Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Holistic Ministry Of The Anointed One: An Interpretive Analysis Of Isaiah 61:1-7, Daniel P. Lamastra

Master of Arts in Ministerial Leadership (MAML)

Isaiah 61:1-7 is a passage that is important to both the Jewish and Christian faiths due to the clear Messianic implications that it contains. The first two verses are especially familiar to the Christian community due to its quotation by Jesus in Luke 4:18-19 as one of only three direct quotes of the Old Testament made by Jesus in Luke’s Gospel. Isaiah 61:1-7 prophecies on Judah’s upcoming destruction, exile, and ultimate Messianic deliverance, containing references to both the near and distant future; all of these conditions must be considered when approaching this passage in order to arrive at an accurate …

The Tiptoe, Robbie Taggart

BYU Studies Quarterly

"My theology stresses the reality of continued, continuing revelation," writes the author of this essay. "God speaks, not spake. . . . But it is sometimes a real wrestle to know when he is speaking and what he wants. It takes attentiveness, and patience. Sometimes weeks pass without a whisper." He illustrates this idea with a story about stalking squirrels with his four-year-old son. After almost seeing one, the author, who has asked God to grant his son this simple wish, prays in silent resignation, "Well, thanks for trying." But then the wish is granted in a spectacular manner.

New Leaves On Old Trees: A Synthesis Of Early American Music Through Contemporary Composition, Leslie A. Robinson

Selected Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the hymnody and choral music of 17th, 18th, and early 19th century Protestant communities in America with the goal of creating a historically informed composition that articulates musical and theological ideas of the past with a fresh voice. It will emphasize unique characteristics of the musical communities and connections between the communities. It will also focus on two relationships within individual communities: the association between the community’s music and its texts, and the connection between its theology and musical identity. The thesis and composition should reveal an understanding of early American musical …

Aquifer Analysis: Told And Untold Stories In Warwick Churches, Vaughan S. Roberts

Vaughan S Roberts

Common Sense Theology: An Analysis Of T. L. Carter's Interpretation Of Romans 13:1-7, Joshua Alley

Senior Honors Theses

Common sense theology has been a part of American theology since the time of the Revolution when Evangelicals incorporated ideals from the Scottish didactic Enlightenment into their thought. This paper deals with the work of one particular author, T. L. Carter, and his interpretation and exegetical work on Romans 13:1-7. It deals with the two major presuppositions of his common sense theology, namely that interpretations of any passage of Scripture will adhere to common sense and will result in a value-based ethic. Following this is an analysis of both the strengths and weaknesses of Carter's methodology.

Remarks On The Theological Aspect Of The Hell-Motif In Síaburcharpat Con Culaind, Darcy Ireland

Theology Student Scholarship

The early Middle Irish story Síaburcharpat Con Culaind unfortunately suffers from a lack of scholarly attention, particularly from the theological perspective. This paper proposes that the five quatrains which occupy lines 9438-9458 of the Lebor na hUidre copy together serve as the potent, appropriate apex to a tale which not only functions as an ode to Cú Chulainn but also as a forum through which are raised theological queries concerning the fate under the Christian dispensation of pre-Christian Celtic legendary figures.

Initial focus will be cast on the significance of the hell-motif within the Síaburcharpat (including a remark on the …

Colleen Carroll Campbell: Catholicism, Feminism, And Women Saints, Hannah Dulmaine

Fall 2014, Storytelling and the Life of Faith

Many views of modern day feminism appear to contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church. However, Colleen Carroll Campbell, an award-winning author and journalist, was determined from a young age to reconcile feminism with Catholicism. With the guidance and wisdom of female saints, Campbell conveys the importance and relevance of faith for modern day Catholic women, especially in regard to controversial issues such as contraception, abortion, fertility, and motherhood.

Cybertheology: Thinking Christianity In The Era Of The Internet, Antonio Spadaro S.J., Maria Way

Religion

How has Christianity and theology changed in the wake of the internet and mass communication? Tracing concepts in media studies, anthropology, and theology, Spadaro investigates this complex and enlightening topic.

Infinite Horizon: The Prairie Spirituality Of Ronald Rolheiser, Michael W. Higgins

Mission Integration & Ministry Publications

Ronald Rolheiser, president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio Texas (but a native of the Saskatchewan prairie), is one of the most popular Catholic spiritual writers and syndicated columnists at work today.

What some critics see as Rolheiser’s complacency, his supposedly uncritical embrace of modern secular society, is actually borne of his remarkable faith and confidence in God’s abiding presence and care. Like the philosopher Charles Taylor, a fellow Canadian and Catholic, Rolheiser is keenly aware that modern liberal values such as tolerance and benevolence, and especially respect for individual dignity and freedom, have deep Christian roots.

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.

What A Wonderful Idea!, Barry D. Fike

Barry D. Fike

A brief meditation on unity in the Christian church.

Does God Bend The Rules?, Barry D. Fike

Barry D. Fike

A brief meditation on Jonah and Hezekiah.

Hanging On To One String, Barry Fike

Barry D. Fike

This article provides six suggestions based on the Bible's teachings for keeping positive and overcoming adversity.

Do We Speak Where The Bible Speaks?, Barry Fike

Barry D. Fike

A meditation on the expression: "We speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent."

Mikveh: The Relationship Of Jewish Ritual Immersion And Christian Baptism, Barry Fike

Barry D. Fike

Most Christians understand baptism as an undeniable doctrine of early Christianity. What most don’t grasp is that this practice goes far beyond the confines of Jesus and John the Baptist to some of the earliest recorded stages of the people of God, meaning that it has always been a part of the plan of God for the redemption of mankind. In this book, Barry Fike goes back into the Hebrew background of the concept of Christian baptism into the Jewish understanding of this ritual of cleanliness to show that our present understanding needs to have some backdrop to correctly identify …

A Theology Of Creation Lived Out In Christian Hymnody, Beth Hoeltke

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Hoeltke, Beth June “A Theology of Creation Lived Out in Christian Hymnody.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2014. 308 pp.

A seminal article written by Lynn White in the mid-1960’s indicted Christianity as a major cause affecting the ecological crisis of the day. White emphasized that the Christian tradition practiced domination rather than dominion and ownership rather than stewardship. Since White’s article Christian theologians have challenged his interpretation. One of the unexamined sources of the church’s teaching on creation is hymnody. This dissertation examines this source. Hymns play a vital role in the church’s teaching as they have the ability to …

Emotional Doubt And Divine Hiddenness, A. Chadwick Thornhill

Eruditio Ardescens

This essay will seek to develop a possible model for addressing the existential problem of divine hiddenness and the emotional doubt that it might cause in the life of a believer. In doing so, it will identify several potential "root causes" for the experience of the existential problem of divine hiddenness and attempt to guide a hurting individual through dealing with their doubt by applying misbelief therapy.

A Theology Of Worship, University Church Of Christ, Malibu, California, N. Hanks, Carolyn Hunter, Rich Little

N. Lincoln Hanks

No abstract provided.

The Sin Of Ham, David C. Taylor Jr

David C Taylor Jr

Is the sin of Ham simply Ham looking at Noah's Nakedness or is it something more?

The Message In Our Music : What Popular Congregational Songs Say About Our Beliefs, Neal W. Woodruff, Mark A. Frisius

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Work – Music

Congregational singing is a source of basic theological instruction, both reflecting and shaping what we believe. It is crucial, therefore, that we say what we believe when we sing. In this study, the authors focused on the songs most accessed by users of the Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc. (CCLI) service between 2006-2012. Twenty songs were identified as having received significant usage during this time period.

The results of this study found that a representative sampling of the lyrics of the most popular congregational songs did not sufficiently express foundational concepts of the Christian faith. Although individual congregations may have a …

Theology, Politics, And Antimodernism In Nazi Germany: Problematizing Theological Rhetoric And Political Theology, Brent A. R. Hege

Brent A. R. Hege

A review essay of: Hitler’s Theology: A Study in Political Religion. By Rainer Bucher. Translated by Rebecca Pohl. Edited and with an introduction by Michael Hoelzl. London: Continuum, 2011. xx+140 pp. $120.00 Cloth, $34.95 Paper Theological Tractates. By Erik Peterson. Edited, translated, and with an introduction by Michael J. Hollerich. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2011. xxx + 256 pp. $75.00 Cloth, $24.95 Paper

Sing To The Lord A New Song: John Calvin And The Spiritual Discipline Of Metrical Psalmody, Brandon J. Bellanti

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the way that psalmody - specifically metrical psalmody - serves as a sort of spiritual discipline. In other words, this essay seeks to demonstrate how the singing of psalms can be a tool to aid in spiritual growth. Much of the research for this essay focuses on the theological writings of the Protestant reformer John Calvin, as well as the way in which he incorporated metrical psalmody into his liturgical framework. The research also comprises primary writings from Aristotle, Plato, Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Basil, and Saint Augustine - all of whom …

Luther's Existential Imago Dei, The Deprivation Thesis, And Sanctity Of Life, Tyler M. John

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

On Ryan Peterson’s reading of Martin Luther, the imago Dei (iD) is a human’s capacity to experience God. Traditionally, Christians have understood the iD to be a property that a) qualitatively separates all human beings from all non-human animals and b) gives humans a greater moral worth than non-human animals. If Peterson’s Luther is right, humans made in the iD and no other material created things have the capacity to experience God, and this capacity makes them worth more, morally, than non-human animals.

I defend this conception of the distinctness of humans by demonstrating the following: For any human being …

To Speak Of God In A Feminine Way In The Churches And Theologies Of The Americas, Susan Ross

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The King In His Beauty, Christopher R. Bruno

Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

"It Was He Who Gave Some To Be": Toward An Understanding Of The Role Of The Female Prophet In The Lutheran Church, Ann Murphy

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Murphy, Ann I. "'It Was He Who Gave Some To Be': Toward an Understanding of the Role of the Female Prophet in the Lutheran Church." STM thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2014,131 pp.

This thesis addresses some of the ambiguities and inadequacies in Lutheran theological reflection regarding the prophetic office and attempts to integrate theological constructions pertaining to revelatory spiritual gifts, inspiration, the Ministry, and women's roles in the church so that they more consistently inform one another.

Theological Creative Nonfiction: Christian Literature For Christian Life, Elizabeth R. Hurt

Senior Honors Theses

Since the Christian worldview is composed of more than theoretical truth, Christian literature should reflect these other aspects, such as how that truth is applied in the lives of the saints. Furthermore, the praxis element of worldview is reflected in literature more naturally in narrative genres than in more expository writings like systematic theology. Narrative genres mirror the complex, temporal way a person lives his life, and because of this are able to show how objective truth is applied in subjective situations. For this reason, Christians need contemporary writing that reflects the process of everyday Christian living to offer a …

A Place To Belong: Critical Queer Pedagogy For Social Justice In Catholic Education, Roydavid Villanueva Quinto

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

A growing number of gay and lesbian children attend Catholic schools throughout the United States; and an untold number of gay and lesbian children in Catholic schools are experiencing harassment, violence, and prejudice because of their sexual orientation or gender non-conformity. Whether due to their size, strong sense of community, or making special considerations for vulnerable students, Catholic schools seem to be the best equipped to address these issues, but all of the research points to such schools enacting policies of silence and suppression. This study specifically explores why Catholic teachings on sexuality and social justice have may have been …

The Theology Of Battlestar Galactica: American Christianity In The 2004-2009 Television Series, Kevin J. Wetmore Jr.

Faculty Pub Night

No abstract provided.

Making Windows Into Men’S Souls: An Examination Of Theological Norms At Elizabethan Cambridge, John R. Parker

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

The nature of English religiosity that is both specific ideology and doctrine and how these were practiced in the adherent's day to day life, during the later part of the Tudor dynasty has been the subject of much debate and research. Due to the volume of work produced about this period it is necessary to differentiate between three categories: those works which are directly relevant to this examination, as they deal specifically with either the time or content of this essay, those which are useful to understanding the period directly preceding this examinations focus, and those which address subjects and …