentecostalism. On the other hand, the ICGG has …
The Salvation Of The Cosmos: Benedict Xvi's Eschatology And Its Relevance For The Current Ecological Crisis, Jeremiah Vallery
The Salvation Of The Cosmos: Benedict Xvi's Eschatology And Its Relevance For The Current Ecological Crisis, Jeremiah Vallery
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has elements of a cosmic eschatology embedded in his theological oeuvre that have not heretofore been extensively systematized. This dissertation fills this gap by contextualizing Benedict’s cosmic eschatology in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, examining his Logos theology and his view on the fate of the cosmos, exploring his cosmic liturgy, and evaluating his concept of human ecology and pneumatology. Benedict insufficiently links his cosmic eschatology to his papal teachings on the environment; however, his cosmic eschatology can be developed in fruitful ways. After providing a thorough articulation of Benedict’s cosmic eschatology, I offer my own …
The Myth Of A Secular Economy: Capitalism's Unarticulated Theology, Daniel F. Sebastian
The Myth Of A Secular Economy: Capitalism's Unarticulated Theology, Daniel F. Sebastian
MSU Graduate Theses
The discipline of modern economics has been categorized as based in mathematics and thus dealing only with facts. Religion, on the other hand, is considered one of the primary institutions in society that engenders different values. The stark separation between these two fields is typical of the modern fact-value distinction. The goal of this project is to provide, relying heavily upon Peter L. Berger, a detailed analysis of the value-laden social functions of religion and consider whether economics, specifically capitalism, also carries out these functions. The thesis blurs the lines between economics and religion by showing that capitalism engages in …
The Kingdom Of God And The Holy Spirit: Eschatology And Pneumatology In The Vineyard Movement, Douglas R. Erickson
The Kingdom Of God And The Holy Spirit: Eschatology And Pneumatology In The Vineyard Movement, Douglas R. Erickson
Dissertations (1934 -)
This dissertation explores the relationship between eschatology and pneumatology in the Vineyard movement. The Vineyard movement is a growing expression within the evangelical Protestant tradition that seeks to combine the core doctrines of Evangelicalism with the experience of the gifts of the Spirit that is often associated with Pentecostalism. As a relatively new faith expression, the Vineyard has not received a great deal of academic interest, and thus much of its core theological commitments have not yet been explored. I shall argue that the central theological distinctive of the Vineyard is their understanding of the inaugurated, enacted, eschatological kingdom of …
Confirmation Of Prophecy By Proxy: Audience Anticipation And Reception Of The 2014 Movie Left Behind And Its Relevance To The Dispensational Premillennialist Worldview, Andrew R. Burns
University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations
Media has the potential to legitimize or spread a belief system to the general public. The 2014 movie Left Behind is an example of a deliberate attempt at promoting the belief system referred to as dispensational premillennialism (DPM), or belief in the imminent rapture of Christians. Producers of Left Behind (2014) sought to promote DPM to the general public, hoping for a mass conversion. Online discussion and interviews were gathered and interpreted qualitatively. Content analysis of audience anticipation and reception show believers were as concerned with the conversion of the general public via this movie than the movie itself. Differences …
They Shall Recover: Towards A Pneumatological And Eschatological Understanding Of The Atonement In Pentecostal Healing, Daniel J. Simmons
They Shall Recover: Towards A Pneumatological And Eschatological Understanding Of The Atonement In Pentecostal Healing, Daniel J. Simmons
Selected Honors Theses
This thesis identifies the ideologies of the Christian church surrounding divine healing with an emphasis upon the Pentecostal outbreak of the Azusa Street Revival. This study explores the “Atonement model” of divine healing, and assesses its strength in adequately capturing Pentecostal thought regarding divine healing. From this understanding, the study examines pneumatology and eschatology within the purview of divine healing in order to criticize the validity of the Atonement model.
Calvin's Eschatology In Its Historical And Exegetical Context., Takashi Yoshida
Calvin's Eschatology In Its Historical And Exegetical Context., Takashi Yoshida
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
This study reveals both the variety and complexity of Calvin’s eschatology by way of a historical and contextual approach. Against an ahistorical and dogmatic approach to Calvin, it discusses the necessity of locating and examining his eschatology in several contexts: theological and exegetical traditions, both his predecessors and contemporaries; variety of genre of his own works, from catechism to polemical treatise and biblical commentaries; and their chronological developments. Calvin’s eschatology is basically traditional and owes much to the theological and spiritual heritage in the past. It is definitely, among others, in the Augustinian tradition though strongly characterized by his biblical …
Revelation 6:9-11: An Exegesis Of The Fifth Seal In The Light Of The Problem Of The Eschatological Delay, Patrice Allet
Revelation 6:9-11: An Exegesis Of The Fifth Seal In The Light Of The Problem Of The Eschatological Delay, Patrice Allet
Dissertations
The fifth seal of Revelation has most often been treated from an anthropological perspective that appears to be clearly inadequate to account for the depth of this trigger passage located in a climactic setting. In and around the fifth seal, the text suggests indeed that the persecution of the last days has occurred. Imminence and delay do seem to intersect in the passage, creating a crisis of eschatological proportions which, in turn, raises questions of theodicy.
The purpose of this dissertation is to increase understanding of the fifth seal as a whole through a focused study of its delay motif …
The Christian As Witness In View Of The True Witness, Emily Patricia Wilton
The Christian As Witness In View Of The True Witness, Emily Patricia Wilton
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
This thesis examines Karl Barth’s understanding of what it means for Christian individuals to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. By analyzing the structure of Barth’s doctrine of reconciliation, with attention to his view of Jesus Christ as mediator, the thesis establishes the christological context of Barth’s concept of witness. The thesis demonstrates how Barth arrives at the conclusion that witness is central to the definition of Christian existence and identifies key features of Barth’s view of witness, namely, its theocentrism, its basis in ontology, and its enactment in human history. The thesis engages secondary scholarship in a critical appraisal of …
Christology, Theology, & Evolution In Celia Deane-Drummond's Christ And Evolution, Trevor Beach Sj
Christology, Theology, & Evolution In Celia Deane-Drummond's Christ And Evolution, Trevor Beach Sj
School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses
This paper explores the relationship between theology and biological understandings of evolution. This paper explores some of the major themes in theology as they relate to contemporary observation of the natural world in biology. By this paper, I hope to highlight kenosis and eschatology as two theological foci that can aid in the discussion between biological evolution and contemporary theology.
Christian Hope Among Rivals: Life-Organizing Stories As Narrative Theodices, Michael Zeigler
Christian Hope Among Rivals: Life-Organizing Stories As Narrative Theodices, Michael Zeigler
Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation
Zeigler, Michael. W. “Christian Hope among Rivals: Life-Organizing Stories as Narrative Theodicies.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2014. 270 pp.
This dissertation answers the following: How is Christian hope distinct from others? The answer given is that Christian hope is distinct from its rivals because it expects the God of Jesus to bring the world to conform to the word of the promise he made to Abraham. This answer arises from an approach to Christian eschatology that differs from what has become typical. Current studies in eschatology focus on an internal use attributes, that is, a use fitted for derivation and …
"A Knot Worth Unloosing": The Interpretation Of The New Heavens And Earth In Seventeenth-Century England, John H. Duff
"A Knot Worth Unloosing": The Interpretation Of The New Heavens And Earth In Seventeenth-Century England, John H. Duff
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
Scholars interested in the history of Christian eschatological thought have focused primarily on the theme of heaven or on the various interpretations of the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6. Virtually no attention has been given to past interpretations of the biblical phrase the new heavens and earth. This dissertation uncovers the interpretations of this phrase that were extant in seventeenth-century England. These interpretations fall into two basic camps—those that understood the phrase metaphorically and those that understood the phrase literally. One group of English divines believed the new heavens and earth was a phrase referring to the new age …
"The Loved One Does Not Yet Know All She Shall Become": Mysticism As Eschatology In Medieval Writers., John C. Medendorp
"The Loved One Does Not Yet Know All She Shall Become": Mysticism As Eschatology In Medieval Writers., John C. Medendorp
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
New developments in the study of Western Christian mysticism demand that the mystics be interpreted theologically if we are to accept the mystics on their own terms and take them seriously. This study argues that the medieval mystics in Europe up to the 13th century understand their work to be eschatological in nature, interpreting the mystical experience of union with the Divine as an inbreaking or foretaste of the eschaton. Reading Hadewijch of Antwerp, a 13th century Dutch mystic, together with contributions from Augustine of Hippo, Bernard of Clarivaux, and Hildegard of Bingen, this study attempts to demonstrate that the …
R3al Hope: Living With The End In Mind, Richard J. Callahan
R3al Hope: Living With The End In Mind, Richard J. Callahan
Doctor of Ministry
Jesus offers Abundant Life yet so many Christians settle for less. Why? There are myriad theories as to what constitutes Abundant Life (AL). As the evidence of history and Scripture are integrated, AL is consistently experienced in three realities: relationship, responsibility and restoration (RE3). Relationship + Responsibility + Restoration = Abundant Life or R3AL. R3AL Life existed in Creation, was made accessible to Fallen Eikons1 through Jesus and will be central to New Creation. While many Christians are aware of why they were created and the transformational power of Jesus, R3AL life eludes them. They have a flawed eschatology that …
Promissio Spei God's Eschatological Action In The Church, Richard Aaron Davenport
Promissio Spei God's Eschatological Action In The Church, Richard Aaron Davenport
Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation
Davenport, Richard A. "Promissio Spei: God's Eschatological Action in the Church. “Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2012. 213 pp.
This dissertation, a work in systematic theology, examines the nature of Christian hope in the context of current scholarship in systematic theology. Its goal is to assess the way in which Christian hope is rooted in God's word of promise and the extent to which that promise affects Christian life. The eschatological outlook presented in Scripture shows that God's promises, and the hope that they offer, are presented to all of creation. This dissertation investigates the process by which the communication of …
Isaac Of Nineveh's Contribution To Syriac Theology: An Eschatological Reworking Of Greek Anthropology, Jason Scully
Isaac Of Nineveh's Contribution To Syriac Theology: An Eschatological Reworking Of Greek Anthropology, Jason Scully
Dissertations (1934 -)
This dissertation responds to an explicitdesideratum from Robert Beulay, who, in his book La Lumière sans forme, calls for a presentation of Isaac's thought with special attention to his sources.
Contrary to the belief of older scholarship, I conclude that Isaac's anthropology and eschatology are much more than a Syriac repetition of Greek Evagrian thought; rather, they are influenced by John the Solitary, a Syriac author who has received less scholarly attention. Although Isaac refers to Evagrius, as well as Pseudo-Dionysius and Pseudo-Macarius, to define specific terminology, the influence of John the Solitary permeates all areas of Isaac's thought.
The …
Sacrament And Eschatological Fulfillment In Henri De Lubac's Theology Of History, Joseph Flipper
Sacrament And Eschatological Fulfillment In Henri De Lubac's Theology Of History, Joseph Flipper
Dissertations (1934 -)
Henri de Lubac, S.J. (1896-1991) led one of the most important developments within twentieth-century Catholic theology, the movement known as the nouvelle théologie. De Lubac's signature move was to return to early church sources to renew contemporary theology. This dissertation explores de Lubac's recovery of patristic eschatology for the contemporary age. While certainly responding to secularization, de Lubac also sought to respond to the "messianic" and apocalyptic shape of modern religious experience and political ideology. He argued that the source of secular messianisms was a dictotomy within Christianity between mysticism and the apocalyptic. The nouvelle théologie movement of the 1940s--from …
The Origin Of The Eschatological Feast As A Wedding Banquet In The Synoptic Gospels: An Intertextual Study, Phillip J. Long
The Origin Of The Eschatological Feast As A Wedding Banquet In The Synoptic Gospels: An Intertextual Study, Phillip J. Long
Dissertations
The Problem. The problem this dissertation seeks to address is the origins of the wedding banquet imagery in the teaching of Jesus. Frequently, scholars will state that the image of a wedding banquet was a common messianic image in the first century. However, other than Isa 25:6-8, sources for the image of a banquet for the messianic age in the Hebrew Bible are sparse. Yet the image of a banquet clearly appears in the Synoptic Gospels in both the actions of Jesus as well as his teaching. Because the metaphor of a wedding banquet is not found in the literature …
The Quest For The Historical Jesus' Use Of Gehenna: A Critical Appraisal Of The Work Of N. T. Wright And His Portrayal Of The Eschatology Of The Historical Jesus, Ian C. Cole
M.A. in Biblical Studies Theses
The Quest for the Historical Jesus is a hallmark of modern biblical scholarship that has, in recent decades, given birth to the so-called “Third Quest.” A prominent “Third Quest” scholar, N. T. Wright, and his work are the focus of this study. After summarizing some of the monumental works of Historical Jesus research throughout its 200+ year history (chapter 1), this thesis presents a summary of Historical Jesus research since the 1980s (chapter 2) and then enters into specific dialog with the work of Wright. Wright’s portrait of the Historical Jesus is summarized, with special attention given to Wright’s presentation …
The Assumption Of All Humanity In Saint Hilary Of Poitiers' Tractatus Super Psalmos, Ellen Scully
The Assumption Of All Humanity In Saint Hilary Of Poitiers' Tractatus Super Psalmos, Ellen Scully
Dissertations (1934 -)
In this dissertation, I focus on the soteriological understanding of the fourth-century theologian Hilary of Poitiers as manifested in his underappreciated Tractatus super Psalmos. Hilary offers an understanding of salvation in which Christ saves humanity by assuming every single person into his body in the incarnation. My dissertation contributes to scholarship on Hilary in two ways.
First, I demonstrate that Hilary's teaching concerning Christ's assumption of all humanity is a unique development of Latin sources. Because of his understanding of Christ's assumption of all humanity, Hilary, along with several Greek fathers, has been accused of heterodoxy resulting from Greek Platonic …
“Made In Each Other:” John Scottus Eriugena’S Conception Of The Human Person As A Unifying Vocabulary For Trinitarian Metanarrative And Anticartesian Phenomenology, Carey B. Vinzant
Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation
Vinzant, Carey B. “Made in each Other: John Scottus Eriugena’s Conception of the Human Person as a Unifying Vocabulary for Trinitarian Metanarrative and Anti-Cartesian Phenomenology.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2010. 260 pp.
This study sets forth an account of the human person, drawn primarily from the thought of John Scottus Eriugena, which integrates the metaphysical account of personhood set forth by Trinitarian theology (especially John Zizioulas) with the phenomenological one set forth by certain Anti-Cartesian philosophers (especially John Macmurray, Martin Buber, and Gabriel Marcel). These two schools of thought have in common the conviction that uniqueness and relation to other …