Religion Commons^™

A Wesleyan Approach To Knowledge, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

This presentation explores how Wesley’s philosophical and theological commitments shaped his approach to scriptural interpretation, and how this has particular implications for doing faith integration. Within this presentation, the empiricist tradition is defined and compared with rationalism, Catholic and Reformed/Calvinist views on human nature and divine providence are compared with Wesleyan views, the Wesleyan doctrine of grace is explained, and the roots of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral are traced.

Wesleyan values call for an integrative approach to faith. Knowledge should not be compartmentalized into sacred and secular spheres. An integrative approach to knowledge and faith suggests that we should seek to …

Approaching Christianity: Exploring The Tragic Impact Of Greek Philosophical Thought On Christian Thought, Tammy Galvan-Barnett

M.A. in Political Theory Theses

This study explores the impact of Greek philosophical thought on Christian thought. I argue that Greek dualism is the fundamental contradiction in Christian thought creating problems for the doctrines of Christianity and ultimately thwarting a biblical approach to Christianity. From the early days of Christianity, Greek philosophy became absorbed into Christian thinking. Christian theology is often incorrectly interpreted through Platonic metaphysics. Platonic Christianity distinguishes between sacred and secular realms of the cosmos and devalues physical things. Furthermore, the tragedy is not only that Greek philosophy has had such a profound impact on Christianity, but also that its influence is still …

Frank Lloyd Wright: Influences And Worldview, Brock Stafford

M.A. in Philosophy of History Theses

Wright was uniquely qualified to see the changing face of America. Born two years after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the end of the Civil War, Wright lived to nearly ninety-two years of age. During his lifetime, he lived through the American Industrial Revolution, both World Wars, the Wright Brothers flight, the invention of television.... Architecturally, he straddles the gap between the neoclassical period of the 19th century, marked by the admiration of Greek and Roman architecture, and the modernism of the 20th. Philosophically, he was a product of the early 19th century Romanticism, but followed his own, often …

"God's Recurring Dream:" Assessing The New Monastic Movement Through A Historical Comparison, Kimberly C. Kennedy

M.A. in Philosophy of History Theses

In April of 1208, Francis of Assisi came to Rome with a handful of his followers, seeking papal permission to found a new religious order. Innocent III had other issues on his mind at the time. But tradition holds that a dream changed the pope’s mind, and he gave his qualified approval to the order of the Friars Minor that day. His gamble was vindicated by history. Twenty years later, Francis of Assisi was canonized, beloved by all Christendom as the founder of the Franciscan mendicant order. His order and others like it constituted a revolutionary departure from traditional monasticism. …

Generations: A Family Ministry Curriculum, Bethany Abbott

Honors Program Projects

This Honors Capstone Project created the opportunity to create a children’s church curriculum influenced by the ideas of family ministry. The paper includes an introduction to the writer’s vision and goals, a review of literature focused on what family ministry is and why it is important, a description of the curriculum project, and the creator’s reflection on the project. The first appendix of the paper includes the curriculum elements (philosophy, theology, a two-year curriculum scope and sequence, two examples of Sunday morning curriculum and take-home materials, as well as a curriculum website design and parent event outline). An additional appendix …

Early Glimpses Of Women In Ministry Within Early Holiness Organizations And The Church Of The Nazarene, Robert Doyle Smith

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

Paper first presented at the Women in Ministry Conference held at Glasgow University in May 2012. The conference celebrated the first woman, Olive Winchester, to be ordained in the UK. As a document delivered in a speaking context it does not include the normal documentation.

Reading the journals of the three primary groups that merged to form the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene (PCN) in 1907 and 1908 reveals the context that made possible the ordination of Olive Winchester and her early ministry within the PCN. This paper provides glimpses of women minsters through the journals of these early groups …

Symbolic And Literal Interpretations Of Eschatological Passages: Reconsidering Biblical Language, Carl M. Leth

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

The lessons of the history of exegesis serve as the primary resource in addressing the question of problematic eschatological passages of Scripture and the challenge of rightly discerning the correct reading. Our goal is a hermeneutic that is adequate for our understanding of the text. If our understanding of the text – and the reality to which it refers - is multivalent, then our hermeneutic must be adequate to account for multivalent meaning. Neither endlessly plural, nor narrowly referential, historical exegesis approaches the text as rich with inherent, but multivalent meaning. When asked if the text should be understood literally …

Chicago Central District 2012 : 108th Annual Assembly Journal, Church Of The Nazarene. Chicago Central District

District Assembly Journals

Proceedings and reports from the session held at Danville First Church of the Nazarene, Danville, Illinois, April 15-16, 2012. Dr. J. K. Warrick, General Superintendent, and Dr. Brian Wilson, District Superintendent.

Olivet Nazarene University Annual Catalog 2012-2013, Olivet Nazarene University

Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Ethics As Relational, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

This essay explores the relational nature of ethics. Rather than envision ethics as an abstract set of rules, goals, virtues, etc., we should understand ethics as part of the process of establishing and fostering relationships both with God and with others. Consequently, promoting the well-being and happiness of others is a central part of ethics.