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The Book Of Joshua: Its Theme And Use In Discussions Of The Israelite Conquest And Settlement And The Relationship Of Archaeology And The Bible, David Merling Sr.

Dissertations

Problem. It has been suggested that the biblical account of the Israelite conquest of Canaan and the archaeological data are incompatible. This study evaluates the five main Israelite settlement theories and reevaluates the Book of Joshua as it relates to archaeology.

Method. Chapter 1 surveys the five archaeological theories of the Israelite emergence in Canaan. Chapter 2 critiques each theory. Chapter 3 examines the Book of Joshua from an archaeological and thematic perspective. Chapter 4 highlights presuppositions that have been brought to the archaeological data and the Book of Joshua. Chapter 5 uses the discussions of chapters 2, 3, and …

The Background And Meaning Of The Sealed Book Of Revelation 5, Ranko Stefanović

Dissertations

The primary task of this study was to determine the background of the sealed βιβλίον of Rev 5 and its meaning and significance in its literary context.

The historical survey shows that the interpretation of the sealed βιβλίον has undergone significant modifications in the course of time. The earliest documented Patristic references to Rev 5:1-5 indicate that the early church interpreted the sealed βιβλίον most likely in the context of the exaltation of the resurrected Christ as the eschatological sovereign. From the third century on, however, numerous studies regarding the contents and meaning of the sealed βιβλίον have led to …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Creation Concepts And Themes In The Book Of Psalms, Gnanamuthu S. Wilson

Dissertations

This descriptive analysis provides a comprehensive and wholistic view of Creation in the Book of Psalms. It is viewed in the background of the rest of the Creation material found in the Old Testament and the ancient Near Eastern religious records. Hermeneutics and analytic induction have helped to create a synthesis of major concepts and themes about Creation.

After an introductory overview of the three categories of documents (chapter 1), a literature review on the Psalms (chapter 2) analyzes eleven major studies on Creation, then seven studies of individual Psalms, plus five minor studies. None of these provides acomprehensive, wholistic …

Scripture In The Theologies Of W. Pannenberg And D. G. Bloesch: An Investigation And Assessment Of Its Origin, Nature, And Use, Frank Hasel

Dissertations

Scripture has played an authoritative role in Christian theology for centuries and has been at the heart of Protestant theology from its beginning. The rise of modern historical criticism, however, has led to a crisis at this very foundation of Protestant theology. In this context this dissertation seeks to set forth, analyze, compare, and evaluate theconcept of Scripture in the theologies of two contemporary Protestant systematic theologians who represent significantly different concepts of Scripture: Wolfhart Pannenberg and Donald G. Bloesch.

Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction, delineates the objectives, research methodology, and delimitations of the study. This is followed in …

The Signs Of The Parousia: A Diachronic And Comparative Study Of The Apocalyptic Vocabulary Of Matthew 24:27-31, Ki Kon Kim

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to find continuity and discontinuity in the use of the apocalyptic vocabulary in Matt 24:27-31 with that of the apocalyptic literature by tracing its possible literary allusions or parallels.

Chapter 1 states the problems concerning Matt 24:27-31, as well as the purpose and limitation of the study; reviews relevant literature; describes methodology and procedures used; and surveys the ancient sources which witness to the apocalyptic traditions which may be assumed to be related to the passage.

Chapter 2 explores the term "Parousia" in order to grasp the meaning of the Matthean Parousia because it …

Microstructural Analysis Of Revelation 4-11, Ekkehardt Müller

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to carry out a microstructural analysis of Rev 4-11 which is one of the essential procedures in an accurate exegesis of the Apocalypse.

Chapter 1 of this study deals with the method of analysis. A brief review of literature is presented. The study of modern contributions to the macrostructure and especially to the microstructure of the Apocalypse paves the way for a description of the present investigator's methodology.

The second chapter concentrates on the syntactical display of Rev 4-11. First, a detailed description of sigla and other techniques is given to allow the reader …

The Sodom/Egypt/Babylon Motif In The Book Of Revelation, Edwin Earl Reynolds

Dissertations

This study observes in the book of Revelation the motif of a Great City which was variously characterized as Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon. It sets out to determine the significance of this characterization by tracing the Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon traditions in the OT, the NT, and the relevant extrabiblical literature. Then it seeks to learn how John used the motif throughout the book of Revelation and to understand the implications of the motif for John's theology.

Chapter 1 is an introduction to the dissertation, to the book of Revelation, and to the literature relevant to the dissertation.

Chapter 2 …

The Composition Of Tripolar Announcement Stories In The Gospel Of Mark, Hans-Otto Reling

Dissertations

In the Gospel of Mark one finds narratives with three main characters. These stories, which belong to the category of pronouncement stories, I call tripolar pronouncement stories. These narratives have not been recognized, nor has their significance been examined.

I utilize in my study the principles of narrative criticism. Subsequently, I analyze the eight tripolar pronouncement stories of the Gospel of Mark according to the plot, characters, setting, and rhetoric of the story.

The tripolar pronouncement stories that can be identified in the Gospel of Mark are: (1) Mark 2:1-12 (The Healing of the Paralytic), (2) Mark 2:15-17 (Jesus' Company …

An Investigation Of The Chronology Of Daniel 9:24-27, Brempong Owusu-Antwi

Dissertations

This study attempted to investigate the chronological issues of Dan 9:24-27. Its main objective was to provide an interpretation based on textual, linguistic, literary, grammatical-syntactical, structural, and contextual study of the major terms and expressions in Dan 9:24-27.

Chapter 1 surveys the chronological interpretations of Dan 9:24-27. Four major schools of interpretation emerged (Historicist-Messianic Interpretation, Historical-Critical Interpretation, Futurist-Dispensational Interpretation, Historical-Critical Interpretation, Futurist-Dispensational Interpretation, and Symbolic-Amillennialist Interpretation) under the main categories of continuous and noncontinuous interpretations. Major chronological issues emerged from these interpretations and set the stage for this study.

Chapter 2 examines major Hebrew expressions and terms that affect chronology …

The Eschatological Judgment In Job 19:21-29 : An Exegetical Study, Gordon E. Christo

Dissertations

Practically all scholars today acknowledge the juridical features of the book of Job. The purpose of this study is to identify the legal event that Job is understood to believe would take place in the eschaton.

Chapter 1 first analyzes the significance of the place of our passage in the structure of the book. Job 19 is found to be the center of a structurally balanced composition. Further study of structure reveals that v s s . 25-27b can be viewed as: (1) the heart of the chiasm in 19:21-29, (2) the node of that speech, and (3) a pivot …

The Definition And Function Of Markan Intercalation As Illustrated In A Narrative Analysis Of Six Passages, Tom Shepherd

Dissertations

Intercalation of stories is a stylistic feature of the Gospel of Mark which has been recognized in scholarly research since the early twentieth century. However, two problems have not been satisfactorily solved in relation to intercalation in Mark. The first is obtaining a focused definition of this storytelling pattern. The second is to explain its function in the Markan story.

The purpose of the current research was to resolve these two questions by a narrative analysis of six passages commonly accepted as illustrating intercalation. The six passages are Mark 3:20-35; 5:21-43; 6;7-32; 11:12-25; 14:1-11; and 14:53-72. These passages were each …

The Latter Days And The Time Of The End In The Book Of Daniel, Gerhard Pfandl

Dissertations

This study attempts to investigate the two temporal expressions be'aharit hayyamim (the latter days) and cet qes (the time of the end) in the book of Daniel. Its main objective is to determine the precise meanings ofthese phrases and the relationship between them.

Chapter 1 presents an historical review of literature on the expression "the latter days" and "the time of the end." The four major schools of interpretation (Historical-critical, Preterist, Historicist, Futurist-dispensational) and their understanding of these phrases are outlined and the great divergence of opinions among scholars concerning them is noted. Furthermore, the issues and problems …

Clark H. Pinnock's Shift In His Doctrine Of Biblical Authority And Reliability, An Analysis And Critique, Ray C. Roennfeldt

Dissertations

This study investigates Clark H. Pinnock's shift in his doctrine of biblical authority and reliability.

A brief introduction, delineating the objectives, method, and delimitations of the study, is followed by an historical survey of developments inregard to biblical authority and reliability from the sixteenth century onwards. There were few doubts regarding scriptural authority and veracity until the rise of English Deism, biblical criticism, and religious liberalism. The resulting demolition of the traditional view of Scripture was protested by Fundamentalism, then by evangelicalism. Contemporary evangelicals, however, reveal little uniformity in regard to the doctrine of Scripture. Pinnock's own role in the …

The Resurrection Motif In Hosea 5:8-6:6: An Exegetical Study, Bertrand C. Pryce

Dissertations

This study investigates Hos 5:8-6:6 in an attempt to discover the mode and function of the resurrection motif. Chapter 1 surveys the interpretation of Hos 5:8-6:6 since the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. Previous discussion of this passage, notwithstanding a few careful exegetical and pointed treatments, is in the main cursory, not comprehensive and detailed, or engages in alteration of the MT. The studies reviewed support either a healing, historical/political, or resurrection viewpoint of Hos 6:1-3. These conclusions are for the most part not buttressed by a detailed and close scrutiny of each verse and similar contexts …

The Function Of Christ's Suffering In I Peter 2:21, Madelynn Jones-Haldeman

Dissertations

Problem. The phrase "because Christ also suffered for you" in 1 Peter 2:21b has been interpreted to suggest the vicarious death of Christ. The problem posed by this understanding results from the comparison made between Christ and the slaves who are invited to follow Christ's example. Therefore this study sought to determine the function of Christ's suffering in 1 Peter 2:21b and the nature of the example left to the slaves.

Method. The Greek grammar and literary style of the pericope were analyzed; documents that discussed the slave-master relationship in the first centuries B.C. and A.D. were studied; and books, …

The Problem Of Synoptic Relationships In The Development And Testing Of A Methodology For The Reconstruction Of The Matthean Community, Robert K. Mciver

Dissertations

Problem. The problem faced in this study was to discover a method of obtaining data concerning the Matthean community in a way that does not pre-suppose a solution to the problem of Synoptic relationships. To find such a methodology has become desirable because of the recent reopening of the question of Synoptic relationships.

Method. By comparing the Synoptic Gospels it is possible to detect patterns of differences between them. Particularly helpful is the material unique to the Gospel of Matthew. This is examined to discover the characteristic emphases of the Gospel. Further investigation showed that the sequences of events were …

Protection And Reward: The Significance Of Ancient Midrashic Expositions On Genesis 15:1-6, Aecio E. Cairus

Dissertations

Genesis 15:1-6, because of its content, provides singular opportunities for the study of ancient midrashic documents. This kind of study is being increasingly performed, and has interest from a theological, historical and--especially--exegetical viewpoint.

Chapter 1 attentively analyzes the treatment of the entire unit in midrashic documents (Jubilees, Genesis Apocryphon, Philo, Josephus, the Targumim, and Genesis Rabbah), identifies their individual theological and exegetical concerns, and shows their progression over time. The most ancient ones are found to emphasize the covenantal aspects of the passage, while later documents stress the eschatological reward of Abraham as a fruit of his good works.

Chapter …

The Vision Of Daniel 8 : Interpretations From 1700 To 1900, Samuel Núñez

Dissertations

This study attempts to trace the history of the interpretation of the vision of Dan 8, particularly its five animal symbols, the temporal phrase of the 2300 "evening-mornings," and three cultic expressions, from about 1700 to 1900. The main objective is to discover different interpretations, the exegetical and/or historical arguments that were offered, and the approaches that were used.

In the period 1700 to 1800, interpreters of the preterist and historicist schools were more involved in the interpretation of Dan 8 than any other school of interpretation. It was in this century that the traditional historicist view of the little …

Allusions, Exegetical Method, And The Interpretation Of Revelation 8:7-12, Jon Paulien

Dissertations

This dissertation attempts to overcome a significant obstacle to the development of a comprehensive exegetical method that can enable an interpreter to unlock the meaning of such difficult apocalyptic passages as Rev 8:7-12.

The first chapter utilizes a survey of previous research to explore four issues whose resolution is vital to the interpretation of the book of Revelation: (1) the sources of the Apocalypse, (2) how the Revelator used them, (3) the language and text tradition of the Old Testament that he used, and (4) the nature and location of his allusions to earlier literature. The literature survey indicates that …

Impeccability In 1 John: An Evaluation, Leon Eloy Wade

Dissertations

The First Epistle of John confronts us with a dilemma which, since its inception, has challenged many students of the Bible. On the other hand, the Christian must not deny his sinfulness -- for which, however, there is a ready solution in the expiation wrought by Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the one who abides in God and is born of him does not sin and, indeed, cannot sin.

Many solutions, discussed and evaluated in chapter 1 have been attempted to harmonize this apparent contradiction. Though some are more satisfying than others, a common weakness exhibited among them all …

The Heavenly Court Scene Of Revelation 4-5, R. Dean Davis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to interpret the heavenly court scene of Rev 4-5 through a thematic analysis of the passage. Little detailed study has been done to demonstrate the significance of the passage in its totality or its significance for the early chapters of Revelation. Scholars have noted parallels between Revelation and the Old Testament, but only recently have they begun to recognize the major impact of the Old Testament concept of covenant on Revelation. The research approach for this study is thematic m nature, with exegesis as a necessary tool. Chapter 1 establishes Rev 4-5 as a …

The Jephthah Traditions : A Rhetorical And Literary Study In The Deuteronomistic History, Dale Sumner Dewitt

Dissertations

The literature on Judges reveals a growing body of insights into its structure and arrangement, and the social dynamics and theology of the eras of its events and (later) composition. At the same time, there is continual search for greater understanding of these features of the book. Rhetorical criticism furnishes a promising approach to discovering the structure of the Jephthah stories, when used with genre-identification aspects of form criticism. The five Jephthah narratives are a loosely integrated, but symmetrically arranged sequence. The first and fifth narratives are rhetorically designed to pair with each other; the second and fourth are similarly …

The Son Of The Morning And The Guardian Cherub In The Context Of The Controversy Between Good And Evil, Jose M. Bertoluci

Dissertations

Problem. Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:12-19 have been used, since the times of the Church Fathers, to explain the origin of sin in the universe, and interpreted as depicting the fall of Satan from heaven. However, through the years--especially from the end of the nineteenth century and on--theologians have affirmed that those passages report historical events, making use of mythological material in their narratives; and therefore have not to do with the origin of sin or Satan. It is the aim of this dissertation to verify these claims.

Method and Results. Chapter 1 reviews the interpretations of the passages from …

The Meaning Of Telos In Romans 10:4, Robert Badenas

Dissertations

This study attempts to resolve the ambiguity surrounding the meaning of ‘telos’ in Rom 10:4 and to provide philological criteria for the understanding of this term.

Chapter I indicates clearly that a considerable shift has occurred in the history of the interpretation of ‘telos’ in Rom 10:4. The early church and the Reformers understood this verse in a teleological/completive sense: as a statement of the fulfillment of the law in Christ in a prophetic as well as purposive signification. However, since the post-Reformation era and particularly since the nineteenth century the terminal/temporal/antinomian interpretations have prevailed. Rom 10:4 has been generally …

Poor And Rich In The Epistle Of James: A Socio-Historical And Exegetical Study, Pedrito U. Maynard-Reid

Dissertations

This investigation attempts to break further away from the parochialism in dealing with the Epistle of James--moving away from the purely literary and theological orientation, and paying more attention to the social milieu out of which the document arose and how the ethos of the community impinged upon the thought of the writer.

Socially oriented studies in NT scholarship are not new. Since the 1930s, however, this emphasis has been largely neglected until its recent revival. Chapter I shows that the greatest problem with social orientation in NT studies is finding a satisfactory method. The majority of scholars who are …

Galatians As Dialogical Response To Opponents, Bernard Hungerford Brinsmead

Dissertations

This thesis seeks to discover the center of Galatians, its unique theological statement, by approaching the question from the perspective of the dialogical nature of the letter as a piece of literature, and the theology of the opponents with which it is dialogical. The context of a piece of literature is essential to its being understood. When a letter is as obviously disputative as is Galatians, a vital part of that context must be the opponents who have called it forth. The review of literature reveals that the identity of the opponents in Galatia remains "problematic." Two things in particular …

The Apocalyptic "Son Of Man" In Daniel 7, Arthur J. Ferch

Dissertations

This investigation studies the identity and nature of the manlike figure in Dan 7:13-14 (hereafter referred to as SM). In the first chapter we reviewed the interpretations of the SM in Jewish and Christian literature since the beginning of the second century of our era and noted that with the exception of the seventeenth century study by Carpzov, discussion of the Danielic figure was limited to passing comments. Throughout this period the SM was interpreted mainly messianically or christologically. During the nineteenth century more substantial inquiries attempted to find answers to the identity and nature of the manlike being primarily …

The Literary Structure Of The Genesis Creation Story, Jacques Doukhan

Dissertations

Exegetical research on Gen 1 has been characterized since the 18th century essentially by a diachronic concern. Thus the Documentary hypothesis and the so-called Tatbericht-Wortbericht theory have been the two main starting points of any relevant scholarly study of this text. Recently, under the influence of contemporary literary studies, attention has been drawn to the validity of the synchronic approach, and more and more scholars have thus become aware of the importance of the liteary structure of this text. The latter has been dissociated from the thematic distribution of motifs; this tension has been explained in terms of different sources, …