Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Reader's Guide To The Major Writings Of Jonathan Edwards, Nathan A. Finn, Jeremy M. Kimble

Faculty Books

Jonathan Edwards—widely considered one the most important theologians in American history—has influenced generation after generation with his transcendent vision of our great and glorious God. But reading his writings for the first time can be a daunting task.

Here to be your trustworthy guides are some of the very best interpreters of Edwards, who walk you through his most important works with historical context, strategies for reading, and contemporary application—launching you into a lifetime of discovering Edwards’s God-centered vision of the Christian life for yourself.

How The Coconino Sandstone Of The Grand Canyon Supports Young-Earth Creation And A Global Flood, John H. Whitmore

Science and Mathematics Faculty Presentations

The Coconino Sandstone is a well-known and recognizable rock layer near the top of the Grand Canyon. Most interpret it as the fossilized remnants of desert sand dunes that formed about 275 million years ago. It is often used as a “silver bullet” of how Scripture is wrong when it comes to a literal interpretation of Noah’s Flood (by Christians and non-Christians alike). In this talk, Whitmore will summarize some easy to understand research that he and others have published which refutes old earth views of the Coconino and instead supports a view that the Coconino was formed underwater. His …

A Request For Non-Voluntary Euthanasia In Bangladesh: A Moral Assessment, Norman K. Swazo

Bioethics in Faith and Practice

Government authorities in Bangladesh recently were placed in an awkward and extraordinary position of having to make a presumably difficult decision: how to respond to a man’s request to have his two sons and grandson euthanized. This is an extraordinary request for a developing country’s health service authorities to consider, especially in the context of a Muslim-majority population where any appeal to the legitimacy of suicide (and, by extension, physician-assisted suicide) would be automatically rejected as contrary to Islamic moral and jurisprudential principles. Here the case is reviewed in the context of arguments that engage non-voluntary euthanasia and the local …

Book Review: Crucifixion And New Creation, Mark D. Owens

Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Esv Reader's Bible, Ched E. Spellman

Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Engineering Through The Eyes Of Faith, David C. Che

Christian Engineering Conference

What is a biblical perspective of engineering? This paper seeks to answer some key questions related to the integration of faith and engineering. It is the second paper in a three paper sequel on this topic. It attempts to build from some initial concepts presented in a paper at the 2013 Christian Engineering Education Society (CEES) conference [1] and deepen the analysis on common grace and use new examples and present some new ideas on dominion mandate and its application to engineering and engineering education.

God is the Master Engineer. As an architect of His creation God presents wisdom as …

Shalom Seeking: Foundations Of Flourishing, Kevin Jay Timmer

Christian Engineering Conference

Jesus instructs us to seek first the Kingdom of God. Seeking first the Kingdom of God is no small task. It is a process of striving to show God’s love in every situation by showing love to our neighbors and to the rest of the creation. It is serving in a way that enables them to flourish. Seeking first the Kingdom of God is striving for true progress in all its wholeness; it is seeking shalom [1]. Shalom is an Old Testament word which refers to the restfulness, contentment, beauty, and harmony of a life lived in perfect obedience to …

Safety And Its Ethical Challenges For The Christian Engineer In A Technological Society, Anthony C. Comer

Christian Engineering Conference

In every major corporation safety is a high priority and corporate policy statements stress the company’s commitment to keep people and the environment safe. However, safety comes at a cost. Corporations are in business to make profits by providing quality products and services for consumers at affordable prices. Engineers play a critical role in the design, construction, and operation of corporations across the globe and are constantly challenged to find new ways of doing things in order to reduce operating expenses in a competitive global economy. Companies must keep pace with the latest technological innovation or face the prospects of …

Observations On Things Measured In The Bible, John S. Tixier Jr.

Christian Engineering Conference

As a new engineering professor at a Christian university that allows an extra five minutes in each class for spiritual and devotional instruction, I thought it would be interesting in the Engineering Technology Measurements Laboratory classroom sessions to focus our devotions on the topic of Measurements in the Bible. This included terms of measurement, things that are or can be measured, and insights into measureable subjects. In general, observations were made systematically based on daily Bible reading, starting with the first words “In the beginning…” and continuing through the Pentateuch during the semester. However, general observations from New Testament …

Engineering Analysis Of The Fire Miracle On Mount Carmel, Charles Baukal

Christian Engineering Conference

The fire miracle on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18 is one of the most spectacular in the Bible. Elijah called fire down from heaven which consumed not only a bull on an altar but also the altar itself made of twelve stones and twelve pots of water poured on the offering. The bull was probably one year old (Lev. 9:3) and likely weighed approximately 250 kg assuming it was similar to the breeds currently common in Palestine. The stones were likely made of limestone because Mount Carmel is in a limestone ridge and were probably the size that could …

A Brief Survey Of The Biblical Integration Of Engineering And Missions With Emphasis On Appropriate Technologies, Frederick G. Harmon

Christian Engineering Conference

A Biblical foundation for the integration of engineering and missions, an overview of appropriate technology in a Christian context, a survey of projects at other Christian engineering programs, and proposed engineering projects are discussed for remote areas and developing countries. At the core of the Biblical integration of engineering and missions is the desire to use engineering skills and resources to assist others, especially those in the Christian family, improve their lives, help them obtain Biblical information, and encourage personal responsibility. Engineering topics are proposed that will help people gain access to information, improve agricultural methods, improve their health, and …

How Developing Electrical Technologies Can Meet Human Needs With Christian Compassion, Harold R. Underwood

Christian Engineering Conference

Having students work on service-oriented projects that meet basic human needs has become a popular strategy in engineering education; such active learning motivates students and prepares them for professional practice. While conventional engineering service project teams often implement a solution that meets human needs on the spot, exploratory technology development service projects, such as I address here, take time to reach proof of concept maturity, before wider application may occur. Whether implementing or developing, a Christian Engineer following Jesus finds solid ground by establishing links between objectives of a service-oriented project and the counsel of Scripture. Hebrews (13:3) calls Christian …

Beyond Voluntourism: Examining The Motivations And Roles Of Engineering Student Groups In International Development, Thomas S. Soerens

Christian Engineering Conference

Each year, nearly 300,000 US college students study abroad and many more go on short-term service trips. The ethic of using engineering skills to serve developing communities abroad is strong in the engineering field. For Christian students and Christian colleges, this service can also integrate with their mission to serve God by serving and evangelizing others, whether motivated by charity, philanthropy, or scriptural mandate. These service programs have impacted students profoundly, often changing the life course of a student. But do they positively impact the targeted communities? Is it efficient to spend $30,000 in travel money to send an unskilled …

Theology And Engineering Practice: Models Of Reality, William M. Jordan

Christian Engineering Conference

To a Christian engineer both faith and engineering practice are very important. As we work through what we believe about God and how we practice engineering, we find that they have something important in common. Both systematic theology and engineering practice are approximations in our attempts to understand reality.

When theologians attempt to systematize the faith, they are coming up with human models of how they see God acting in human history. When engineers design a new product, they use models of how materials act when they have various forces applied to them.

For example, in discussing end times theologians …

Twenty-Five Years Of Christian Engineering: A Literature Survey, Steven H. Vanderleest

Christian Engineering Conference

This paper surveys the complete set of over one hundred published papers that have appeared in the previous proceedings of this Christian engineering conference, identifying the themes, questions, and issues that have been explored thus far. Major themes include Biblical principles and virtues, design norms, the great Biblical directives, vocation/calling, and attributes of God. Next, a taxonomy is proposed to organize the concepts into an overall structure. Finally, the paper identifies open questions and topics that deserve further discussion.

On The Significance Of The Biography And Thought Of Pilgram Marpeck For A Responsible Engineering Perspective, Karl Heinz Kienitz

Christian Engineering Conference

In the general scope of an aspirational approach to engineering practice and ethics, this article follows the paradigm of learning from biography and presents Pilgram Marpeck, an engineer and Anabaptist reformer of the 16th century, as a possible early role model for the engineering professional. A biographical review of his life and all-encompassing participation in the society of his time is followed by a self-contained summary of his thought on selected topics. When considering the bearing of these on engineering ethics and practice, Marpeck's thought and several of his concerns are found of current relevance.

Current Trends In Cancer Support Within The Religious Community, Ched E. Spellman, Luke M. Tse, Andrew W. Wonders, Karen Wonders, Brittany Stout

Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Publications

Living with cancer is associated with significant psychological strain. The prevalence and severity of this distress varies according to the time, type, and stage of cancer, as well as other variables including treatment regimen, side effects, and prognosis. More often than not, these struggles are neglected as part of the traditional cancer care plan. Yet, if left unaddressed, emotional strain can add to the suffering caused by cancer by negatively affecting treatment compliance. Faith communities, such as churches, provide an ideal atmosphere to serve and support individuals battling cancer. However, research indicates that spiritual care is often a neglected component …

40 Questions About Church Membership And Discipline, Jeremy M. Kimble

Faculty Books

Addresses forty of the most common and thorny questions about church life. Does church membership mean more than simply joining a social group? Does the church have a responsibility to discipline its members--and if so, what does that look like? Recognizing the many puzzling questions about the critical role of the church in the life of believers, Jeremy Kimble addresses forty key points. Each section considers questions of theology, ministry, and practicality, such as:

• Is there a New Testament precedent for membership?
• How does membership relate to baptism and communion?
• Who should become a member?
• How is discipline related to …

Encountering The Phantasmagoria: Pre-Raphaelite Aesthetics As The Antidote For Victorian Decadence In Robert Browning’S “My Last Duchess”, Matthew K. Werneburg

Channels: Where Disciplines Meet

Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” engages with ‘the problem of Raphael,’ a Victorian aesthetic debate into which Browning enters in order to address Victorian society’s spiritual impotence, which he connects to the societal emphasis on external appearances of virtue and nobility. This emphasis on appearances is reflected in Raphaelite aesthetics, for Victorians understood Raphael’s paintings as representational pictures intended to cause viewers to contemplate spiritual states. The Raphaelite school of aesthetics saw Raphael’s works as the pinnacle of the Christian visual art tradition, while the pre-Raphaelites sought to dissolve the distinction between sacred and secular, painting human bodies as they …

Book Review: Using The Bible In Practical Theology, Jeffery S. Gates

Library Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evangelical Perceptions On Linguistic Sexism In English, Anna M. Beckmeyer

Linguistics Senior Research Projects

This study explores how evangelical Christians view connotatively and denotatively sexist language in English through a comparative study against non-evangelicals. Research on unnecessarily gendered language establishes English as contextually and denotatively sexist through falsely generic nouns, lexical asymmetries, and derogatory terms for females. Evangelical Christians have historically viewed gender roles as distinct from each other, however, little research has been done on how that affects perceptions of gendered language. Taking the stance that English unnecessarily prioritizes maleness, this study uses surveys and interviews to gather opinions on definitions of sexist language and asks participants to apply that definition in specific …

Promise That You Will Sing About Me: Kendrick Lamar In Posterity, Brandon Apol

Music and Worship Student Presentations

Sometimes it would seem that the quietest moments turn out to have the loudest repercussions. This would seem to be a consistent case for twenty eight-year old Kendrick Lamar, whose career has been defined by surprise and unannounced publications of music that shortly afterward are spun into respected works of art. With an album that no one anticipated going to the 2013 Grammy awards, another album that leaked a week ahead of schedule (and brought Kendrick 5 Grammys), and an album that was released with almost no warning whatsoever, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth makes headlines with his art; of this there …

Discovering And Recovering The Nineteenth-Century Journals Of Martha E. Mcmillan In An American Women Writer’S Course: A Collaborative Digital Recovery Project, Michelle M. Wood, Lynn A. Brock, Gregory A. Martin, Adam John Wagner

Martha McMillan Research Papers

The following essay tells a story about an undergraduate American Women Writer's course, the University archives, a nineteenth-century journal, and a Digital Recovery project. The essay explains that the story of undergraduates and their work to discover and to recover a primary text within the context of a single course could not have happened without collaboration. Because our story is a story of collaboration, I cannot tell it alone. I am Michelle Wood, an Associate Professor of English who teaches American Literature. During spring semester 2015, I collaborated with Lynn Brock, the Dean of Library Sciences, to create an archival …

From Silence To Golden: The Slow Integration Of Instruments Into Christian Worship, Jonathan M. Lyons

Musical Offerings

The Christian church’s stance on the use of instruments in sacred music shifted through influences of church leaders, composers, and secular culture. Synthesizing the writings of early church leaders and church historians reveals a clear progression. The early musical practices of the church were connected to the Jewish synagogues. As recorded in the Old Testament, Jewish worship included instruments as assigned by one’s priestly tribe. Eventually, early church leaders rejected that inclusion and developed a rather robust argument against instruments in liturgical worship. The totalitarian stance on musical instruments in sacred worship began to loosen as the organ increased in …

Creation, Sex, Gender, And Jesus, Gregory A. Couser

Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Creation In The Classroom, Thomas S. Mach

Administrative Personnel Publications

No abstract provided.

Adam And Eve In History: A Theological Necessity, Thomas White

Administrative Personnel Publications

This article is an excerpt from Thomas White’s September 16, 2016, presentation during the “In the Beginning: Creation and Your Biblical Worldview” conference September 15–16. During the first half of White’s presentation, he laid the biblical foundation for the theological necessity of Adam and Eve, highlighting texts throughout the Old and New Testaments in order to display the comprehensive witness of Scripture to a historic Adam and Eve. This excerpt provides the implications of this biblical foundation. Listen to his full remarks at cedarville.edu/creation.

Young Earth Flood Geology In The Grand Canyon, John H. Whitmore

Science and Mathematics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mutations: Evolution's Disappointment, Georgia (Hickman) Purdom

Alumni Publications

No abstract provided.

Creation And Cedarville, J. Murray Murdoch

History and Government Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.