Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Religion (1533)
- Christianity (512)
- Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion (490)
- Christian Denominations and Sects (450)
- Practical Theology (413)
-
- Missions and World Christianity (365)
- Other Religion (310)
- History (293)
- Biblical Studies (283)
- Genealogy (187)
- Appalachian Studies (186)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (104)
- History of Christianity (95)
- Liturgy and Worship (68)
- United States History (36)
- Sociology (33)
- History of Religion (31)
- Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies (28)
- Education (26)
- Social History (26)
- African American Studies (21)
- Music (21)
- American Studies (20)
- Cultural History (20)
- Ethics in Religion (20)
- Catholic Studies (17)
- International and Area Studies (17)
- Leadership Studies (17)
- Art and Design (16)
- Institution
-
- Asbury Theological Seminary (902)
- Concordia Seminary - Saint Louis (181)
- Liberty University (126)
- Dordt University (58)
- Andrews University (41)
-
- George Fox University (28)
- Brigham Young University (23)
- Selected Works (17)
- Southeastern University (14)
- Gettysburg College (13)
- University of Southern Maine (10)
- Gardner-Webb University (9)
- Seton Hall University (9)
- Cedarville University (8)
- Ursinus College (8)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (7)
- College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University (6)
- Fordham University (6)
- Georgia Southern University (6)
- Ouachita Baptist University (6)
- Butler University (5)
- Marquette University (5)
- Marshall University (5)
- Oral Roberts University (5)
- University of Massachusetts Boston (5)
- Western Kentucky University (5)
- Calvin University (4)
- City University of New York (CUNY) (4)
- Claremont Colleges (4)
- Pepperdine University (4)
- Publication
-
- ATS Dissertations (499)
- Concordia Theological Monthly (106)
- Doctoral Dissertations and Projects (92)
- Papers of Roger Hedlund (91)
- Minutes of the Kentucky Conference (58)
-
- Minutes of the Kentucky Annual Conference (46)
- Heritage Material (42)
- Faculty Work Comprehensive List (27)
- Conference Journals (23)
- Pro Rege (21)
- Professional Dissertations DMin (21)
- Journal of Kentucky Annual Conference (20)
- Journal of the Kentucky Conference (20)
- Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project (16)
- Bulletin (15)
- Doctor of Theology Dissertation (15)
- Theses and Dissertations (15)
- Official Journal of the Kentucky Annual Conference (14)
- Senior Honors Theses (14)
- Books (13)
- Doctor of Ministry (12)
- Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe (12)
- Papers (12)
- Finding Aids (11)
- The Asbury Journal (11)
- Master of Sacred Theology Thesis (10)
- Masters Theses (10)
- Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation (9)
- Electronic Theses and Dissertations (9)
- Honors Theses (9)
Articles 1 - 30 of 1650
Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
The Divine Comedy: A Work Of Medieval Mythology, Jamie Alexander
The Divine Comedy: A Work Of Medieval Mythology, Jamie Alexander
Undergraduate Honors Theses
Prior to The Divine Comedy (1308-1321), ideas about Purgatory were in the early stages of development. Purgatory had loose rituals surrounding its existence and it lacked depiction in written works. Yet in the following centuries, the fear of Purgatory and the practices of penance and indulgences reached a fever pitch, ultimately leading to the Protestant Reformation. Purgatory as a celestial location, and not just the “purgatorial fires” of the Bible, only began to develop in the twelfth century, but its fearful description and imagery in The Divine Comedy not only solidified previously nebulous understandings of Purgatory, but also increased anxiety …
Not My Church: Confessional Living In An All-Consuming World, Cody Macmillan
Not My Church: Confessional Living In An All-Consuming World, Cody Macmillan
Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal
What I hope to offer in the following pages is a vision for the Church that is not our own in a world that is increasingly foreign to us. In a discussion of the Scriptures and the Sacraments, I would like to present three ways in which this Church is distinctly alien in nature. She presents alien standards, alien sentiment, and alien strength to which we are called to subscribe, submit, and surrender. In presenting the alien nature of this church, I offer points of contrast and comparison with the culture to which we are tempted to succumb. These comparisons …
The Beginnings Of Jewish Missions In The Lcms, Jaron Melin
The Beginnings Of Jewish Missions In The Lcms, Jaron Melin
Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal
Mission is the theological account of the relationship between the church and the world. Where are the Jews in this relationship? If the church and the Jews had a relationship status on Facebook, then it might say, “It’s complicated.” This may be true of any kind of missions, but this shows itself to be especially true in Lutheran history and in particular LCMS-history. I look at the histories as recorded by Meyer, Lieske, Cohen, Parviz, and others on the early history of Jewish Missions in the LCMS, and I reflect on the context and theology behind them using missiologists like …
Evaluating “Grit” (Genuine Relationships, Intergenerationally Tied) Groups At The Highland Church Of Christ: An Intergenerational Enhancement Of Small Group Community Life, Beth Ann Fisher
Doctor of Ministry Theses
ABSTRACT This project, Evaluating “GRIT” (Genuine Relationships, Intergenerationally Tied) at the Highland Church of Christ: An Intergenerational Enhancement of Small Group Community Life is a response to the request for intergenerational partnership in worship, fellowship, and ministry by the university students at Highland Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. The church’s robust small group life was a logical place to create a vehicle in which intergenerational partners could ride for a determined period in pursuit of their common goals of furthering Highland’s mission and vision. The “Genuine Relationships, Intergenerationally Tied” or GRIT groups were formed by combining existing small groups …
Singing Sad Songs To The Savior: An Examination Of And Argument For Biblical Lament Songs, Kaden Hofheins
Singing Sad Songs To The Savior: An Examination Of And Argument For Biblical Lament Songs, Kaden Hofheins
Senior Honors Theses
Christian lament songs play an important role in the context of the local church. There are several key differences between Christian lament and secular “sad songs” that are due to Christianity’s perspective of suffering that revolves around the hope of Jesus Christ. Christian songwriters have been writing lament songs through the lens of biblical hope in Christ throughout church history. Due to the nature of lament songs and how they give voice to negative emotions, which can help people to process their grief, and the communal nature of corporate worship, it is important that local churches ensure they use lament …
Autism And The Body Of Christ: Understanding, Accommodating, And Accepting Autistic Believers In The Church, Kaitlyn Cook
Autism And The Body Of Christ: Understanding, Accommodating, And Accepting Autistic Believers In The Church, Kaitlyn Cook
Senior Honors Theses
Autism is a neurotype that causes a different set of strengths and weaknesses and thus should be embraced and accommodated within the church. Not only are autistic believers able to grasp Christian concepts, but they also have different perspectives and skills that can be instrumental in building up the church. Promoting a correct view of autism and accommodating neurodiversity within the church will allow autistic believers to follow God’s command to be part of a body and build up the church. The church can employ several strategies to create an accessible environment for believers on the spectrum, including creating sensory-safe …
Living A Better Story: The Lived Narrative Apologetic In The Book Of Acts, Cedric Lemar Thomas
Living A Better Story: The Lived Narrative Apologetic In The Book Of Acts, Cedric Lemar Thomas
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Is it possible to articulate an apologetic practice from the account of Luke-Acts, which is not among the current popular Christian apologetic practices within contemporary apologetic scholarship? Can one consider the narratives in this history of Acts as a description of apologetic methodology, a sort of a first Christian apologetic practice demonstrated by Jesus and then replicated by His disciples? The answer is yes. The historical work of Luke offers an early apologetic practice in which the story of Scripture, the narrative of God, witnessed incarnationally through the life of Jesus and continued by the early church. Like Scripture, the …
Exploring How Pentecostals Preach About Depression, Robert D. Mcbain
Exploring How Pentecostals Preach About Depression, Robert D. Mcbain
Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling
A qualitative analysis was completed on twelve sermons into how Pentecostal preachers talk about depression from the pulpit using the Assemblies of God (AG) as a purposive sample. Findings illustrate that preachers talked about faulty thinking as the source of depression and interpreted depression as a transformative journey occurring within the context of a God encounter where the believer fixed their faulty thinking. While the way the preachers interpreted depression is not without critique, the article suggests that preaching about depression as a journey of encounter may help listeners frame their depression experiences within a narrative framework that helps them …
Ripe For The Harvest: Developing Servants Through Spiritual Formation At Fairhaven Church Of Rootstown, Vincent A. Maltempi
Ripe For The Harvest: Developing Servants Through Spiritual Formation At Fairhaven Church Of Rootstown, Vincent A. Maltempi
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This action research project addresses the need to develop committed Christian servants within a church ministry context by utilizing a spiritual formation initiative focused on service as a means towards and evidence of spiritual formation and development. Fairhaven Church of Rootstown had not been instructed on the fundamental need for members to serve together. Consequently, service within the church was not a necessary part of discipleship or its spiritual growth plan. The purpose of this intervention was to create and implement a three-fold spiritual development initiative focused on Christian service that includes a sermon series, a midweek study, and a …
Church And Community: Bridging The Gap To Create A Culture Of Acceptance And Inclusiveness, Matthew L. Brown
Church And Community: Bridging The Gap To Create A Culture Of Acceptance And Inclusiveness, Matthew L. Brown
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This DMIN project helped St. Paul High Street Baptist Church develop a community engagement team that helped them reestablish its long-lasting relationship with the community surrounding the church. Certain issues within and outside of the church were discussed that had led to a lack of community engagement within recent years. A community engagement team was put together to help bridge the gap between the church and its surrounding community. To help with this, several community engagement team events were held, and surveys were given to both church and community members. Through the successful completion of this project, St. Paul High …
Church-Supported Esl Ministry In Canada: A Look At The Church’S Mission In Action, Gordon Moulden
Church-Supported Esl Ministry In Canada: A Look At The Church’S Mission In Action, Gordon Moulden
Great Commission Research Journal
English is a dominant business, academic, and communicative language throughout the world. Immigrants and refugees coming to the West have a great need to learn the language but often do not have the funds or time to pursue studies full-time. Churches often offer English classes to minister to not only their language needs but also to their relational and spiritual needs. This mixed-methods survey and interview research investigates the state of church-supported English as a Second Language (ESL) programs across Canada following the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 50 teachers and program coordinators completed the survey, which revealed needs relating to training …
Sampling Methods And Sample Size In Church-Based Research, David R. Dunaetz
Sampling Methods And Sample Size In Church-Based Research, David R. Dunaetz
Great Commission Research Journal
An underlying assumption of most church-based research is that the sample from which the data is collected is representative of a wider collection of church members, church leaders, small groups, churches, denominations, or whatever is the focus of the study. To increase the likelihood that this assumption is met without making the research an impossible undertaking, various sampling strategies are used ranging from random sampling to convenience sampling, each with advantages and disadvantages. After a sampling strategy is chosen, an appropriate sample size should be pursued, depending on the nature of the study. The sample size of quantitative studies seeking …
Sanctuary Support, Flora Chubbs, Dan Tarakanov, Jonathan Cheung
Sanctuary Support, Flora Chubbs, Dan Tarakanov, Jonathan Cheung
Egypt Migrations Partnership and Comparative Immigrant Experiences
Our StoryMap, Sanctuary Support, showcases the importance of religion and places of worship for immigrants, and demonstrates how religiosity contributes to facilitating a smooth integration into newcomers’ adopted cultures. Religion is a powerful aid that can help to ground us in our identity, morals, spirituality, and community. Firstly, we delve into Canada's immigration history, exploring how faith-based organizations have played a crucial role in meeting the burgeoning demands of support for newcomers during immigration waves. Through secondary sources, we researched what types of support are available currently and how these pertain to immigrants’ needs. Finally, in our Case Studies: Fostering …
I Want To Go To Church, Ella Burch
I Want To Go To Church, Ella Burch
English Student Projects
A creative writing piece used to describe the beginning of a journey back to faith for someone who has questioned the providing nature of God. A reminder of how being in a holy place with the simple intention of praying can mean as much as spreading the gospel on a distant shore.
Resilient Faith: Building A Faith That Lasts In High School Students, Camille Miller
Resilient Faith: Building A Faith That Lasts In High School Students, Camille Miller
Christian Ministries Senior Capstone
With research showing that 40-50 percent of youth group kids walk away from the faith after high school, I wanted to research ways to build a resilient faith in students through a church youth ministry. Fuse is the high school ministry at Northpoint church that is represented throughout this paper. The Frankena Model will be used as the format for the paper as I develop a philosophy of ministry for Fuse that incorporates all the aspects of Frankena's model and looks to find a better way to do youth ministry.
Ephesians 2:11-22, Unity In Christ: A Biblical Theological Analysis, Kaeley Sells
Ephesians 2:11-22, Unity In Christ: A Biblical Theological Analysis, Kaeley Sells
Biblical Studies Student Projects
Often, in large group settings there can be a tendency to stick to one’s own in-group. This tendency then leads to the diminishing and exclusion of those outside of that particular group. In the early church, this was the story of the Gentile believers who, despite receiving the same life through the sacrifice of Christ were subject to discrimination, cultivating an inferiority complex in many of the early believers. Paul attempts to critique this trend by highlighting not only the grace extended to all but the intentional life, death, and resurrection of Christ that enables all believers to be citizens …
A Phenomenological Study Of Church Polity And Its Impact On Pastoral Leadership And Congregational Health, Travis L. Biller
A Phenomenological Study Of Church Polity And Its Impact On Pastoral Leadership And Congregational Health, Travis L. Biller
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
It is reported that deacon-led churches produce conflict and high pastoral turnover (Harbuck, 2018; Payne, 1996). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how a church governance structure impacts a pastor’s ability to lead, the health of the church, and pastoral retention. The experiences of pastors from deacon-led churches were evaluated for clusters of meaning and compared with the experiences of pastors who serve under an elder-led model of leadership. Nine interviews were conducted—five pastors from deacon-led churches and four from elder-led churches. This study approached the phenomenological design from an interpretive, or hermeneutical approach to understand the …
The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence In Online Education For Recruitment, Retention, And Sustainability Of Religious Organizations, Gordon Vaill Barrows
The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence In Online Education For Recruitment, Retention, And Sustainability Of Religious Organizations, Gordon Vaill Barrows
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This dissertation explored the applicability of AI chatbot technology in the context of a church environment where it was used to promote an accessible and engaging online learning platform for education and ministry training. The primary objective was to develop an AI-powered chatbot to increase recruitment, improve retention, as well as support organizational sustainability as it relates to church membership. The research includes a comprehensive literature review on AI chatbot technology and its relevance to online education within the context of a religious organization. The literature review establishes the fundamentals for a theoretical framework, exploring the association between educational technology, …
Impact Of Worldview Development On Spiritual Vitality In Evangelical Protestant Churches: A Phenomenological Study, Nicholas Jared Curtis
Impact Of Worldview Development On Spiritual Vitality In Evangelical Protestant Churches: A Phenomenological Study, Nicholas Jared Curtis
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The need for a biblical worldview is important in the church since only ten percent of Americans (17% in the church) have a biblical worldview (Foley, 2017, paragraph one; Barna, 2017, paragraph twenty). This is directly connected with one’s spiritual growth in the church as relationships help form one’s worldview which in turn will form one’s values and actions (McDowell and Wallace, 2019). The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the perceived impact of biblical worldview development on spiritual development in the church for pastors who oversee discipleship at doctrinally conservative, Evangelical Protestant churches in Texas. At this …
Hell And Unhappiness In Larkins’S ‘High Windows’, Thomas Dilworth
Hell And Unhappiness In Larkins’S ‘High Windows’, Thomas Dilworth
English Publications
[This essay is a revision of an article entitled ‘Larkin’s “High Windows”, published in The Explicator 60:4 (Summer 2002), 221-3]
A Curriculum Designed To Teach Elementary-Age Children In Diverse Settings The Kingdom Concept Of Loving One’S Neighbor, Abigail J. Flood
A Curriculum Designed To Teach Elementary-Age Children In Diverse Settings The Kingdom Concept Of Loving One’S Neighbor, Abigail J. Flood
ELAIA
United States Census data from 2020 show that the country is becoming increasingly diverse and urbanized. Other research shows children are aware of race from an early age and can pick up biases and stereotypes by watching the adults around them. However, there are no children’s ministry curricula that specifically address how children should navigate differences from a biblical perspective. To fill this gap, a children’s ministry curriculum was written to model how children can love their neighbors like Jesus did, especially those who look different from themselves. The curriculum is comprised of an introduction for the ministry leader, five …
Quik Church, Route 3.141592, Sarah Voss
Quik Church, Route 3.141592, Sarah Voss
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
The following set of poems are from one of ten sections in a collection of poetry called Quik Church: Short Poems that Travel Far. Each section illustrates one of many “streets” which individuals often take on their spiritual journey through life, e.g., the Old Gods Path, Nature Trail, Memory Skyway, Mystic Avenue, Pastoral Lane, and so on. This one, Route 3.141592, is the route of mathematics and the science that depends on mathematics.
Review Of Dr. Beth Felker Jones’ Practicing Christian Doctrine: An Introduction To Thinking And Living Theologically, Caleb Gordon
Review Of Dr. Beth Felker Jones’ Practicing Christian Doctrine: An Introduction To Thinking And Living Theologically, Caleb Gordon
Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal
This review of Practicing Christian Doctrine provides a helpful overview of Dr. Jones’ articulate survey through major Christian doctrines and related Christian practice. This resource serves as a succinct, formative primer to Christian theology with an aim at orthopraxy for the maturing Christian.
Review Of Know. Be. Live., Cory T. Branham
Review Of Know. Be. Live., Cory T. Branham
Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal
Born between 1995 – 2012, America’s young and emerging adults are known as “Generation Z.” As with nearly everything they are involved in, a shorter version of that label is available as simply Gen Z, or Gen Z’ers. Generally speaking, Gen Z’ers were raised by Millennials but have had life and social interactions going as far back as the Baby Boomer Generation (those born near the end of World War II and into the mid-sixties). In “Know. Be. Live.,” the combination of what has been handed down to them by previous generations, and the current state of cultural, …
Todos Las Naciones, Tribus, Pueblos Y Lenguas: The Growing Need Of Hispanic Protestant Churches In The United States, Paula Harvie
Todos Las Naciones, Tribus, Pueblos Y Lenguas: The Growing Need Of Hispanic Protestant Churches In The United States, Paula Harvie
Undergraduate Honors Theses
This thesis covers the growing movement of Protestantism amongst Hispanics in the United States. Although significant growth in this movement has occurred in the 21st century, the roots of this movement come from the early 20th century and started in Latin America. Today, more and more Hispanics are converting from Catholicism to Protestantism. Furthermore, more Hispanics are immigrating to the United States and may struggle to find a sense of belonging in their new home due to language and cultural barriers. This is where Hispanic churches rise to the occasion as they provide a place in which Hispanics …
Imperfect Church, Perfect God, Claire N. Barr
Imperfect Church, Perfect God, Claire N. Barr
Honors Projects
Jesus’ death on the cross demonstrates the most radical act of love. So when the church, which is biblically supposed to reflect Jesus’ love, causes pain and disagreements, there is no doubt as to why people choose to leave, completely stay away from the church, or lose their faith altogether. Despite this, the solution remains in Jesus. Through His ministry represented in scripture, one can see the way in which the church is called to care for the world. Despite this, the church has come short of Jesus’ example, often skewing people’s perspective on Christ. When on Earth, Jesus defied …
Intergenerational Factors That Contribute To Millennial Church Engagement, Parker Sanderson
Intergenerational Factors That Contribute To Millennial Church Engagement, Parker Sanderson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Millennial church attendance has declined since the beginning of the new millennium. Intergenerational ambivalence has been known to contribute to this phenomenon. Through this action research, the researcher sought to determine what intergenerational factors have led to millennials’ continued or discontinued attendance within churches. A phenomenological qualitative approach centered around interviews for this study was used to determine these intergenerational factors. The sample was taken from a 1,100-member church in a major Texas metropolitan area. The goal was to help church leaders decrease relational distancing and reduce ambivalent factors to increase millennial engagement in this local congregation.
Grace-Based Faith Discipleship Approach Of Adults In South Rock Christian Church: Addressing The Contemporary Legalistic Lifestyle Of Disciples, Nicholas John Pannone
Grace-Based Faith Discipleship Approach Of Adults In South Rock Christian Church: Addressing The Contemporary Legalistic Lifestyle Of Disciples, Nicholas John Pannone
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Discipleship often evokes different responses. However, contemporary Christians have a faithfulness dilemma driven by the constant messages they hear. This DMIN project seeks to develop and promote a ministry structure that educates, equips, and enriches the Christian life based on God’s grace. The project seeks to provide a framework for participants to be transformed holistically by God’s grace. Often, the members of South Rock Christian Church understand grace as the entry point into salvation, but not the identifying trait of their faithful life in Christ. This action project consists of qualitative research that demonstrates a gap between belief and action …
Parker, Heidi, Tegan Bryne
Parker, Heidi, Tegan Bryne
Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection
Heidi Parker is a 47-year-old lesbian, who uses she/her pronouns. Heidi Parker grew up in the South and Seventh-Day Adventist. One of her favorite parts about living in the South and still one of her favorite things today is the mountains. Heidi Parker has moved to a few places around the United States; including New York, Maine, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Morrow Beach. Heidi Parker worked as a PE teacher before getting a higher degree in Sports Management. After getting her degree, she moved to New York and worked at Syracuse and then moved to Maine to work …
Worship In Modern-Day Society: Evaluating Music Of Corporate Worship, Lindley Christine Cameron
Worship In Modern-Day Society: Evaluating Music Of Corporate Worship, Lindley Christine Cameron
Masters Theses
Background Church services today incorporate a wide variety of worship music, stylistically and lyrically, depending on the congregation. Some churches place great importance on the gospel being included in the songs, while others focus more on the emotions felt during the songs. While there are churches that maintain an eclectic mix of the two, other churches have a significant imbalance in the worship songs they choose to sing each week. Matt Boswell says, “Every worship experience, in its order and content, is an expression of the congregation’s liturgy. It communicates something about your church, your doctrine, and the order of …