Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Conductor’S And Performer’S Guide To Steven Bryant’S Concerto For Alto Saxophone, Chester Jenkins

Faculty Dissertations

The purpose of this work is to examine the history and compositional elements of Steven Bryant’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble, as well as to provide analysis and performance considerations for the work. The personal and idiosyncratic nature of the composition is important to understand for an effective performance of the concerto. Bryant drew upon limited material for creation of the composition, and an understanding of these elements will help provide a clearer conception of the work for both the performer and conductor. A realization of these factors have been derived from an analysis of the concerto, as …

"Let Every Soul Be Subject": Northern Evangelical Understandings Of Submission To Civil Authority, 1763-1863, Robert J. Clark

Faculty Dissertations

Evangelical Christians represented a growing and influential subset of American Protestantism in the northern colonies of British America at the time of the War for Independence. Almost a century later, when southern states chose to secede from the Union, evangelical Christianity embodied the most vital expression of American religion, having been widely spread across the nation by decades of revivals. Central to their faith was a commitment to the authority of the Bible in every area of life, including political life. The New Testament seemed to command Christians to obey civil authorities. So, why did northern evangelicals overwhelmingly support the …

Case Study Of An English Program In A Multi-Ethnic Chinese Context: Feasibility Of Genred Task Instructional Approaches And Implications For Teacher Development, Merideth Hoagland Pitts

Faculty Dissertations

The current study examines the feasibility of task- and genre-based instruction in an English program located in an under-examined region of the People’s Republic of China (P.R.C.), a demographically diverse setting to the far west of the developed coastal region. The study investigates how and to what extent genred task instruction (GTI), an innovative construct harmonizing SLA and genre-pedagogical recommendations, is implemented in this setting, considering local stakeholders’ perspectives with respect to local dynamics. The study further attempts to determine the nature of the teacher support in the target context, considering what additional support might be necessary to sustain GTI …

The Desecration And Restoration Of The Temple As An Eschatological Motif In The Tanach, Jewish Apocalytic Literature, And The New Testament, John Randall Price

Faculty Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Students' Perception Of Biblical Community Within The Environment Of Digital Media: A Mixed Methods Study, Matthew Alan Vander Wiele

Faculty Dissertations

This study is an examination of teen perception regarding their understanding of biblical community within the environment of digital media. The study also examines the principles, essentials, or characteristics of biblical community regardless of environment.

The researcher surveyed a sample of teens that attend classical, open enrollment, and closed enrollment Christian schools of various denominations as well as no denomination. A survey presenting a list of the essential principles of biblical community, regardless of environment, including questions for each objective was sent to the sample. The respondents were asked to participate in a quantitative Lickert-scale survey. An expert panel was …

The Representation Of God In First Corinthians 8-10: Understanding Paul In The Context Of Wisdom, Philo, And Josephus, Trent A. Rogers

Faculty Dissertations

The interpretation of 1 Cor 8-10 is complicated by several factors. Scholars have noted the apparent contradictions in the text (primarily an issue within ch. 8) and also the remarkable changes in Paul's tone (primarily an issue with how 10:1-22 relates to 8:1-13 and 10:23-11:1). I argue that Paul consistently prohibits Christians from eating food sacrificed to idols; by appealing first to their obligation to love other believers and then to their obligation of exclusive faithfulness to Christ. What has largely been overlooked is the way that these arguments are made on the basis on one's understanding of God and …

A Mixed-Methods Study Of The Variables That Influence Florida Southern Baptists' Affirmation Of The Inerrancy Of The Bible, David A. Mcgee

Faculty Dissertations

The culmination of the resurgence within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) was finalized by adopting the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (BFM 2000). The SBC had discovered in the 1970s and 1980s that belief in the inerrancy of the Bible was not being affirmed by their leadership, particularly within their six seminaries. After a twenty plus year battle, the SBC attempted to affirm in more precise language the inerrancy of the Bible through the BFM 2000. However, this raises the question, how has this firm commitment to the inerrancy of the Bible, as affirmed by the leadership, translated to the …

Best Practices For Online Theological Ministry Preparation: A Delphi Method Study, John Cartwright

Faculty Dissertations

This doctoral thesis intended to provide a clear vision of best practices in the area of online theological ministry training at the graduate level by consulting experts in the field. The research question that needed to be answered was, “What are the best practices for ministry preparation in online theological education?”

Despite tremendous growth in online learning even among theological institutions, casual observations suggest that the decision to offer online programs may not always have been rooted in deep pedagogical or theological reflection. In other words, in the quest to utilize online education as a viable option for degree preparation, …

What Are The Key Competencies, Qualities, And Attributes Of The African American Municipal Police Chief?, Patrick Oliver

Faculty Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to identify and understand the dimensions of leadership of those African Americans, who are effective as the chief executive officer (CEO) of a municipal law enforcement agency, and thereby to educate and inform both those aspiring to be police chiefs and those presently serving as police chiefs, particularly African Americans. Four content areas were examined to gain a better understanding of the research question: (1) Police executive leadership literature; (2) African American leadership; (3) The trait theory of leadership; (4) emotional intelligence. Study participants were all African American police chiefs with the expertise and …

The Forgiving Family: Effects Of A Parent-Led Forgiveness Program On Mental And Relational Health, Chad Magnuson

Faculty Dissertations

This study appraises the effects of a parent-led forgiveness intervention on mental health and relationship variables for parents and their third grade children (ages 8-9) in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In this study, parents in the experimental group (n = 5) used a curriculum guide to teach forgiveness to their children, while the control parents (n = 5) participated in art activities with their children. Statistical analyses demonstrated a significant increase in interpersonal forgiveness of an offender for parents who taught forgiveness to their child. No significant between-group differences were revealed for other mental health and relationship variables, either for children …

Living Through The Tension: Religion And Public Policy In The Thought Of Gilbert Meilaender, Mark W. Foreman

Faculty Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine and evaluate the position of Gilbert Meilaender on the appropriateness of appealing to religious reasons as support for one's position on issues of public policy. The dissertation establishes that, while Meilaender often discusses public policy issues directly or indirectly from a distinctively Christian perspective, he argues that such discussions are unavoidable, appropriate and consistent with toleration for other views in a pluralistic democracy. While this may create a certain amount of tension within pluralistic democracy, it poses no serious threat to social stability and can be both civically virtuous and respectful of …

An Analysis Of Youth Ministers' Perceptions Of Character Qualities, Leadership Competencies, And Leadership Flaws That Facilitate Or Hinder Effective Youth Ministry, Troy W. Temple

Faculty Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Principles Of Mentoring Spiritual Leaders In The Pastoral Ministry Of Augustine Of Hippo, Edward Smither

Faculty Dissertations

Though Augustine is highly regarded for his contribution to philosophy and theology, his primary occupation for the last forty years of his life was serving as the bishop of Hippo Regius. A highly personal man with a natural inclination to friendship, Augustine was a bishop-monk who served the church while living in a monastic community with other clergy. Hence, he made monks out of his clergy and regarded the monastery as a group that existed to serve the church. Through intimate contact with the clergy of Hippo as well as spiritual leaders of the fourth and fifth century African church, …

Matthew's Parable Of The Talents: A Story Of Faith, Terry N. Barnes

Faculty Dissertations

Jesus often used the powerful tool of story in his teaching and preaching ministry for the purpose of conveying spiritual truth. In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus tells the parable of the talents. This is a story of an exceedingly wealthy master who entrusts to his servants very large sums of money, then departs on a journey. After a long time the master returns and asks for an accounting from those servants concerning their actions. Those who worked hard were praised and rewarded by their master. The one who produced no monetary gain did not fare as well.

At first reading, …

A Biblical And Theological Analysis Of Tithing: Toward A Theology Of Giving In The New Covenant Era, David A. Croteau

Faculty Dissertations

Chapter 1 summarized some of the methodological and hermeneutical issues and discussed the problem and history of tithing in Christianity. Various arguments through the centuries have been proposed that provided reasons for the abrogation and the continuation of tithing. The "Christian view" on this issue has not been monolithic. Chapter 2 discussed tithing in the Old Testament and concluded that (1) the pre-Mosaic period contained no tithing system and no command to tithe, (2) in the Mosaic law the Israelites gave well-beyond ten percent and only products connected to the land were liable to tithing, and (3) the Historical and …

Trends In The Portrayal Of The Puritans Found In American History Textbooks From The 1870s Through The 1990s As Influenced By Secular Educational Philosophy, James A. Wicks

Faculty Dissertations

There has been a movement to exclude a Biblical worldview from high school American history textbooks exchanging it for a secular worldview through the use of historical revisionism. Available literature failed to adequately address the impact of revisionism within the pages of American history textbooks specifically concerning the portrayal of the American Puritans. Therefore, an analysis of American history textbooks beginning in the 1870s through the 1990s was necessary to demonstrate the existence of historical revisionism regarding the treatment of the American Puritans and whether a trend existed to revise their place in American history textbooks over the past two …

Preaching In The 'Hear' And Now: Justification, Development, And Assessment Of 'Parabolic Engagement' Pedogogy In French-Speaking Missionary Settings, Daniel Sheard

Faculty Dissertations

This thesis argues the utility of ‘parabolic engagement’ method for preachers and listeners in the French Antillean context. The opening chapter defines key terms and clarifies how this imaged sermonic style addresses the listening habits of targeted audiences. It explains that figured delivery is often context-interpretive, involving a more personal, experiential decoding by the listener. Engagement technique increases auditor involvement and creates unique communicative rapport. The chapter points out that the entire experimental process validates the usefulness of the pedagogy. Part One addresses the theological rationale for ‘parabolic engagement’ method. Chapter Two reviews appropriate literature with respect to engagement. Chapter …

The Divine Council In Late Canonical And Non-Canonical Second Temple Jewish Literature, Michael Heiser

Faculty Dissertations

Biblical scholarship has reached a consensus with respect to the presence of a divine assembly of gods in Israel's faith. Prior to the sixth century B.C.E., Israelite religion underwent an evolution from an initial polytheism to a firm monolatry, where the other gods of the divine council were tolerated but not worshipped. The religious crisis of Israel's early sixth century B.C.E. exile prompted the scribes to obscure the council in the canonical texts and compose new material declaring that Yahweh had punished Israel for her sins, brought her out of bondage, and put the other gods to death. This historical …

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Isaiah 56-66, Curtis W. Fitzgerald

Faculty Dissertations

This study examines the continuity and cohesiveness of the prophecies comprising Isaiah 56-66, or Third Isaiah (TI). The method used is rhetorical criticism, a discipline set forth by James Muilenburg in his address before the Society of Biblical Literature in 1968. Because of the doubts concerning the authenticity of some of the prophecies in TI, and skepticism from some scholars about an overall theme in TI, the need for studies of TI from a rhetorical perspective are warranted. Using the method initiated by Muilenburg and developed by many able scholars in recent years, this limited examination of TI from a …

Effects Of Student Ontological Position On Cognition Of Human Origins, Jeremy Ervin

Faculty Dissertations

In this study, the narratives from a hermeneutical dialectic cycle of three high school students were analyzed to understand the influences of ontological position on the learning of human origins. The interpretation of the narratives provides the reader an opportunity to consider the learning process from the perspective of worldview and conceptual change theories. Questions guiding this research include: Within a context of a worldview, what is the range of ontological positions among a high school AP biology class? To what extent does ontological position influence the learning of scientific concepts about human origins? If a student’s ontological position is …

Theistic Activism And The Euthyphro Dilemma, David Baggett

Faculty Dissertations

My dissertation focuses on the Euthyphro question, from one of the Socratic dialogues, understood in terms of the following dilemma posed against theistic ethics: (1) Either what is good/right is moral because God commands it, or it is not. (2) If what is good/right is moral because God commands it, then the good/right is arbitrary and vacuous. (3) If what is good/right is moral for reasons other than that God commands it, then God is superfluous from the standpoint of morality. (4) So, either the good/right is arbitrary and vacuous or God is superfluous to morality.

The dilemma is really …

Using Assessments In Facilitating The Assimilation Of Adults At Calvary Church In Grand Rapids, Michigan, David D. Nemitz

Faculty Dissertations

The goal of assimilating believers into the community of faith has been, is and will continue to be a crucial element and a significant challenge for churches. Most commonly, assimilation is used to describe the process by which people are absorbed into the cultural tradition of an existing population or organization. This thesis explores the impact that a standardized assimilation process has on the incorporation of people into the community of a large church setting.

Orality In Writing: Its Cultural And Political Function In Anglophone African, African-Caribbean, And African-Canadian Poetry, Yaw Adu-Gyamfi

Faculty Dissertations

For years, critics have used Black writers' interweaving of African-derived oral textual features and European written forms to reject the concept of the Great Divide between orality and writing in literacy studies. These critics primarily see the hybridized texts of writers of African descent as a model that assists in the complex union of writing and orality. My argument is that the integrationist model is not the only way, perhaps not even the most fruitful way, to read the hybridized texts of writers of African descent. I develop a reading of Anglophone African, African-Caribbean, and African-Canadian literature that sees the …

"Through The Eye Of A Needle": The Role Of Pietistic And Mystical Thought Among The Anglican Elite In The Eighteenth Century Lowcountry South, Samuel C. Smith

Faculty Dissertations

This dissertation examines the transmission and eventual manifestation of Christian pietistic and mystical thought into the Colonial and Revolutionary lowcountry South. The facilitators of this transmission include the Continental Pietists, who were themselves heavily influenced by the mystics, and British Evangelicals such as John Wesley and George Whitefield, who, even in their public denials of mysticism, nevertheless demonstrated its strong influence in their ministries. Mystical and pietistic expressions impacted the religious, social, and political life of the lowcountry more than has been previously recognized. Evangelical Pietism's mid-eighteenth century infusion prompted some to correctly recognize its subjective (i.e. inwardly focused and …

The German Side Of The Hill: Nazi Conquest And Exploitation Of Italy, 1943-1945, Timothy D. Saxon

Faculty Dissertations

The view that German and Allied forces fought a senseless campaign for Italy during the Second World War prevails in many histories of that conflict. They present the battle for Italy as a bitterly-contested, prolonged fight up the peninsula, wasting Allied men and resources. Evidence contradicting this judgment shows that Italy's political, economic, geographic, and military assets between the years 1943 and 1945 made it a prize worth winning . Allied leaders never grasped this fact nor made an effective effort to deny Germany this valuable asset. The German defense of Italy secured the loyalty of Axis allies in Eastern …

Demonstrative Faith In The Public And Private Life Of John Adams Based On His Writings, James A. Wicks

Faculty Dissertations

John Adams was the second President of the United States (1797-1801). Considered to be a "passionate sage," many historians quote him in their manifold volumes. There is a problem, however, in many references to Adams' faith. Ignored, dismissed, and distorted by these writers, the context of Adams' life expediently conforms to secular writers' presuppositions and conclusions. These misrepresentations occur in lieu of the many references to God, Providence, and the Supreme Being found in his personal letters and other writings.

The purpose of this thesis was to chronicle elements of Adams' life related to his faith in public and private, …

"The People Have Not Obeyed": A Literary And Rhetorical Study Of Jeremiah 26-45, Gary E. Yates

Faculty Dissertations

The goal of this study is to provide a holistic reading of the largely narrative material in Jeremiah 26-45 that is informed by the disciplines of literary and rhetorical criticism. This study seeks to contribute to the growing trend of reading the book of Jeremiah as a literary entity that possesses an editorial unity in spite of the complex compositional history that appears to stand behind the book. This study will focus primarily on the overarching plot and structure that emerge from the reading of Jeremiah 26-45. The thesis is that this section of the book of Jeremiah consists of …

An Analysis Of The Literary Structure Of The Book Of Revelation According To Textlinguistic Methods, Steven L. Waechter

Faculty Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to apply discourse analysis (textlinguistics) to the Book of Revelation. This research has two outcomes. It adds to the body of literature validating discourse analysis as a viable and useful tool for biblical studies. It also suggests a literary framework for the Book of Revelation, with particular attention to discourse segmentation and peak. The procedure used in this dissertation has five steps. First, notional type is evaluated on the basis of speech-act theory and a combination of contingent temporal succession and agent orientation. Second, the surface text is analyzed for recurring semantic domains, verb …

The Relationship Of Jewish And Gentile Believers To The Law Between A.D. 30 And 70 In The Scripture, Chris A. Miller

Faculty Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Trends In Gospel Music Publishing: 1940 To 1960, Vernon M. Whaley

Faculty Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compile a historical survey of gospel music publishing from 1940 to 1960. Elements for investigation included the stated objectives, decisions, and marketing strategies employed by gospel music publishers to expand their markets from 1940 to 1960 and factors contributing to the growth in the gospel music publishing industry from 1940 to 1960.

The information for the study was collected through oral history methodology consisting of interviews with seven leaders in the industry including: Billy Ray Hearn, Chuck Fromm, Ralph Carmichael, John W. Peterson, Robert R. MacKenzie, Jessy Dixon, and Bill Gaither. Personal interviews …