Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Correlational Analysis Of A Leadership Development Model And Church Growth, Thomas D. Mullins

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Organizational growth and vision can outpace leadership development, which ultimately creates frustration and decline in leadership, followership, and teamwork. To counter regression, organizations must determine the factors that hinder leadership development while creating pathways towards organizational success. Research indicates that church attendance in America is in decline, but there are exceptions to this national trend. A case study of one of the fastest growing churches in America reveals a correlation between intentionally fostering a culture of leadership development and one’s ability to continue seizing available growth opportunities. This parallel hypothesized by the researcher in this study was validated through the …

Art As Storytelling: A Process Of Discovery And Creativity Applied In The Medium Of Story Branding, Luke T. Marchesani

Selected Honors Theses

Storytelling finds its purpose in the origins of humanity. The advent of technology, hardware, and software has created an intersection of ubiquity of storytelling opportunity and scarcity of storytelling ability. For this reason, the storyteller needs to be “enlightened”. This thesis presents a comprehensive storytelling process that equips the storyteller to turn words into artistic expressions, specifically in the artistic medium of branding. Through story branding, artistic pieces that tell stories are branded through multiple techniques that spread the story’s idea through an entire population.

The Two Shall Become One: A Comparative Exegetical Study On Marital Unity From The Genesis Garden Narrative To Ephesians 5, Abigail M. Diaz

Selected Honors Theses

In light of a cultural world in which both real-world marriages and the scholarly interpretation on marital purpose and process are scarred with dysfunction and division, this thesis attempts to contribute to the discussion on the Scriptural purpose and process of marriage as God intends it. In order to discern a glimpse of divine intention of marriage, an exegetical analysis of its divine beginnings in Genesis 1:27-3:24 is performed. This section addresses the original nature of marriage as well as how it was affected as a result of sin and the fall. The following chapter complements this analysis with exegesis …

A Comparative Analysis Of Pauline Missiology, Assemblies Of God Missiology, And Conclusions For Today, Colbry H. Martin

Selected Honors Theses

The following work researches the Missiology of the Apostle Paul, displayed in his mission’s practices in the book of Acts. This work also researches the mission practices of the Assemblies of God in order to discover their unique missiology. The key principles from these two parties are then compared in order to discover the similarities and differences. Since the argument is made that the recordings in the book of Acts of the working of the Apostle Paul are inspired by the Holy Spirit, the similarities between Paul’s practices and Assemblies of God practices are seen as strengths which need to …

From Silence To Sound: Causes And Effects Of The Talkies, Kylie N. Groot

Selected Honors Theses

The era of silent film, though brief in comparison to the history of cinema itself, set a solid foundation for the medium that is beloved by audiences around the world today. However, many stereotypes and preconceived notions surround the lost art that fell from the spotlight at the invention and mass production of sound film a mere thirty-two years after the invention of the motion picture itself. Changing technologies, the adaptations of filmmakers of the period, and the opinions of the general public were all contributing factors in the quick and total transition from silent film to sound film. Through …

Uniquely Gifted: A Theology Of Mental Illness For Inclusive Ecclesiology, Asia M. Lerner

Selected Honors Theses

This thesis surveys the possibility of a theology of mental illness in order to create an inclusive ecclesiology for modern churches. Mental illness is greatly stigmatized in the Church as demonic or spiritual and moral failing. In combat of such stigma and prejudice to create an inclusive atmosphere in the Church, a positive theology of mental illness understood as a unique gifting is argued for. With the elusive nature of mental illness in both definition and experience taken into account, all aspects of mental illness are considered, such as biology, psychology, and philosophy of mental disorder. The thesis understands mental …

Synecdoche: A Gospel Story, Levi A. Larson

Masters of Theological Studies

PreFace

My wife and I recently took a trip to Disney World, and while we marveled at the attractions I began to hear languages that I was not used to hearing. It was the sound of diversity.

Disney World has a magic that attracts people from a diversity of places, religions, ages, genders, and sexual orientation. So, the question is: What makes so many different kinds of people stand in line to meet a man in a mouse costume in Florida? I believe, the answer is story.

Stories bring us together, bridging social gaps and allowing us to not only …

Beyond The Assessment:
How To Truly Discover Your Purpose And Thrive In Your Gifts, Kevin Wilson

Master of Arts in Ministerial Leadership (MAML)

For too many years, Christians have relied on the results of a spiritual questionnaire to determine the role they are supposed to play in the body of Christ without every truly understanding why their gifts are so significant in the first place. This project is designed to help people better understand the purpose of spiritual gifts and to offer new approaches to discovering those gifts. It is also designed to help church leaders place a greater emphasis on helping their people find the best place to exercise their gifts within their local body. When individual believers and church leaders are …

Manifesting The New Being In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Rachel Nelson

Master of Divinity (MDiv)

The grappling art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is often seen as a spiritual practice for those that regularly train. Practitioners claim to undergo a personal transformation that enables growth towards greater harmony within themselves and among humanity. The experience of growth within oneself and towards humanity corresponds to Paul Tillich's theological concepts of the Kingdom of God and the New Being. The Kingdom of God is characterized by individuals whom possess a harmony within themselves, and in tum, successfully live in harmony among a diversity of others. Jesus the Christ, known as the New Being, is conceived as the ultimate symbol …

Influences Of Tenure Among Church Of God Of Prophecy Pastors, Florida District, Romeika Ferguson-Adderley

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The factors that influence pastoral tenure are varied and complex, especially as men and women serve congregations with growing diversities and needs. However, in the past 30 years, the research on pastoral tenure typically examined congregations that were Protestant in organizational belief and structure. Little research on pastoral tenure among Pentecostal churches could be found in the current body of literature. The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental study was to investigate the factors that influence pastoral tenure within three regional/subcultural areas of the state of Florida for the Pentecostal denomination of the Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP). All lead …

The Perceived Centrality Of Spirituality In Athletic Competition, Joel Perttula

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Spirituality, while not visible, is a central component in athletic competition. This study examined the perceived centrality of spirituality in athletic competition among Christian athletes. To do so, a theological understanding of the image of God was developed and considered participant gender, ethnicity, student’s level of standing, preferred sport, and cultural environment associated with the preferred sport for the purpose of identifying the most robust, statistically significant correlate and predictor of the perceived centrality of spirituality in athletic competition. The quantitative study utilized survey research methodology. A total of 65 student-athletes were approached and the first 53 athletes who provided …

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story: A Case Study Of Hamilton: An American Musical To Understand The Effect Of Engaging The Past In The Culture Of Today, Adrianna C. Halsey

Selected Honors Theses

This thesis is a look into how Alexander Hamilton has been portrayed on stage in the musical Hamilton: An American Musical, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The goal of this research is to show that this musical is not history, but rather a commentary on current culture through one of America’s favorite stories (that of the Revolution.) In this show, past figures have been used to discuss the issues of modern America, and that is now being sold as history. This has been discovered through the analysis of primary and secondary sources of the time period, as well as through a …

A Qualitative Study Of Black Male Professionals' Attributions Of Education, Career, And Success, Kamille Natasha Leptz

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors to which Black professional males attribute their persistence in education and their professional success. This qualitative case study is founded on the theoretical frameworks of attribution, growth mindset, and grit. The research participants were a criterion-based sample consisting of four Black male professionals who earned at least a bachelor’s degree and were employed full-time in their respective professions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with all participants to gather rich, detailed information about their experiences in both education and their professions. Data collected from interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed to determine …