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Full-Text Articles in Religion

The Sermon On The Mount: A Call To Obedience, Rylee Roberts May 2020

The Sermon On The Mount: A Call To Obedience, Rylee Roberts

Scholars Day Conference

I recently went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay of the Hawaiian Island, Oahu. Coral reefs and big, brightly-colored fish fill the Bay. Without goggles, I could only float on top, unaware of the depth and beauty below. When I put them on, however, I could observe the life and beauty of the ecosystem for myself. I could dive under the surface and explore what I had not known was there. I could find firm places to plant my feet when I needed to stand. I have found studying Scripture to be a similar experience. Learning more about historical and particularly cultural …


The Necessity Of Divine Hiddenness, Daniel Riggins Apr 2020

The Necessity Of Divine Hiddenness, Daniel Riggins

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Divine silence – or how many perceive it, divine hiddenness – is the source of one of the most important and broadly discussed objections for belief in God. Dr. Michael Rea, philosophy of religion professor at the University of Notre Dame, made the claim that divine silence is one of the most important sources of doubt and spiritual distress not solely for those contemplating belief, but also for those who already believe in the existence of God. For some believers, the silence of God can be reconciled while for others it is only evidence of either a God who lacks …


Roots Of African American Christianity, Homer Jones Mar 2020

Roots Of African American Christianity, Homer Jones

Georgia College Student Research Events

The basis of African American Christianity is influenced by African religion and the Gullah Geechee Corridor. This study is explored in a performance arts structure of choreography and dramaturgy. This is because there is a strong sense of arts presented in Africa as well as African American religion. This research is explored in Crowns by Regina Taylor. Crowns is important for this research because of the African American culture that is presented specifically at Georgia College and State University. Crowns is the first African American musical that emphasizes the idea of black culture and religion and how African religion is …


La Princesse Adrosis Fille De L'Empereur Hadrien: Sainte Et Martyre, Laila Fares Mar 2020

La Princesse Adrosis Fille De L'Empereur Hadrien: Sainte Et Martyre, Laila Fares

Showcase of Faculty Scholarly & Creative Activity

Le présent ouvrage est l’ensemble de leçons hebdomadaires que j’enseignai il y a quatorze ans. Le vif intérêt que témoignèrent mes étudiants à la princesse Adrosis m’avait encouragé à poursuivre l’histoire en prose, au-delà du petit poème que j’avais composé en 2003 au jour de sa fête célébrée au synexaire copte le 18 Hathor. Les questions de compréhension et de réflexion qui suivent chaque leçon peuvent servir dans un but didactique ou ludique. Vous pouvez en faire une activité de loisir ou d’enseignement pour l’édification et le développement spirituel de vos étudiants. L’histoire de la princesse Adrosis relève de l’histoire …


Being A Worship Leader, Ruth Ann Schuringa Jan 2020

Being A Worship Leader, Ruth Ann Schuringa

Symposium on Worship Archive

Being a worship leader is no small task. Finding words for segues, choosing Scripture, and writing prayers that will engage your congregations is important work. This workshop will be a conversation about the task of being a worship leader. Come to learn some tips and tools from others and to share your “best practices” too.


Reclaiming The Role Of Story In Worship, Jeff Barker Jan 2020

Reclaiming The Role Of Story In Worship, Jeff Barker

Symposium on Worship Archive

Our God is a storytelling God. God’s book is a rich collection of stories. God’s church is a storytelling church. This seminar is a rich collection of storytelling examples from the Bible, history, and contemporary lives, using forms as simple as a solo testimony and as complex as enacting scenes from the missionary biography Iowa Ethiopia.


A Lion And A Donkey Are Standing On The Road, Jeff Barker Jan 2020

A Lion And A Donkey Are Standing On The Road, Jeff Barker

Symposium on Worship Archive

This vesper worship service includes an enactment of one of the most mysterious ancient Hebrew dramas. We focus initially on this biblical text, newly translated by Tom Boogaart. We embrace the text and then respond to it with music, prayer, testimony, and more scriptures.


What Makes Christian Worship Trinitarian?, Cornelius Plantinga Jr. Jan 2020

What Makes Christian Worship Trinitarian?, Cornelius Plantinga Jr.

Symposium on Worship Archive

The doctrine of the Trinity is old, deep, and mysterious. How should Christian trinitarianism manifest itself in worship—that is, beyond simple repetition of the trinitarian formula? How might deep trinitarian worship bless God and ourselves? How might it even affect the way we look at each other after worship is over?


Presenting Scripture Well In Worship, Jeff Barker Jan 2020

Presenting Scripture Well In Worship, Jeff Barker

Symposium on Worship Archive

Join this workshop to learn from an array of performed examples (live and recorded) that model effective communication of Scripture for both individual and group presentations.


Desarrollando Jóvenes Líderes: Cuatro Claves Para La Innovación, Elizabeth Tamez Phd Jan 2020

Desarrollando Jóvenes Líderes: Cuatro Claves Para La Innovación, Elizabeth Tamez Phd

Symposium on Worship Archive

Nos une el deseo de ver a nuestros jóvenes ser parte integral y desarrollar su liderazgo en la iglesia, la pregunta es, ¿cómo? Partiendo del trabajo, las experiencias y la investigación de siete líderes latinos cuyas congregaciones y grupos paraeclesiásticos son incubadoras de liderazgo para los jóvenes en sus comunidades, en esta sesión exploraremos conceptos prácticos para expandir nuestra imaginación y conocimiento, con el fi n de fomentar la innovación en la iglesia que conlleve a desarrollar el potencial de liderazgo entre la juventud.


The Formative Power Of How We Listen To Worship Music, Anna Nekola Jan 2020

The Formative Power Of How We Listen To Worship Music, Anna Nekola

Symposium on Worship Archive

How do you listen to worship music? What technology is involved? What sensory experiences are significant? How do you interpret and evaluate them—and then explain them to others? In every culture and century, listening practices shape singing practices. Together, they shape our “praying through singing” practices. Come to this workshop to explore with fresh eyes aspects of our ordinary engagement with music that we rarely pause to examine, and to explore what this could mean for faithful, vital worship ministry today.


Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence In Neglected Neighborhoods, Jonathan Brooks Jan 2020

Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence In Neglected Neighborhoods, Jonathan Brooks

Symposium on Worship Archive

In this workshop, we will challenge local churches to rediscover that loving our neighbors means loving our neighborhoods. Unpacking the themes of Jeremiah 29, we will see how Christians can be fully present in local communities, building homes and planting gardens for the common good. We will also discuss how community stakeholders and civic leaders can rediscover that churches are viable partners in community transformation in ways they may never have considered.


Praying At The Table, Praying At The Font, Calvin Symposium On Worship, Lester Ruth Jan 2020

Praying At The Table, Praying At The Font, Calvin Symposium On Worship, Lester Ruth

Symposium on Worship Archive

For 2,000 years, one central component of Lord’s Supper and baptism liturgies has been compelling doxological prayers modeled in part after the pattern of the psalms and Jewish prayers of thanksgiving. But for Protestants who are a bit allergic to pre-written or set prayers, these symphonic doxological prayers may seem unusual or strange. Come to this session to explore with four worship teachers from four Protestant traditions some insights and learning about introducing or re-introducing robust prayers of thanksgiving at the font and the table in ways that can also introduce children and new believers to the grand metanarrative of …


Collaborative Art In The Church: How To Start, Regina Jupp Jan 2020

Collaborative Art In The Church: How To Start, Regina Jupp

Symposium on Worship Archive

This session is designed for anyone from artist, to layperson, to worship pastor, to theologian. How can we come together to construct a thriving visual arts ministry? How do we ensure that church art is both understandable and theologically sound? One way to incorporate meaningful, appreciated art into the local church is by involving as many people as possible. While that can seem risky or overwhelming, in this hour, we will learn how to use teamwork to our advantage and explore a collaborative model for future projects. This workshop is a condensed version of Thursday’s seminar.


Psalm Singing And The Mission Of The Church, Wendell Kimbrough Jan 2020

Psalm Singing And The Mission Of The Church, Wendell Kimbrough

Symposium on Worship Archive

Why sing psalms? Does it matter how we sing them? For many, psalm singing is a nice idea (because they’re in the Bible), but not essential to the mission of the church. In this workshop, songwriter and worship artist Wendell Kimbrough will share from personal experience and biblical conviction why he believes the church cannot thrive without singing psalms. He’ll share the vision that informs his work as a songwriter and how he’s connected the dots between the Great Commission, emotional wholeness, and the challenge of the psalms. We’ll spend time singing and have a lively conversation.


A Tale Of Two Rivers, Swee Hong Lim, Lester Ruth Jan 2020

A Tale Of Two Rivers, Swee Hong Lim, Lester Ruth

Symposium on Worship Archive

Most histories of contemporary worship emphasize well-known stories like the conversion of hippies in southern California in the late 1960s or the rise of megachurches in the 1980s. While those events are important, there are whole other backstories behind the rise of band-based, technology-driven, hand-raising, extended-singing worship. This workshop will lay out a much fuller history than you’ve ever heard before (including a sampling of music through the years) and raise some pastoral questions for discussion.


Lessons On Developing Young Leaders, Elizabeth Tamez Phd Jan 2020

Lessons On Developing Young Leaders, Elizabeth Tamez Phd

Symposium on Worship Archive

We are united in our desire to see young people be an integral part of and leaders in the church. The question is, how? In this session, we draw from the work, experiences, and research of seven Latin@ leaders whose congregations and parachurch groups are leadership incubators for young people in their communities. We will explore practical concepts to expand our imaginations and know-how in fostering innovation in the church towards developing young leaders.


Epiclesis In Action: Songs Of The Others, Swee Hong Lim Jan 2020

Epiclesis In Action: Songs Of The Others, Swee Hong Lim

Symposium on Worship Archive

In the early 21st century, North American congregations were captivated by non-Western (global) songs and rushed to embrace them despite the underlying concerns of cultural appropriation and authentic performance practice. This session seeks to offer Scriptural principles and pastoral suggestions for enabling this body of congregational songs to revitalize our congregations.


Suffering For Living The Good, Jared E. Alcantara, Maria Monteiro, Mariachi Ágape Jan 2020

Suffering For Living The Good, Jared E. Alcantara, Maria Monteiro, Mariachi Ágape

Symposium on Worship Archive

A service of the Word and Table from the 2020 Calvin Symposium on Worship, including songs from the bilingual hymnal Santo, Santo, Santo led by Maria Monteiro and Mariachi Ágape, and preaching by Jared E. Alcántara on 1 Peter 3:8-11.


A Living Hope: A Service Of The Word On 1 Peter 1:3-9, Betsy Devries, Paul Ryan, Jonathan Hehn Osl Jan 2020

A Living Hope: A Service Of The Word On 1 Peter 1:3-9, Betsy Devries, Paul Ryan, Jonathan Hehn Osl

Symposium on Worship Archive

A service from the 2020 Calvin Symposium on Worship led by Paul Ryan, the Calvin University Worship Apprentices, and Jonathan Hehn, with Betsy DeVries preaching on 1 Peter 1:3-9. View service playlist.


From Longing To Belonging: Connecting Through The Language Of Worship With Persons Experiencing Dementia, Barbara J. Newman Jan 2020

From Longing To Belonging: Connecting Through The Language Of Worship With Persons Experiencing Dementia, Barbara J. Newman

Symposium on Worship Archive

Looking for continued connection points with congregational members experiencing dementia? This session will equip and inspire you with practical tools for visiting and learning together. The language of worship serves as the springboard into continued relationship and a meaningful time together.


Universal And Responsive Design For Missional Worship: A Vision Of Inclusion, Kevin J. Adams, Christopher Flesoras Phd, Barbara J. Newman Jan 2020

Universal And Responsive Design For Missional Worship: A Vision Of Inclusion, Kevin J. Adams, Christopher Flesoras Phd, Barbara J. Newman

Symposium on Worship Archive

This is a workshop about how to stock your congregation’s garden shed with the tools needed to be a missional church that welcomes people of various backgrounds, situations, and abilities into the worship setting. It offers a vision as well as practical ideas for implementing an inclusive design for worship.


Intergenerational Congregational Singing: A Foretaste Of Heaven On Earth, Herbert H. Tsang Jan 2020

Intergenerational Congregational Singing: A Foretaste Of Heaven On Earth, Herbert H. Tsang

Symposium on Worship Archive

Why is congregational singing so important? How can we encourage our congregation to sing better? As part of the learning we glean from the Vital Worship Grant project, we will explore the importance of congregational singing and the possibility of revitalizing this important aspect of our corporate spiritual disciplines with a focus on fostering intergenerational worship. Ideas for cultivating a vibrant and passionate singing culture in our church will also be explored.


Worship God With The Dance! The Deep Connections Between Worship And Dance, Kathleen S. Turner Jan 2020

Worship God With The Dance! The Deep Connections Between Worship And Dance, Kathleen S. Turner

Symposium on Worship Archive

The guiding question for this workshop is: What is the relationship between liturgy and liturgical dance, and how does such a relationship enhance church worship? This workshop will explore the ways in which Scripture, liturgy, and sacred song create avenues for expression and interpretation by and through liturgical dance movement. These avenues of movement expression and interpretation help to bring clarity and comprehension to both liturgy and one’s knowledge of the Most High God. It will pay particular attention to the use of the body as an expressive instrument that embodies and displays reflective thought and honest emotion as expressed …


Everything I Learned About Giving A Eulogy I Learned From A Science Fiction Novel, W. David O. Taylor Jan 2020

Everything I Learned About Giving A Eulogy I Learned From A Science Fiction Novel, W. David O. Taylor

Symposium on Worship Archive

Christians have all too often failed to think thoroughly and biblically or theologically about the nature of a good word in the fi nal testimony of a person’s life and have instead allowed the practice of eulogizing to be determined by Greco-Roman and popular ideas. In this workshop we will explore what it means to speak the unvarnished truth about the deceased in such a way that the grace of God becomes the focal point rather than the dead person’s decency, niceness, or superlative accomplishments.


Flow: An Ancient Way To Contemporary Worship, Lester Ruth Jan 2020

Flow: An Ancient Way To Contemporary Worship, Lester Ruth

Symposium on Worship Archive

Is there a way to follow the prescribed order of worship from mainline denominational worship resources in a way that feels legitimately and authentically contemporary? That is the question this workshop will try to answer. The source for this answer is ancient, from the earliest centuries of the church. Step by step, we’ll break down the process of rethinking what official orders of worship are calling for so that pastors and worship leaders can plan and lead a Word and Table order that feels genuinely contemporary. This workshop will cast a new, but classic understanding of traditional worship as well …


Bridging Centuries And Continents: Ethiopian Art And The Art Of Laura James, Laura James Jan 2020

Bridging Centuries And Continents: Ethiopian Art And The Art Of Laura James, Laura James

Symposium on Worship Archive

In her presentation, New York City-based artist Laura James will speak briefly about Ethiopia’s early religious history and Ethiopian Christian art. She will display images of various types of Ethiopian iconography as well as her own work. She will also discuss her background and introduction to Ethiopian art, and she’ll share about her work in The Book of the Gospels and other recent projects.


Guardian Angel Painting, Laura James Jan 2020

Guardian Angel Painting, Laura James

Symposium on Worship Archive

“For God will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways . . .” —Psalm 91:11 Guardian angels and other protective images have long been used by the Christian faithful in Ethiopia as in many other religious traditions. Artist Laura James will speak briefly about Ethiopian Christian art and its guardian angel tradition. Participants will then be guided to paint their own guardian angels.


When The Story About A Song Changes How We Sing The Song, Emily R. Brink, Swee Hong Lim, Anna Nekola, Lester Ruth, Eric Washington Jan 2020

When The Story About A Song Changes How We Sing The Song, Emily R. Brink, Swee Hong Lim, Anna Nekola, Lester Ruth, Eric Washington

Symposium on Worship Archive

If a worship song is a self-contained item with text and tune, able to stand and be used independently of its origins, why do worshipers like to know the background stories behind the hymns and choruses they love? Does it make a difference when we know something about songwriters, their context, and the situation out of which specific songs come? Does the desire to know a song’s history tell us more about the song or about ourselves? This seminar on songwriting stories will explore these questions and more.


Universal Design For Worship In Action: Cultural, Curricular, And Personal Application, Elizabeth Bajema, Barbara J. Newman, Kevin Timpe, Herbert H. Tsang, Latonya Mciver Penny Jan 2020

Universal Design For Worship In Action: Cultural, Curricular, And Personal Application, Elizabeth Bajema, Barbara J. Newman, Kevin Timpe, Herbert H. Tsang, Latonya Mciver Penny

Symposium on Worship Archive

Learn from our panelists what universal design for worship looks like from their experiences within an adult small group Bible study, the African-American church, family life linked to church life, and the Chinese church in Canada. The rich expertise represented in the panelists will be sure to inspire and impact your own worshiping community.