History Commons^™

Adventist Medical Mission In Botswana: Toward An Effective And Appropriate Model, Olaotse Obed Gabasiane

Dissertations

Since holistic health is central to Africans, they will seek it from all possible health-care systems that include (1) African traditional medicine, (2) Western-oriented medicine, (3) Christian medical mission, as well as (4) African Independent Churches (AICs) with emphasis on spiritual healing. However, at times this comes with negative consequences.

This research sought to understand why medicalpluralism exists in Botswana and the rest of southern Africa, and why it finds concurrent use by Africans; solutions can help Christian medical missions develop more effective and holistic ways to serve Africans. The research can also help Christian medical missionsunderstand how they can …

The Qur'anic Jesus: A Study Of Parallels With Non-Biblical Texts, Brian C. Bradford

Dissertations

This study examines which texts and religious communities existed that could well have contributed to Muhammad’s understanding of Jesus. The most important finding is that the Qur’anic verses mentioning Jesus’ birth, certain miracles, and his crucifixion bear close resemblance to sectarian texts dating as early as the second century. Accordingly, the idea that such verses from the Qur’an involving Jesus are original productions of the seventh century should be reconsidered.

The research covers a series of significant topics that support these findings. They include theological conflicts in third century Arabia; the interaction between Christian monks, Saracens, Arabs, and Ishmaelites; sectarian …

Faithful Remembering: Constructing Dutch America In The Twentieth Century, David E. Zwart

Dissertations

The people of the Dutch-American community constructed and maintained a strong ethnoreligion identity in the twentieth despite pressures to join the mainstream of the United States. A strong institutional completeness of congregations and schools resulted from and contributed to this identity. The people in these institutions created a shared identity by demanding the loyalty of members as well as constructing narratives that convinced people of the need for the ethnoreligious institutions.

The narratives of the Dutch-American community reflected and reinforced a shared identity, which relied on a collective memory. The framing, maintaining, altering, and remodeling of the collective memory from …

The Relationship Between Liturgical Practice And Spirituality In The Church Of The Nazarene With Special Reference To John Wesley's Doctrine Of Christian Perfection, Dirk Ray Ellis

Dissertations

The Church of the Nazarene, following the pattern of the American holiness movement that gave it birth, adopted a modified version of Wesley's doctrine of Christian perfection. During the early years of the denomination Christian perfection was promoted feverishly through revivalism and worship structured after the camp meeting model; however, over time the promotion and propagation of holiness began to wane. Currently, the belief in and pursuit of inward holiness among both clergy and laity are rapidly vanishing. For more than a decade scholars and denominational leaders have recognized that this loss of spiritual vitality has placed the Church of …

Women Of Foreign Superstition: Christianity And Gender In Imperial Roman Policy, 57-235., Karl E. Baughman

Dissertations

The relationship between Christianity and the imperial Roman government from 57 to 235 was partially dependent upon the enforcement of traditional gender roles and the exercise of those roles by women in unique positions of influence. Rather than attempt to break free of their defined gender roles, women with distinctive connections to Christianity and the Roman government were, especially during times of crisis, able to influence imperial policies that provided an atmosphere conducive to positive growth for the early Church. This work concentrates on the crises which were connected to gender---especially times during which the emperors failed to fulfill their …

The Development Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Understanding Of Ellen G. White's Prophetic Gift, 1844-1889, Theodore N. Levterov

Dissertations

Topic. This study is a historical investigation examining the development of the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of Ellen White's prophetic gift between 1844 and 1889.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and analyze the stages of the development of the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of Ellen G. White's prophetic gift from 1844 through 1889 from a historical perspective only. This research is not a theological study and therefore it is beyond its scope to judge, to prove, or to disprove the prophetic gift of Ellen White. It starts with 1844 when Ellen White claimed to have received her first …

The Pluriformity Of The Alexandrian Text-Type In The Catholic Epistles, Coster Shimbaba Munyengwe

Dissertations

The Alexandrian text-type is traditionally known by textual critics to exist in two groups. In the mid-1970s, W. Larry Richards discovered a third Alexandrian group in his study of the Johannine Epistles. Kenneth Keumsang Yoo’s study of 1 Peter in 2001 confirmed the existence of the third group. This study attempted to determine whether the so-called third Alexandrian group exists in all of the books of the Catholic Epistles, and what the characteristics are of the readings in this group. Using factor analysis to form tentative groups for thirty manuscripts previously classified as Alexandrian in all three groups in the …

The 1919 Bible Conference And Its Significance For Seventh-Day Adventist History And Theology, Michael W. Campbell

Dissertations

The Topic

The 1919 Bible Conference was held immediately after World War I during a heightened interest in the apocalyptic and soon after the death of Ellen White. Patterned after the Fundamentalist prophetic conferences of 1918 and 1919, it was arguably the first “scholarly” conference held by Seventh-day Adventists. During a theologically turbulent time, Adventists found the emerging Fundamentalist movement attractive for its biblicist theology, its opposition to modernism and evolution, and the apparent popular appeal of its prophetic conferences.

The Purpose

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the significance of the 1919 Bible Conference for Seventh-day Adventist …

Christian Attitudes Toward The Jews In The Earliest Centuries A.D., S. Mark Veldt

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the historical development of Christian attitudes toward the Jews up to c. 350 A.D., seeking to explain the origin and significance of the antagonistic stance of Constantine toward the Jews in the fourth century. For purposes of this study, the early Christian sources are divided into four chronological categories: the New Testament documents (c. 50-95 A.D.), the Apostolic Fathers (c. 90-135 A.D.), apologists and theologians (c. 130-260 A.D.), and an era of conflict (c. 250-350 A.D.). Within the last period, special attention is given to the work of Eusebius, particularly The Proof of the Gospel (Demonstratio ). …

Selfhood And The Search For An Identity: Explaining The Emergence Of The Nineteenth-Century Holiness Movement And Early Church Of The Nazarene, Paul R. George Jr.

Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to explain the emergence of the nineteenth-century Holiness Movement and subsequent organization of a national holiness church asthe result of a reconstruction of the cultural-linguistic system of John Wesley. In the process of contact and exchange with American religious pluralism, Wesley's doctrine of Christian perfection and his system of societies were reconstructed by charismatic leaders who selected discursive and nondiscursive elements which they found efficacious. Theological and social changes in the Methodist Episcopal Church compelled holiness advocates to emphasize theinstantaneous aspect of Wesley's doctrine of Christian perfection (entire sanctification) and construct a ritual form which had the …

The Historical Background, Interconnected Development And Integration Of The Doctrines Of The Sanctuary, The Sabbath, And Ellen G. White's Role In Sabbatarian Adventism From 1844 To 1849, Merlin D. Burt

Dissertations

The topic . The doctrines of the sanctuary and the Sabbath, along with Ellen White's prophetic role, progressively evolved and integrated during the five years following the October 1844 Millerite time expectation and were the fundamental elements in the formation of the Sabbatarian Adventist movement and ultimately the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The purpose . The purpose of the study was to situate the interconnected development of the sanctuary, the Sabbath, and Ellen White's prophetic ministry within the ferment of Adventist ideas and events, show the immediate theological climate, and give a connected progression of Bridegroom (or Shut Door) Adventism and …

Gustavo Gutierrez's Understanding Of The Kingdom Of God In The Light Of The Second Vatican Council, Victor Figueroa-Villarreal

Dissertations

The proclamation of the Kingdom of God has been reformulated in every age and interpreted accordingly with regard to time and place. Traditionally within Roman Catholicism the Kingdom of God was identified with the church. This view produced a triumphalist attitude within the Roman Catholic Church. The Second Vatican Council brought a new attitude of openness toward the modern world, and with it the council opened the door for Roman Catholic liberation theologians to look for new ways to find what they regarded as the just solutions to the problems of Latin America.

The purpose of this research is to …

The Sacred Times Prescribed In The Pentateuch : Old Testament Indicators Of The Extent Of Their Applicability, H. Ross Cole

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the sacred times prescribed in the Pentateuch and to determine if the Old Testament itself contains indicators of the extent of their applicability. "Applicability" refers primarily to ongoing applicability throughout time. However, whether a sacred time will be universally applicable in the future may be directly related to whether it was ever meant to be universally applicable in the first place. Accordingly, this study entails a close examination of many different features of the Pentateuchal sacred times and their applicability.

Chapter 1 reviews relevant literature and describes the present investigator's methodology. On …

Change In Seventh-Day Adventist Theology: A Study Of The Problem Of Doctrinal Development, Rolf J. Pöhler

Dissertations

Problem. Like other churches, Seventh-day Adventists face the challenge of harmonizing the essential immutability of revelation in Christ and what seem to be significant doctrinal modifications. This study provides the first in-depth treatment of the intricate problem of doctrinal development from a Seventh-day Adventist perspective.

Method. Chapter 1 defines the problem, chapter 2 offers a historical-genetic survey of proposed solutions, while chapter 3 presents a systematic-typological analysis of possible responses to doctrinal change in Christian theology.

Chapter 4 investigates the extent, nature, and direction of Seventh-day Adventist doctrinal developments in the light of the religious background of the church and …

William Clarence (W. C.) White: His Relationship To Ellen G. White And Her Work, Jerry Moon

Dissertations

The topic. William Clarence White (1854-1937), third son of Seventh-day Adventist founders James and Ellen G. White, was for thirty-four years his mother's counselor, editor, and spokesman. He was alleged by some to stand in a manipulative relationship to his mother and her work, a charge she denied.

The purpose. The purpose of the study was to describe, analyze, and evaluate W. C. White's relationship to his mother and her work during her lifetime. This purpose required the development of a partial biographical sketch of W. C. White as a context for understanding his relationship to his mother.

The sources. …

An Investigation Of Dispensational Premillennialism: An Analysis And Evaluation Of The Eschatology Of John F. Walvoord, David P. Gullón

Dissertations

This study presents a historical and theological inquiry of one of the most influential eschatological views in America's evangelical and premillennial fundamentalist circles: dispensational premillennialism.

My objective is threefold: (1) to survey the main factors that contributed to the rise of dispensational premillennialism, (2) to evaluate its claims to the historical and theological roots, and (3) to portray and to assess the eschatology ofthis system as it has been enunciated by John F. Walvoord.

To achieve these purposes, after a brief introductory chapter, we begin in chapter 2 by showing the development of premillennialismsince the days of the early church …

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 …

Warren Eugene Howell, Seventh-Day Adventist Educational Administrator, John Francis Waters

Dissertations

Problem. Warren Eugene Howell served the Seventh-day Adventist educational system as an administrator and teacher for thirty-four years. He pioneered in two important Adventist educational institutions and led the General Conference Education Department during a critical period in the history of Seventh-day Adventist education. Notwithstanding Howell's contribution to Adventist education, no comprehensive study of his administration has been attempted.

Method. In this study a historical-documentary method of research has been used. Correspondence collections; minutes of boards, committees, and faculty meetings; church periodicals; transcripts of lectures; and miscellaneous archival materials have provided primary source materials. These sources may be found …

A Sequential Study Of Revelation 1-14 Emphasizing The Judgment Motif : With Implications For Seventh-Day Adventist Apocalyptic Pedagogy, Richard Fredericks

Dissertations

Problem and purpose. Though Seventh-day Adventist theology is apocalyptically oriented, recent denominational studies indicate a lack of personal hope or assurance with respect to an imminent eschaton and the simultaneous revelation of divine judgment. Because existing studies focus specifically on judgment inRevelation to help Adventist teachers, this dissertation first offers a contextual study of judgment emphasizingits Christological/soteriological dimensions.

A second concern is with historicism as an exclusive interpretive model for apocalyptic. Though offering a sense of denominational uniqueness and mission, historicism leaves major portions of the Apocalypse with little relevance for and limited application to current issues confronting contemporary Adventists. …

Edward Alexander Sutherland And The Seventh-Day Adventist Educational Reform: The Denominational Years, Warren Sidney Ashworth

Dissertations

Problem. Edward Alexander Sutherland, 1865-1955, was one of the most notable and successful educational reformers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He served the church for sixty years, fifty-three of them as president of four Adventist colleges. This study has been delimited to his years of denominational employment, 1890 through 1904, but does not include his forty-one years as president of Madison College--a self-suporting Adventist institution that received no direct financial assistance from the denomination.

Method. This study, investigating Sutherland's life from the perspective of his work as an educational reformer, employed the historical method of research. Major sources included extensive …

The Jephthah Traditions : A Rhetorical And Literary Study In The Deuteronomistic History, Dale Sumner Dewitt

Dissertations

The literature on Judges reveals a growing body of insights into its structure and arrangement, and the social dynamics and theology of the eras of its events and (later) composition. At the same time, there is continual search for greater understanding of these features of the book. Rhetorical criticism furnishes a promising approach to discovering the structure of the Jephthah stories, when used with genre-identification aspects of form criticism. The five Jephthah narratives are a loosely integrated, but symmetrically arranged sequence. The first and fifth narratives are rhetorically designed to pair with each other; the second and fourth are similarly …

William Warren Prescott, Seventh-Day Adventist Educator, Gilbert M. Valentine

Dissertations

Problem. William Warren Prescott, 1855-1944, was one of the most influential educators of the Seventh-day Adventist church. As a religious educator he also served the church as preacher, writer, editor, and administrator. His influence on the church was extensive but until now there has been no comprehensive investigation of his life or evaluation of his contribution to the church.

Method. This study investigated Prescott's life from the perspective of his work as a religious educator. It has used the documentary-historical method of research. Major sources included the extensive official correspondence in the Archives of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists …

Goodloe Harper Bell, Pioneer Seventh-Day Adventist Christian Educator, Allan G. Lindsay

Dissertations

The Seventh-day Adventist church operates a worldwide system of Christian education. The pioneer educator who played a most significant part in laying its foundations was Goodloe Harper Bell (1832-1899).

Bell was a public school teacher in central Michigan from 1851 through 1866. He became a Seventh-day Adventist in 1867 and was subsequently invited to open a small private school in Battle Creek, Michigan. The success attending this school encouraged the church to employ Bell as the first teacher to operate a denominationally sponsored school in 1872. The school became Battle Creek College in 1875. Until 1882, Bell taught a variety …