Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Extra Nos But Not Extraneous: Augustine’S De Natura Et Gratia And Contemporary Receptions Of Augustine, Thomas Pietsch

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Pietsch, Thomas, D. “Extra Nos but not Extraneous: Augustine’s De Natura et Gratia and Contemporary Receptions of Augustine.” STM thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2017. 116 pp.

The relationship of nature to grace has become one of significant importance for contemporary theology. Following the turbulent debates surrounding Henri de Lubac in the twentieth century, theologians associated with Radical Orthodoxy have revived the importance of the relationship in more recent years. Whether acknowledged or not, all discussions of nature and grace owe much to Augustine, who was the first person to present a systematic discussion of the matter in his 415 anti-Pelagian treatise, …

"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.

The Hour Has Come-A Narrative-Critical Analysis Of The Use Of Ω̋Ρα In The Gospel Of John, Dennis Matyas

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

After summarizing eschatology in the Gospel of John, this STM thesis examines the use of, ω̋ρα in Greco-Roman Greek sources, extra-biblical Jewish sources, the LXX, and the New Testament. After this examination, the thesis argues that each and every use of ω̋ρα in the Gospel of John either refers directly to the hour of Jesus' suffering and death or bears a special relationship to it.

Theology Of The Church As Ministry To Blind People, David Andrus

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Throughout history, people who are blind have been viewed by those in the sighted culture as limited and broken. This is true both in the church and in society in general. Our ecclesiology, however, should encourage, promote, or utilize blind people and their gifts to serve in the body of Christ. The church can, and should, accept, uplift, and utilize people who are blind and visually impaired as full members with a healthy and whole identity in Christ. To this end, our ecclesiology must not prohibit the ordination of a man who is blind solely on the basis of blindness …

Biblical Hermeneutics In The Early Missouri Synod, Charles Schaum

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

We now move to the specific situation of the Missouri Synod in the nineteenth century. They will not always use terms in the same manner as today's LCMS. The importance of the material lies in its being translated into English for the first time. The reader will gain a healthy respect for the strengths of "Old Missouri" and also an understanding of its weaknesses. Lutheranism is not an "easy" sort of theology, either with regard to innovation or repristination. Yet the capacity of the early Missouri Synod to remain "on message" in what was already a markedly pluralistic society in …

Bishop Bo Harald Giertz-Pietism And The Ordo Salutis-The Office Of The Holy Ministry, The Word, And Soul Care, Eric Andrae

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Though acknowledged as one of the most influential European churchman of the past century, and widely lauded in American Lutheran circles as the author of the acclaimed The Hammer of God, much remains to be learned in the U.S. of Bishop Emeritus Dr. Bo Harald Giertz (Gothenburg [Goteborg] diocese, Church of Sweden, served 1949-1970) and of his theology, especially concerning the specific doctrine which served as the foundation of the novel, the Order of Grace. Furthermore, interest in Giertz in America is increasing rapidly: several translation projects are underway, a film based on the first chapter of The Hammer of …

Anthropology And The Doctrine Of Sin In The Theology Of Reinhold Niebuhr, Hiroyuki Kanamori

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Understanding the theology of Reinhold Niebuhr is a great challenge, because all components of his theology are intricately interrelated with each other. It is therefore not proper to describe only his anthropology and doctrine of sin, the primary focus of this study, without also mentioning other matters related to it.

The Enemies Of God's People-A Comparison Of Pauline And Jewish Exegesis, Charles Schulz

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In light of the current re-evaluation of points of identity and divergence between Pauline Christianity and Judaism, this thesis presents a study of how each religion applied a single motif from the Psalter: the enemies of God's people. We start from the obvious common ground, the Old Testament shared by both Paul and the Jew as their sacred text. The work focuses on the unique opportunity afforded by the text of Romans 3:9-20, where Paul cites the Old Testament depiction of the wicked enemies. Next, we survey how apocalyptic and rabbinic Judaism developed and employed the enemy theme. Our conclusion …

Ordination Liturgies, The Call Process, And The Office Of The Ministry In The Landeskirche Of Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel, 1569-1815, Kent Burreson

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Therefore this study intends to examine the rites on their own merit as historical evidence of the theological understanding of church and ministry that arose in a specific context—a contextual-historical study of rites concerned with forming pastors. As Smith asserts, "Liturgical events such as ordination do not occur in a vacuum. They are supported by an attendant structure which influences the way in which they are experienced and understood. The political, cultural, theological, and ecclesiastical context will be considered in order to determine the milieu and mindset in which the rites were framed and celebrated." Having determined the context, its …

Auctoritas In Ecclesia: Jean Gerson And Martin Luther On The Authority Of The Papacy And General Councils, Paul Robinson

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Luther's ecclesiology provides fruitful ground for testing the validity of these hypotheses. The development of Luther's doctrine of the church continues to generate interest, especially in regard to the question of Luther's relationship to the medieval theologians. The earliest statements of Luther's doctrine of the church, those found in his first lectures on the Psalms, have been treated in this regard by Scott Hendrix. Hendrix has isolated specific themes found both in Luther and in medieval commentators on the Psalms for the purpose of comparison. The study presented here will approach Luther's statements on authority in the church, specifically the …

The Relationship Of Christ And Faith In Luther’S Great Galatians Commentary (1531/1535), Section 2:16-21, Luisivan Veller Strelow

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Luther’s language. is not always .easily understandable in his description of how Christ and faith are related so that faith in Christ justifies with the exclusion of works. Luther refers to the "present Christ" and says, "Therefore faith justifies because it takes hold of and possesses this treasure, the present Christ.” Luther says also that Christ is "the form of faith," and that Christ and the believer are "as one person.” How is this language to be understood? In contrast to some authors who isolated these phrase. and interpret them in a way which goes against their own context, the …

The Lord's Supper's Eschatology In The Blood Of The Covenant, Joel Lehenbauer

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The thesis we will try to defend is that the theology of the Lord’s Supper is the matrix of the theology of the Lord's Supper's23eschatology. What gives the Lord's Supper its unique character will also give the Lord's Supper's eschatology its unique character. One’s view of what holds the Lord's Supper together will determine one's view of what holds the Lord's Supper together with its eschatology. What is seen as the proprium of the Lord's Supper will also be the center of the Lord's Supper's eschatology.

Leviticus 17:11 And The Theology Of Sacrifice, Robert Clancy

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

It should be noted from the start that "objectivity” as it is commonly understood is not a goal of this thesis. The primary reason is that such objectivity is considered Tobe impossible. That is, if by "objectivity" one means that one reads and studies a text without presuppositions and without a hermeneutic, then one is striving after wind. No reader is a tabula rasa. All scholars read texts from within a given school of thought. Historical critics have certain presuppositions regarding texts, for instance, starting with the assumption that cultic material is late (post-exilic). Redaction critics assume the existence of …

The Doctrine Of Scripture In Fundamentalist Theology A Lutheran Appraisal, Terry Forke

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The analysis of these four sources will form the body of this paper. The comparison will support the thesis that there is an appropriate distinction to be made between the fundamentalist and the traditional Lutheran doctrine of Scripture. This distinction is made in the hope that further discussion may be facilitated by the avoidance of unnecessary conflict due to the misuse of the term "fundamentalism" as applied to the Missouri Synod.

Paul's Portrayal Of Judaism: St. Paul's Critique Of Judaism In Romans 3:19-31 And Evidence From Judaism Which Validates His Assessment, Michael Middendorf

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This thesis will address the current debate over whether St. Paul is being fair and accurate in his appraisal of first-century Judaism's teaching on the doctrine of justification. The Apostle is currently being accused of making an unfair caricature of Judaism, especially in regard to its conception of how a righteous standing before God could be attained.1 This first chapter will serve to document these accusations, to lay out the issues and arguments involved in this debate, and then to assess its significance.

The Educational Needs Of The Adult Layperson Concerning The Mission Of God_Research Towards Writing An Introductory Adult Mission Education Course, Stephen Gaulke

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

What are the educational needs of an adult layperson concerning world mission? What ought an introductory adult mission education study course attempt to teach? This thesis endeavors to answer the question in three chapters.

Chapter One articulates a concise theology of mission. Rooted in Scripture, especially the mission commands of the risen Savior, and drawing on the Apostles' Creed, The Book of Concord, and Martin Luther, Chapter One sketches the "who, what, where, when, why, and how" of God's mission.

Chapter Two surveys mission professionals to discover what they believe an introductory adult study course on world mission ought to …

Augustine’S Theology Of The Sacrament Of The Altar As Understood From His Theory Of “Signum” And “Res”, Leo Fuhr

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Augustine's Platonic way of thinking causes him to see the things of this world as signs that point to a world beyond. Within the context of this way of thinking, that is, from lower to higher, from outer to inner, from visible to invisible, from temporal to eternal, we will seek to analyze his theology of the sacrament. In order to do this, this paper will examine the terms siqnum and res as employed by Augustine in his theory of sign and in his definition of sacrament. That, in turn, may enable us to re late this theory to his …

Historiography Of The Lutheran Confessions In America, 1830-1930, Charles Arand

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In order to demonstrate the degree of impact that the attitudes of Lutherans toward their confessional writings had on the church of the nineteenth century, three distinct aspects of the scholarly writings will be examined. First, the attitude toward the subscription and application of the Confessions within the church will be examined. This will include both private writings and official church declarations. Secondly, the histories of the Confessions written by Lutherans necessarily focused on specific aspects to the exclusion of other elements. In that selectivity and interpretation is conveyed a particular attitude and value. Finally, the emphases and the ways …

A Survey Of Luther's Understanding Of The Proper Use Of Ratio In Theology As Found In The Lectures On Galatians (1519),On The Bondage Of The Will, And The Disputation Concerning Man, Kerry Reese

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this thesis is not to speculate regarding where this writer thinks Luther would stand today in the midst of the battles fought to give ratio its proper place in Christian theology. Instead, this writer finds merit in the practices of the Augustinian scholars of Luther's day, allowing an author's writings to speak for themselves when presenting another's point of view on a given subject.6That shall be the attempt of the following pages: to permit the primary sources themselves the opportunity to speak out on the topic of Luther's concept of the proper use of reason in knowing …

Contemporary Roman Catholic Approaches To Non-Christian Religions, Jacob A. Preus Iii

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this study is to explore, in greater detail, the final three stages in the evolution of Roman Catholic theology of religions. In order to do this, it will first be necessary to trace the historical background of the current Catholic approaches to non-Christian religions, from exclusive to inclusive ecclesiocentrism.

The Theology And Practice Of Individual Confession And Absolution And Its Application To Pastoral Care From An Early North American Lutheran Perspective, Breno C. Thome

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The two subjects of this study^ namely, pastoral care and Individual confession and absolution, have traditionally been seen as closely connected. Each has also a unique character. In this study both subjects will be focused on from the perspective provided by the historical analysis of their development within the Lutheran context, specifically that of North American Lutheranism in the nineteenth century. Pastoral care has been greatly developed, particularly in the area of pastoral counseling, in the last fifty years. This parallels the increasing development of the behavioral sciences in this century. The causes and consequences of such rapid growth in …

The Priesthood Of All Believers And The Theology Of Pietism, Breno Faber

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Pietism and pietistic emphases are becoming popular again because during the seventeenth and early eighteenth century the Pietists sought to revitalize Christianity in ways familiar to twentieth century Christians seeking to do the same. Pietism sought to foster a more vigorous personal and public piety among the people. They sought to improve the education of ministers in practical piety so that they might better guide and edify their people. They sought to encourage the reading of the Bible, Christian education of the youthful and the mature, demonstrated social concern and resposibility in their philanthropic enterprises, and embarked upon ambitious programs …

A Case Study In Ecumenical Methodology: Survey And Evaluation Of Post-Vatican Ii Roman Catholic/Protestant Solutions For Achieving Doctrinal Consensus Concerning The Marian Dogmas Of The Immaculate Conception And Bodily Assumption, Terence Groth

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In light of these developments it seems apparent that the church has a need to take cognizance of these methods and evaluate them to determine which, if any, are legitimate approaches to the problem of achieving doctrinal consensus in the church today. That, in short, is the burden of this study.

In the scope of this study the application of these methods to every major doctrinal obstacle now being tackled cannot be observed. Therefore, it was decided to focus attention upon one area of major disagreement which both Roman Catholics and Protestants agree is an obstacle which must be overcome …

Deus Absens-An Old Testament Judgment Motif, David Adams

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this study is to show that not only was the Deus Absens, the Absent God, an important part of Old Testament thought, but also that this motif was used by the various authors of the Old Testament as one means to express the judgment of God. This is not to say that every text in which God's absence is referred to must be understood as a judgment text. In some cases God's Absence is to be attributed to His transcendent nature rather than to His judgment. This is particularly true of the many passages in the Psalms …

The Ordination Of Women As Deacons In Conservative Presbyterian Churches, Michael Roy Marcey

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The Church has not acted in such a way so as to respond constructively and progressively to the concerns of women for more freedom and opportunities. Today it finds itself engrossed in a heated debate. Yet, the Church has the opportunity and responsibility in our day to speak with sensitivity and clarity to the current discussions. This will involve affirming the value and significance of women and their g1f~ for the Church. It will also involve a careful examination of its practices and policies to insure that women are full participants in the ministry of the Gospel. This thesis is …

The Mediation Of The Spirit Through The Word: A Critical Analysis Of The Theology Of Theodore Jungkuntz In The Light Of The Lutheran Confessions, Timothy Maschke

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

A critical analysis of any theology can be presumptuous at worst; unnecessary at best. This study was undertaken a number of years ago as the writer struggled to determine the critical area where the charismatic movement touches Lutheran theology most sensitively. To start with a premise that the Lutheran charismatic movement is heretical (as a few writers have assumed) did not seem scholarly or fair. To impose Lutheran terminology on charismatic and nee-Pentecostal concepts seemed equally unsound. After observing the growing pains of the Lutheran charismatic movement, the writer became aware that a study of one area--the mediation of the …

Billy Graham’S Theology Of Conversion In The Light Of The Lutheran Confessions, Wilhelm Stoll

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The broad aim of the author was therefore to prepare a comprehensive summary of Graham's theology of conversion and to offer a comparative and critical analysis of it in the light of the Lutheran Confessions. The aim was not to deal specifically with the obvious question of the sacraments and their serious omission from his theology. In any case, the study was to be based only on Graham's own published writings, and they hardly refer to the sacraments. The more specific goal within the broader context that had to be considered was to discover and come to grips with the …

A Beauty Walk A Systematic Compendof Navajo Theology, Walter Snyder

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The doctrine of god will itself be the subject of five chapters. These five chapters will treat the subjects of: The First God; The Former Gods; The Latter Gods; The Present Gods; and, Demonology. There was a serious question whether the last two chapters should come under the doctrine of god or not. The first thought was that they should be under the separate categories of angelology and demonology since they both dealt with spirits. However, in both instances these are spirits that are worshipped. Therefore, the final decision was that they should properly go under the doctrine of god. …

The Cosmic Powers In Paul’S Theology, Ebong Sam Ukpong

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This thesis deals with neither the meaning of the terms nor with the exegesis of the passages in which these terms are found. Nor shall we attempt to re-interpret or relate what Paul said about "cosmic powers" to the modern thought-forms. The purpose of this work is rather to examine, first of all, the terms employed by Paul to describe the forces of evil in the light of his own Jewish background. We shall not be concerned so much with the question: What does Paul mean? as with the query: Where did Paul get the terms and ideas for what …

The Concept Of Marriage As Found In Doctrine And Covenants, Section 132:1-33 And Matt. 19:3-8 And 22:23-30: A Comparison Of Latter-Day Saint And Biblical Teachings, Thomas Burton

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose in writing this thesis is to attempt to objectively clarify and evaluate the Latter-day- Saint interpretation and application of the doctrinal revelation of marriage for eternity to determine whether it is biblical. The thesis will be divided into three major parts: Part I: The Latter-day Saint Concept of Marriage for Eternity as Derived From Doctrine and Covenants 132:1-33 and Matt. 19:3-8 and 22:23-30: Part II, The Biblical Concept of Marriage Based on Matt. 19:3-8 and 22:23-30; and Part III: A Comparison and Evaluation: of Latter-day Saint and Biblical Concepts of Marriage and Its State After Death.