Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Culture Of Magic In Ancient Egypt And Its Impact On Ancient Israel, Christopher Matthew Jenkins

Master's Theses

Problem

The relationship between Egypt and the Levant spans thousands of years, resulting in many cultural exchanges. Of Egypt’s cultural influences in the Levant, magic has been the least studied. Therefore, this thesis is an introductory study that will present the influence of Egyptian magic in ancient Israel. The corpus of magical artifacts recovered from Israelite sites comes from the Iron Age.

Method

This thesis intends to be a comparative study of the understanding of magic among the Egyptians and Israelites by analyzing biblical texts and ritual objects recorded in the archaeological record. The main methodology used to conduct this …

A Study Of The Multi-Faceted Impact Of The Second Vatican Council Upon Catholicism And Beyond, Constantin Valentin Popescu

Master's Theses

The Topic

The research analyzes the development of Catholicism in the 20th century. After the First Vatican Council (1868-1870) and the promulgation of the dogma of papal infallibility and papal primacy, the Roman Catholic Church lost much credibility and influence with Christianity, becoming increasingly isolated from the developing modern world. In this situation, Catholicism needs a revival, a reconfirmation of its long-lost authority. On the other hand, knowing that the Roman Catholic Church fulfills a very important role in biblical prophecies, we will observe, in this study, an adaptation of Catholicism to the modern world precisely to regain its credibility. …

Paul's Attitude Towards Empire, Matthew Kwabena Appiah

Master's Theses

The concept of imperialism has come to stay in the study of Paul and his letters. However, does contextual analysis of his selected texts support such claims of him being anti-imperial? Various arguments arise to challenge Paul to have used hidden codes and imperial ideology to counter the imperial propaganda of the Roman empire of his day. However, contextual analysis of Paul and his letters suggest otherwise. His pastoral care duties, coupled with a desire to win his natives, namely, the Jews, to accept Jesus Christ as the messiah prophesied in the Old Testament is key in his letters. Proponents …

The Theological And Biblical Significance Of Financial Resources In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Mihai Stoicescu

Master's Theses

The Topic

The research will present the evolution of the system of tithes and offerings, starting from biblical times to the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, as well as the theology behind it.

The Purpose

The purpose of the study is not only to discover the history and theology underlying the system of tithes and offerings, but also to emphasize the universal nature of this system.

The Source

The research involved both the consultation of specialized literature, as well as the study of primary written sources, in this case the available documents and archives regarding financial resources throughout the …

The Significance Of Hosea 13:11: A Study Of The Monarchy In Ancient Israel, Tuo Wang

Master's Theses

Problem

In Hosea 13:11, God said that "I gave you a king in My anger and took him away in My wrath." Why did God say that? What is the meaning of this expression? It is obvious that God expressed a negative view in this verse. Regarding the reason, why God held such an attitude, there are four common understandings: (1) because of the sins of the Israelites, (2) because the Israelites did not trust God in demanding a king for themselves, (3) because God wanted to give the Israelites a lesson in their disobedience, (4) because God denied the …

Three Miles Per Hour: Shifting From Performance To Heart Orientation Among Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors, Royce A. V. Odiyar

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the presence and impact of performance orientation among Seventh-day Adventist pastors. It identifies multiple factors involved in perpetuating performance orientation and includes strategies to shift from performance to heart orientation in life and pastoral ministry. Using a mixed-method design, this research collected qualitative data via focus groups and quantitative data via an online survey. There was a total of eight focus groups with thirty-three participants, and the online survey gathered fifty-one responses. Focus group participants and survey respondents included both men and women from North America who were ethnically diverse. The research revealed significant concerns regarding pastoral …

Factors That Influence The Believers In Monze Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church Of South Zambia Conference To Consult Diviners, Ian Chiinya

Master's Theses

Problem

Studies have shown that even after becoming Christians, African Christians maintain their traditional religious practices. Non-Christian studies in Zambia reveal that both Christian and non-Christian Zambians still combine biomedicine with sacred African traditional medicine. The goal of the current study is to identify the variables that lead Monze Central Church Seventh-day Adventist members to consult diviners.

Method

Sections one and two of a questionnaire were created to collect information on the variables that affect going to a diviner. To assess the role and self-efficacy of local church elders in assisting members who have been impacted by demonic spiritual forces, …

Adventist Culture In The Ussr, Dmitrii Fokin

Master's Theses

Any religion, including Christianity, is not only a system of beliefs and doctrines, but also patterns of behavior that make up a certain culture of its followers. The degree of development of religious culture and involvement in it largely determines the self-identification of members of communities of various denominations. It can be expressed through the following markers: everyday behavior, the presence of specific vocabulary, the formation of oral, musical, visual and written creativity of a particular religious movement. This is true of Seventh-day Adventist culture as well.

Statement of the Problem

However, to date there is no full-fledged study on …

An Analysis Of The Methods Of Interpretation Of The Leviticus 11 Dietary Laws In Second Temple And Early Christian Non-Canonical Sources, Ani Ionut Constantin

Master's Theses

Background of the Research

Numerous commentators and theologians have written in recent centuries about clean and unclean animals. These distinctions are also referred to as dietary laws, and they are found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. For example, Walter Houston wrote in 1993 in the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Supplement Series 140 about the prohibition, its explanation, and its implications; Vic Lockman extended the study through the New Testament in 1997 in his work The Dietary Laws of the Bible; and Jordan D. Rosenblum in 2016 in his work The Jewish Dietary Laws in the …

When God Gets Angry: Towards A Theology Of Divine Wrath, Lukas Daeubler

Master's Theses

Topic

One of the most significant concerns regarding the character and love of God is God’s wrath, especially in the Old Testament. For many, it is impossible to believe in a God who punishes and kills rather than a God who shows compassion and love for all people. They neglect either the violent parts of the Bible, since they seem to contradict the image of a loving God displayed in the Gospels. This of course directly questions the integrity of God and His word. As a response, some theologians have published papers on this topic, but many Christians and denominations …

The Removal Of Sin In Second Temple Jewish Literature, Odiaka Walker

Master's Theses

Problem

This thesis explored the Second Temple literary background of the concept that Jesus appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin, in Heb 9:26. As such, the research question which guided the paper was: what did Old Testament and Intertestamental writers believe about the removal of sin at the end of the ages? The answer to this question infers other questions: who would remove sin? From where would sin be removed? How was sin defined? How would sin be removed? When would sin be removed (are there time specifications involved)?

Method

The terms ἀφαιρέω, ἀφίημι, ἀπαλείφω, …

The Concept Of Truth In The Gospel Of John, Bastian Ogon

Master's Theses

Problem

The term ἀλήθεια, 'truth' is a frequently used term in the Gospel of John. The fundamental question of this paper is to discuss how truth is understood by John and if the Gospel of John conveys a specific concept of truth?

Method

The first part will briefly consider common philosophical concepts of truth, as well as epistemological issues connected to them. These approaches will be compared with John's truth concept. In the second part the most important passages where ἀλήθεια is used will be carefully analyzed exegetically, in order to understand the concept of ἀλήθεια in Johannine thought. The …

The Afterlife: An Exegetical And Theological Analysis Of Christ's Discourse In Luke 16: 19-31, Pop-Coman Ioan

Master's Theses

Problem

The parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus, in terms of its complexity and construction, is one of the most difficult decipherable parables that Jesus uttered during His time among men. With much tact, we will try to answer a question that has profound implications: Does the narrative in Luke 16: 19-31 support the existence of life after death?

Purpose

We carefully examine the Christ’s discourse in Luke 16: 19-31 in order to identify those suggestive parallels between this account of Jesus and the culture of the time, which would help us to decode more clearly both the …

The Casemate Wall System Of Khirbat Safra, Elizabeth Anne Emswiler

Master's Theses

Problem

A casemate wall system was found at Khirbat Safra in 2018 and 2019, which has been dated to early Iron Age I. However, no comprehensive study of Iron Age I casemate wall systems in Transjordan has been conducted. Therefore, this thesis will present and compare the findings from Kh. Safra and four other sites in Transjordan which have casemate wall systems dating to Iron Age I.

Method

A short study on the history of fortifications, casemate wall systems, and siege warfare was conducted for this thesis. The ruins from Fields A, B, C, and D at Kh. Safra were …

God, Time And The Sabbath: A Brief Historical-Theological Survey, Francis Gayoba

Master's Theses

Problem

This study takes Fernando Canale's work as a starting point, which has demonstrated that unbiblical philosophical presuppositions have undergirded many forms of Christian theology. Of specific interest to this thesis is the presupposition of divine timelessness or temporality, which may have consequences on various doctrines. This study examines the possible influence of these presuppositions on the meaning of the Sabbath, as seen in the writings of Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Andreas Carlstadt, Oswald Glaidt, Andreas Fischer, Nicholas Bownd, and Theophilus Brabourne. The problem this thesis addresses is whether an observable connection can be made …

Zechariah 9-14 In Light Of Allusions To The Sanctuary Motif In The Old Testament, Artur Boldt

Master's Theses

Topic

Zechariah 9-14 sheds additional light to the eschatological relevance of the sanctuary by emphasizing God’s presence among humankind. The sanctuary motif receives a vertical dimension by focusing on God’s original Sanctuary.

Purpose

Firstly, questions of introduction will be answered to give an overview of the material. In this context, the question of genre will be handled with special care. Then it will be defined how the concept of allusions is understood. This concept then will be applied to three different OT sanctuary references. Followed by an evaluation of these references. Afterwards different passages in Zech 9-14 will be examined …

The Influence Of Jesus' Approach To People Through "Teaching And Healing" On The Faith Of People In Jesus Christ And On Their Relationship To The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Armin Danz

Master's Theses

The problem underlying this study is the slow but steady decline in membership in the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Numerous missionary efforts in the past have not been able to change this trend. However, an approach that summarizes the work of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew has not been followed: Namely that Jesus taught people about the Kingdom of God and healed them through prayer. Both church historical sources and modern research suggest that wherever the biblical example of Jesus was followed closely it had a positive influence on the growth of churches. …

That They May All Be One: Historical And Contemporary Ideologies Of Regional Conferences In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Debbie-Ann Francis

Master's Theses

The Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church has been known for its wide diversity along with its struggles in racial relations within the Black SDA community in the United States. The SDA Church established regional conferences for Black SDA leaders as an alternative to full integration within the denomination. For this analysis, an ideological criticism was performed on two videos that focused on the topic of regional conferences. The hegemonic ideology that surfaced was that separation within the church organization based on race is necessary in order to fulfill the mission of the SDA Church and that issues such as racism will …

Towards A Biblical Spirituality: Dwelling With God Through The Exodus Sanctuary-Covenant Structure, Silvia Canale Bacchiocchi

Master's Theses

Problem

Biblical spirituality was challenged from the very start of the Christian church by competing spiritual ideologies of philosophical origins. Because the interpretation of spirituality has focused on exegetical and doctrinal approaches (micro and mesohermeneutical levels), the grounding biblical macro-hermeneutical level of its basic presuppositions has been ignored. Yet this is the level that gives ultimate meaning to the meso and micro levels. This oversight constitutes a giant roadblock to understanding and experiencing true biblical spirituality, the consequences of which are devastating both for the individual believer (Matt 7:23), as well as for the mission, unity, and growth of the …

God's Mercy And Justice In The Context Of The Cosmic Conflict, Romero Luiz Da Silva

Master's Theses

Problem

When it comes to the right balance concerning God’s character of mercy and justice in relation to His dealings with sin in its different manifestations, a number of theologians, as well as Christians in general, have struggled to harmonize the existence of these two attributes in all God’s actions toward sinners. This difficulty has led many to think of divine mercy and justice as attributes that cannot fit together in what is called the cosmic conflict between good and evil. This, therefore, demands a theological study based on Scripture as a whole to draw solid findings in response to …

The Mission And Role Of Women In Graeco-Roman And Judeo-Christian Contexts, Fabienne Liana Maslet

Master's Theses

The place of women in the world has changed and progressed in the past decades. When I was a young girl, women were not really valued in the Church and in the service for God. There were always excuses not to allow them to serve God and they were rejected in a lot of areas in the Church service. However, the worse thing is that frequently women are the ones who are belittling themselves, who denigrate themselves, who undermine themselves or the capacities that God gave them to be used in Church. This occurs because they had been educated this …

A Biblical Overview Of The Concept Of Fruit With An Emphasis On The "Fruit Of The Spirit" In Galatians 5, Timothy Selinger

Master's Theses

Problem

The topic of the Holy Spirit and especially the meaning of "being filled with the Spirit" is a relevant topic. Generally, it is thought to be related to miracles, healings, and explosive church growth among Adventists or to speaking in tongues and other manifestations, especially among Charismatic Christians. Few identify the fullness of the Spirit with holiness of character. In Paul, the presence of the Spirit in the life of the believer results in the presence of the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22). Just like an apple tree produces apples, a person filled with the Spirit will produce …

When Archaeology Interacted With The Bible: A Study Of The Search For The City Of Raamses Of Exodus 1:11 In The Searcher's Socio Political Context, Georg Filippou

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, I will research what a selected group of authors and scholars has stated regarding their search for the biblical city of Raamses. 3 This step will involve research of the motive of those researchers who attempted to match Raamses of Exod 1:11 with geographical locations in Egypt, to follow their search within the social and political context of these scholars. Second, based on these scholars’ research, I will attempt to discover what happened when Bible and archaeology interacted in the search for the city of Raamses.

The study begins with some pages …

Interpreting Philippians 2:12, 13 Using The Great Controversy Metanarrative, Sikhululekile Daco

Master's Theses

Problem

Philippians 2:12, 13 present two paradoxical statements in direct juxtaposition. Verse twelve is an appeal to work out one’s own salvation, whereas verse thirteen acknowledges that it is God who does the work. How could Paul comfortably hold both views and present them in such close juxtaposition? How can this apparent contradiction of concepts be reconciled?

Method

While specialization in any given discipline affords the opportunity for greater depth of understanding, each theological discipline may augment one’s interpretation of a text. Philippians 2:12, 13 poses some interpretive challenges that can be mitigated by broadening one’s exegetical methodology to incorporate …

A Narrative Analysis Of Genesis 3:1-7 And The Theological Significance Of The Serpent, Milton Gonzalez

Master's Theses

Problem

The Christian tradition of the Fall as it relates to Gen 3 is an interpretive construct that is foreign to the text and its immediate context. While scholars continue to view humanity and its fallen state as the central theme of the narrative, I suggest that such are but second to an even greater narrative—namely, a cosmic conflict between Elohim—the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the serpent.

Method

The first chapter of this study considers the traditional view of the temptation narrative (i.e. Gen 3:1-7) as the Fall of Man and suggests that the story of …

Servant Leadership: A Study About Organizational Health, Leadership Styles And Practices In Missao Bahia Sudoeste Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church And The Possible Relation Between The Ministerial Areas Low Engagement Level In The Small Groups Program, Osmar Borges Lima

Master's Theses

Problem

Due to the low engagement of the pastors of Missão Bahia Sudoeste (MBSo) in the Small Groups program as compared to other field within the União Leste Brasileira (ULB) it was decided to investigate the organizational health, the leadership practices and styles, as well as the job satisfaction on the part of the MBSo’s pastors.

Method

The study was conducted among 52 pastors who represented the three levels of leadership designated by the OLA research instrument (Top Leadership, Management and Work Force) which analyses the perception of the participants six key areas of leadership, as well as six levels …

Re-Entry Challenges: Comparison And Contrasts Between Korean And American Mks, Ok Kyung Ha

Master's Theses

Problem

Missionary Kids (MKs) have a different experience in the mission fields in terms of culture, language, and social adjustment when compared with their parents. They also face another challenge when they return to their parents’ home country, for they feel out of place and often do not think of their parents’ country as home. The purpose of this Masters thesis is to investigate the experience of MKs in the mission field, during re-entry, and to research the common elements or differences between Korean MKs and American MKs in their re-entry process.

Method

The research method used in this Masters …

The Motif Of The Messiah In Zechariah 9-14, Caroline Stanke

Master's Theses

Topic

Zechariah 9-14 is full of prophecies regarding the coming of the messiah. The Jews at the time of Jesus awaited a messiah different from the one that came but how so? Did they misunderstand the prophecies or, by any chance, were the prophecies not clear enough?

Purpose

Firstly, it will be given an overview of the Book of Zechariah. Then, the messianic prophecies in Zechariah 9-14 will be examined closer and how they fit into the context of the prophets, the book of Zechariah, and the different chapters. An analysis of the similarities and differences will be written afterwards. …

A Comparative Study Of Hermeneutical Approaches To The Seven Seals, Harold Novac

Master's Theses

Problem

From the beginnings God had a purpose with His prophetical messages to the world and we can see in the Bible clearly, that God always presented His prophetical messages in a certain order. A chronological method was favored by God. That is why from the beginnings, as Seventh-Day Adventists we believed that the best way to interpret the secrets of Revelation is through the historicist approach. Unfortunately this view is fading among scholars, even among SDA researchers.

Purpose

We are going to investigate why this is happening and we will show that historicism has a lot to say, even …

A Systems Theory Analysis Of The Goshen Seventh-Day Adventist Church's System Of Communication, Clavour R. Tucker

Master's Theses

Problem

The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is a complex and multilayered nonprofit organization (NPO), with carefully outlined policies and guidelines for almost every aspect of the organization. However, the philosophical or structural framework that guides communication within the organization is not clear. It is my hypothesis, having been a member and employee of the organization for almost 30 years, that not having such a structure has led to the creation of a fragmented culture of communication, which is observable in local congregations. This research assesses this phenomenon at the Goshen SDA Church, in Chicago, IL, and seeks to answer the …