Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Church, Sect, And Government Control, A History Of Seventh-Day Adventists In Austria, 1890-1975, Daniel Heinz

Dissertations

Seventh-day Adventism, a young American-based denomination, encountered strenuous opposition when it first reached Europe in the second half of the nineteenth century. This was especially true in Austria, where traditional allegiance to Roman Catholicism, linked with a strong emphasis on cultural continuity, constituted the tenor of social life.

Although the Adventist church has been present in Austria for almost a hundred years, its influence and size have remained insignificant. Baptists and Methodists have had the same disappointing experience. Austria is certainly one of the most difficult countries for evangelical mission outreach in Europe.

This dissertation not only describes the history …

An Evaluation Of Edward Heppenstall's Doctrine Of Redemption, Armando Juárez

Dissertations

One of the major problems in the study of the doctrine of redemption is that it has been linked to the cross while overlooking its etiological and eschatological perspectives. This has caused many to dissociate creation and redemption, leading to the acceptance of an evolutionistic approach to theology, and redemption and eschatology, leading to the mitigation of the connection of the two in the New Testament.

While other Christian traditions emphasize the atoning death of Christ, Adventist theology has tended to overemphasize its eschatological significance. Thus, in Adventism, there is need to present a more balanced view of redemption. Edward …

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 Process Of Developing And Implementing A Statement Of Mission In A Church-Owned Institution Using The De-Vau-Ge Gesundkostwerk As An Example, Wolfgang Manfred Witzig

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

An organization will only succeed if all its entities contribute to its purpose. With time these entities tend to develop their own objectives, sometimes counteracting the overall mission of the organization. Religious organizations especially seem to encounter this issue. This study examines, in an exemplary way, the purpose of a health-food factory that is owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Germany and attempts to rewrite their statement of mission.

Method

The project examines the historical background of the factory. It indicates the reasons that led to its founding and the changes that took place in the understanding of …

A Study Of Issues And Problems Women Face In Attempting To Pursue Careers In Educational Administration In Kenya, Bertha Kirigo Mutai

Dissertations

Problem

In Kenya, the majority of women in education occupy classroom teaching positions. Educational officers, in their hiring practices, appear to overlook women as resources, thereby depriving the schools of the skills and talents of potentially capable leaders. Students are also denied the role models of female leaders. This study investigates how difficult it is for women to secure professional careers in educational administration in Kenya.

Method

The population consisted of all the female teachers employed by the Ministry of Education in Kenya, and female Kenyan students in North American universities. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the …

A Spiritual Model For Recovery Of Pastors Suffering Burnout (The Pine Springs Retreat), Charles Martin Liu

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) pastors fill increasingly complex job expectations in the 1990s. Many pastors perceive they suffer from greater stressors than have any other generation of SDA pastors. Many claim burnout is hurting their job performance. It is the purpose of this study to measure the perceived levels of burnout among a cross section of SDA pastors in Southeastern California Conference of SDA (SECCSDA), plan and initiate an intervention to treat the symptoms of burnout, and analyze the effectiveness of the intervention.

Method

An original perception-test instrument was used to measure the perceived feelings of burnout among approximately eighty …

A Design For The Establishment Of A Resource Center For Pastoral Skills Development In The Carolina Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists: Based Upon A Pastoral Skills Needs Inventory, Ralph Arthur Hollenbeck

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem

The drop-out rate for pastors is and has been alarming. One reason for pastors leaving the ministry is their lack of opportunity and the knowledge of knowing where and how to enhance their pastoral skills. The objective of this project is to develop a design for the implementation of a resource center for pastoral skills development based upon a pastoral skills needs inventory.

Method

Methods used in this project varied. A research of literature was conducted. A personal interview with Mark Rouch resulted in the possession of the mailing list of the "Society for the Advancement of Continuing Education …

Humanist Reconceptualization Of The Dogmatic Marxist Concept Of Religion By Esad Ćimić, Radisa Antic

Dissertations

This study analyzes and evaluates the humanist reconceptualization of the dogmatic-Marxist concept of religion by the Yuqoslav philosopher Esad CimiC . The questions we address are:How did Cimic reshape the dogmatic Marxist criticism of religion? and What is the significance of this reshaping for both dogmatic Marxism and Christianity?

We beqin with the broad outlines of the concepts of metaphysics and epistemoloqy of both dogmatic and humanist Marxism because they provide the basic presuppositions for the understanding of the phenomenon of religion in Marxism. Then, we address those elements of Cimic's life and philosophy which define him as a man …

The Empirical Development Of An Instructional Product For The Training Of Seventh-Day Adventist Literature Evangelists, Randy C. Horning

Dissertations

Problem. This study addressed the training needs of SDA literature evangelists through an empirically developed curriculum.

Method. The instructional product development method of Baker and Schutz (1971) served as the basis for this research. After the need for the product was established, a series of behavioral objectives was written. The criteria for evaluation of the behavioral objectives were obtained from current sales literature as it applied to the work of literature evangelists. Additionally, a study of training literature was reviewed for methods to increase the effectiveness of the training seminar. The curriculum was presented in the form of a …

Religion, Culture, And Modernity : Some Missiological Implications Of The Process Of Secularization In East Asia, Gan-Theow Ng

Dissertations

This study investigates the outcome of the process of secularization in three modernized urban Chinese societies in East Asia and seeks to describe the resultant patterns of change and continuity. Some missiological implications are drawn from the findings of the investigations. Chapter 1 is an account of the historical development of secularization in Western societies and the effects of secularization on religion, society, and the individual. The focus in chapter 2 is on worldview and worldview change and the functions of these in the process of secularization. A five-part theoretical paradigm of the traditional Chinese worldview analyzed vis-à-vis the themes, …

Ecclesiology In Dialogue : A Critique Of The Understanding Of The Nature Of The Church In The Thought Of G. C. Berkouwer, Bruce Norman

Dissertations

This dissertation deals with the concept of the nature of the church in the thought of G. C. Berkouwer as indicated in the following chapter sketches. Chapter 1 briefly outlines the historical and theological development of thought about the nature of the church, her function, and the interrelationship of the two. The most revelant elements of the church's nature are identified, described, and analyzed in both Roman Catholic and Reformed thought. Chapter 2 presents biographical, methodological, and theological backgrounds of Berkouwer. These provide the framework within which one must understand Berkouwer's view of the nature of the church. Chapter 3 …

Spiritual Formation: A Program To Be Incorporated Into The Theological Education Curriculum At Solusi College, Zimbabwe, Zacchaeus Abram Mathema

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. The problem addressed by this developmental project is inadequate spirituality among Adventist ministers in Zimbabwe as observed by the researcher and expressed by other colleagues in the ministry. The study pursued is not simply academic, but is designed to meet the need for enhanced spirituality in the lives and practice of Adventist ministers in Zimbabwe, and is to be tested and refined by use in an actual program of ministerial formation.

Method. The study is developed in three stages as follows: First:, it investigates appropriate forms of spirituality as they are revealed and alluded to in the New Testament …

Implementing And Evaluating A Model Of Pastoral Counseling In A Church District, Don Miller

Professional Dissertations DMin

The Topic

Programs in my churches do not seem to be helping members that have ongoing problems. It is important to find ways to resolve problems to help people and thus help prevent their leaving the church.

The Purpose

The purpose of this project was to implement and evaluate a systematic approach to pastoral counseling in the setting of a church district. It also purposed to develop a theology/philosophy of counseling and to adapt a counseling model, using it in working with church members. Positive changes were expected, evidenced by changes from negative behavior patterns. Another goal was to learn …

A Manual For Sda Ministers Of South Brazil To Train The Laity In Understanding How To Evangelize Roman Catholic Basic Ecclesial Communities, Jose Miranda Rocha

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. Roman Catholic Basic Ecclesial Communities in Brazil have been a socio-religious phenomenon during more than two decades. As militant Catholics, members of the communities share four fundamental premises, i.e., a new way of seeing reality, a new way of being the Church, a new way of approaching Scripture, and a new way of doing mission. These premises challenge Seventh-day Adventists to develop new strategies when attempting to evangelize Basic Ecclesial Community membership. To date, no specific study by SDAs addresses the evangelization of Basic Ecclesial Community members. This raises the question of how Basic Ecclesial Communities can be evangelized. …

A Health-Education Program For Seventh-Day Adventists In Japan Based On The Dynamics Of Psychosomatic Relationships, Keith Yoskikazu Watanabe

Professional Dissertations DMin

Problem. Current interest in health caused by a recent increase in information on the intimate relationship between degenerative diseases and lifestyle presents a challenge to Seventh-day Adventists in Japan, who have been entrusted with the health-reform message. A lack of proper health education programs based on a holistic understanding of the human person led the author to study the Biblical, philosophical, and scientific data relevant to the psychosomatic relationship and to design a health education program to be implemented by the SDAs in Japan.

Method. Scriptural study on psychosomatic relationships was attempted with exegetical study of seven selected passages, viz., …