Religion Commons^™

A New Testament Theology Of God As Father (Abba) As The Hermeneutical Key To The Teaching Of Christ On Prayer In The Gospels, John Joseph Schmelzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When Jesus of Nazareth lifted His eyes to Heaven in Matthew 6:9 and taught His disciples to address Yahweh, the covenant God of Judaism as Father (πατήρ, אַבָּא), this was an offense of blasphemy and presumption culpable of death for His Jewish audience; unless it was true (John 5:18). Not only was Father the distinctive and unique term given to God by Jesus, but there is almost universal scholarly consensus that behind the Greek πατήρ is the Aramaic Abba (Αββα, אַבָּא) (Mark 14:36). In both the ANE and Jewish contexts of the Old Testament and first-century Israel, it was unparalleled …

Spiritual Disciplines And Mental Resiliency: The Effectiveness Of Spiritual Coping Mechanisms To Decrease Anxiety And Depression Symptoms, Alysa Lynn Vanderweerd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The outcome of anxiety and depression’s symptomology is an ever-rising global economy cost of 1 trillion U.S. dollars, due to medical costs and loss of productivity, leading researchers and clinicians to search for effective cost saving solutions (Chodavadia et al., 2023). Religion/Spirituality (RS) based cognitive therapy treatments are recognized in alleviating maladaptive behaviors and cognitive distortions, offering comfort to the afflicted, hope and belief that God is available for the seeker (Ramos et al., 2018). Therefore, the researcher conducted an internet-based, self-paced intervention of a mixed methods study of a 40-Day Biblical Worldview Educational Treatment Program of a convenience sample …

Swinging Bridge - April 2024, Ethan Reisler

Student Newspapers & Magazines

Issue contents include:

• Playlist
  • Sabrina's Pulse-Picks Playlist
• Summer Jobs
• The Swinging Bridge Devotional
  • Written By Students, For Students
• The Road Back Home
  • Returning Home Over Summer
• Ramos & Kovalchick
• Next Year’s Presidential Elect
• The International Gala
• A Two Phase Plan
  • Starry Athletic Complex’s Constructions
• Senior Spotlight
• Got Breakfast?
  • Lottie And Union’s Reduced Hours
• Generational Shifts
  • Engaging Faith In Gen Z
• A Sisterhood Of Swimmers
• A Year In Review
• Movie Reviews
• Satire

The Nature Of Beauty And Its Objective Manifestation Serve As Evidence Of The God Described In The Bible, Michael S. Libby

Masters Theses

In exploring the concept of objective beauty in nature, a strong argument emerges for the existence of a divine creator as described in the Bible. This thesis, titled “The Nature of Beauty and its Objective Manifestation Serve as Evidence of the God Described in the Bible,” proposes that the intricate design and objective manifestation of beauty in the world are indicative of a higher transcendent being, prompting us to contemplate the profound mysteries of creation and the interconnectedness of aesthetics and spirituality. Through this lens of beauty, we are challenged to engage in a thought-provoking discourse that encompasses apologetics, philosophy, …

The Crucifixion And Death Of Jesus In The Qur'an And Islamic Scholarship: The "Swoon Theory" And The Medical Perspective, Emmanuel K. Asante

Masters Theses

The crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ is a profound event that holds immense theological significance within Christianity. However, the Islamic perspective as presented in the Qur'an, offers a distinct portrayal of this event, giving rise to an argument known as the Swoon Theory. This theory suggests that Jesus did not die on the cross but instead survived the crucifixion, prompting various interpretations and implications. This thesis aims to explore the depiction of the crucifixion and death of Jesus in the Qur'an, focusing specifically on the swoon theory and its relationship with the medical perspective. By examining relevant Qur'anic verses …

Swinging Bridge - March 2024, Ethan Reisler

Student Newspapers & Magazines

Issue contents include:

• Playlist
  • Sabrina's Valentine's Mixtape
• A Roof Over Your Head
  • Special Interest Housing
• Wizard Battle
  • A Cultivation Of Creative Genuity
• The Swinging Bridge Devotional
  • Written By Students, For Students
• The Lady Falcons
  • A Women's Basketball Dynasty
• Balancing Nutrition Under Dietary Restrictions
• A Revolution Of Missional Athletes
  • Sports For God's Glory
• Sexuality And Gender Education
• Messiah's Gym Culture
• The Culmination Of Craft
  • Senior Art Galleries
• Movie Reviews
• Satire

Swinging Bridge - February 2024, Ethan Reisler

Student Newspapers & Magazines

Contents of issue:

• Playlist
  • Sabrina's Valentine's Mixtape
• Ambassadors For Residential Ministry
• I attended
  • A New Approach To Chapel Attendance
• The Swinging Bridge Devotional
  • Written By Students, For Students
• Words Without Faces
  • Anonymous Social Media On Campus
• The Road Back Home
  • Returning From Study Abroad
• Honors Program Pivots
  • The Future Of Gpa Requirements
• Chris Nyachiwowa
  • A First-Generation Student Athlete
• Reinforcing Dining Dollar Policy
  • Lottie’s Student Discount
• Intramural Sports
  • Students As Players And Referees
• Movie Reviews
• Satire

Swinging Bridge - December 2023, Ethan Reisler

Student Newspapers & Magazines

Issue contents include:

• Playlist
  • Sabrina's Sweater Weather Soundtracks
• Sink Or Swim
  • Managing Stress
• The Swinging Bridge Devotional
  • Written By Students, For Students
• Meet The Managers
• The Special Olympics
  • Messiah's Original Service Day
• Service Animals
  • An Expansion To The Student Body
• Man VS. Machine
  • The Writing Center's Place Amongst AI
• Student Art Submissions
• Movie Reviews
• Satire

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 …

Swinging Bridge - November 2023, Ethan Reisler

Student Newspapers & Magazines

Issue contents include:

• Playlist
  • Sabrina's Sweater Wheather Soundtracks
• November Calender
  • Student Event's On Cmapus
• Dr. Ye
  • Pioneering Chinese Language And Culture At Messiah
• Off Campus Hangout Destinations
  • Students Favorite Places To Visit Off Campus
• The Swinging Bridge Devotional
  • Written By Students, For Students
• Expiration Dates
• Spreading Love Near And Far
• Featured Club
  • Spikeball

The Son's Easy Yoke And Light Burden: A Biblical Theology Study Of Matthew 11:25-30, Keegan Matheson

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Matthew 11:25-30 is a rich passage that reveals the nature of God's revelation to His people and the spiritual rest that He generously offers to them. This paper discusses both of these prominent themes and how they connect this passage with the rest of God's grand story. Furthermore, this paper addresses the implications of this passage on the life of a disciple.

A Biblical Theological Analysis Of Isaiah 11:1-10, Kaeley Sells

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Fear, unrest, and hopelessness were just some of the emotions that marked those living in Judah during the time that Isaiah was writing. Following the realization of the reality that Judah is to be destroyed, Isaiah was motivated to give prophetic words of encouragement to the people. He wrote to shed light on the great plan God had for His people and the ultimate righteousness, hope, and peace that He promises His people. For many today the emotions of fear, restlessness, and desolation are everyday occurrences as people wrestle with hopelessness amidst a world that seems to be falling apart. …

Ezekiel 36:24-28: God Promises Salvation For The Sake Of His Name, Emerson Claire Jones

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Ezekiel 36:24-28 is an important passage both for the original audience and for modern day Christians. In this paper, the connections between this passage and the rest of the biblical narrative will be addressed. Why is God saying that He will give Israel a new heart? What is the motivation of God's action? How should we respond today? What led Israel to be in this position? These are all questions that will be addressed.

Swinging Bridge - October 2023, Ethan Reisler

Student Newspapers & Magazines

Issue contents include:

• The Swinging Bridge Devotional
  • Written By Students By Students
• Playlist
  • Indie Introductions
• Merging Physical And Mental Healthcare
  • How The Engle Centers
  • Addition Aims To Benifit All
• The Falcon Dictionary
  • For First Year Students
• Poolside Faith
  • Joshua Clarke's Christ Centered Swim Team
• Movie Reveiws
• Photospread
• Satire

Matthew 11:25-30: Finding Rest In The Yoke And Providence Of God, Emerson Claire Jones

Biblical Studies Student Projects

In this fallen world, it is difficult to find rest. As life fills with meetings and activities, resting well can feel impossible. Jesus offers true and lasting rest for his people. He reveals himself to the lowly and lifts their burdens. Through examining Matthew 11:25-30, the easy and light yoke of Jesus is explained.

Cultural Contours Of A Christian Worldview: A Review Of Biblical Critical Theory, Donald Roth

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Watkin is weaving together Biblical themes in the order that they develop, letting Scripture set the agenda for what will be considered, rather than some other approach."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the book Biblical Critical Theory from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/cultural-contours-of-a-christian-worldview-a-review-of-biblical-critical-theory/

The Bible In Full Color: A High School Bible Study On The Inductive Bible Study Method, Margaret Gregory

Senior Honors Theses

Modern Christianity is saturated with Bible studies for students. However, a crucial skill the Christian student needs to learn – how to study the Bible independently – is a topic difficult to find in contemporary youth Bible study curricula. While there is a wealth of biblically sound, helpful Bible studies that students can benefit from, it is essential that students do not remain dependent on these resources. One goal for youth ministry leaders is that their students graduate high school with the knowledge and tools they need to interpret the Scriptures for themselves correctly. The creative thesis will be an …

Bible Or Qur'Ān? Which Passes The Bibliographical Test, Raini J. Yeakel

Masters Theses

A customary interrogation tactic used against Christians is to question the transmissional accuracy of the Bible from the Apostle’s writing to the present. Muslims are especially antagonistic in this accusation while asserting the superiority of the Qur’ān to near perfect transmissional accuracy. However, they are egregiously mistaken in these assertions. Though on the surface, the bibliographical test might begin to look like the Qur’ān may surpass the Bible, a more in-depth investigation proves otherwise. The fact that the Qur’ān does not, and never has, had a sole autograph but, instead, many varying writings attempting to preserve Mohammad’s teachings. Then later …

Biblical Models For Salvation And Some Implications For Today, Scott Gambrill Sinclair

The Scott Sinclair Lecture Notes Collection

A Series of Conferences for the Monks of New Camaldoli, Big Sur

The Word According To Flannery O'Connor, Eamon Maher

Articles

In her relatively short life (1925-1964), one that was greatly curtailed as a result of being diagnosed with lupus (a disease from which her father also died in 1952), Flannery O’Connor managed to leave behind a literary legacy that continues to fascinate scholars and general readers alike. This is all the more surprising when one considers that the work consists of just two novels, Wise Blood (1952) and The Violent Bear It Away (1960), along with 31 short stories.

The Consistency Of The Kingdom Of God Through Israel's Unconditional Covenants, Myungwoo Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Bible consistently presents one common theme: the kingdom of God. Biblical theology focuses on God’s faithfulness, wisdom, and purpose in the process of redemption. The Old Testament expresses the firm belief that God will surely fulfill His covenants and reign forever. The Old Testament prophets believed that the Messiah would come for judgment and salvation. They consistently prophesied the birth and reign of the Messiah, which connects the Old and New Testaments. There is a continuity between the Old and New Testaments. The promises made to Israel in the Old Testament will be fulfilled for Israel, not the church. …

Sheol, Hades, Gehenna, And Hell: Concepts Of The Afterlife In The Bible, Félix H. Cortez, Keldie Paroschi

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

From Handmaids To Princesses: How Identity And Politics Impact Definitions Of Biblical Rape, Gabrielle R. Isaac-Herzog

Classical Mediterranean and Middle East Honors Projects

The politics of sex in the Bible are complex. They are impacted and limited by the time of the stories, as well as the political landscape and laws of the region. However, since many modern religions have emerged from the text of the Hebrew Bible, it is important for scholars to continue the work of critically examining the texts in the contemporary context. This paper offers a textual analysis of several biblical stories through a feminist and decolonial lens. Through the generation of a taxonomy by which these stories can be categorized, this paper posits that the biblical definitions of …

Jesus’S Subversive Reading Of The Isaian Jubilee: Luke 4:16–30 In Theological-Historiographical Perspective, Jeff Scott Kennedy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A growing number of scholars have proposed that Luke, or his sources, fabricated the story of Jesus reading a text in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:14–30) in order to appeal to the literate sensibilities of Luke’s Greek audience. The thesis of this dissertation is that Luke’s portrayal of Jesus as a capable public reader and expositor of the Scripture is historically credible and Christologically significant. Rather than implying that Jesus was a scribal-literate reader, Luke’s synagogue narrative signals that Jesus was a capable and a welcomed lay-reader of the Prophets, and a capable yet unwelcomed expositor who appeared to have …

Just Don't Call It Reformed Christianity, John B. Thompson

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.

Premarital Counseling And Christianity: A Composition Of Couples Intuition And Understanding As It Relates To Marital Satisfaction, Sheila Delores Salley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Increasing divorce rates in the United States of America have resulted in Premarital Counseling (PMC) gaining grave popularity over the last couple of decades. There has been a proliferation of premarital counseling programs in the United States of America since the 1930s with a thrust toward building and sustaining satisfying marriages. Traditional premarital counseling programs focus on ensuring satisfaction once the couple is married; however, there is a significant gap in researching the impact of incorporating Christian values as a means of therapeutic intervention. This study involved eight Christian, African American, heterosexual couples who received Christian-based PMC (CPMC) and have …

A Defense Of The Resurrection Miracle And Critique Of The Hallucination Theory, Joshua James Smothers

Masters Theses

Many Christian scholars simply laugh at the notion of the Hallucination theory. However, while it is laughable that the hallucination theory claims the disciples of Jesus all shared a hallucination in which they saw their beloved friend risen from the grave, there is more to the hallucination theory than meets the eye. This thesis defends the resurrection using history while critiquing the hallucination theory. Jesus did rise from the grave in the same physical body that was crucified at Calvary, and the disciple's claims of seeing a risen Jesus are true and can be proven with fact and evidence.

The Sticks Of Judah And Joseph: Reflections On Defending The Kingdom, Joseph M. Spencer

Faculty Publications

I wish to pursue two tasks simultaneously in this essay. First, in line with its title, I will address a very old matter of interpretation. I aim to explain as definitively as possible how to make sense of the relationship between Ezekiel 37:15–19, with its talk of the sticks of Judah and Joseph, and the claims of the Restoration, which include somehow connecting the stick of Joseph to the Book of Mormon. Second, in line with the subtitle of this essay, I wish to draw a crucial lesson from the history of how Latter-day Saints have dealt with this issue …

The Historical Role Of Leviticus 25 In Naturalizing Anti-Black Racism, James Watts

Religion - All Scholarship

Leviticus 25:39–46 describes a two-tier model of slavery that distinguishes Israelites from foreign slaves. It requires that Israelites be indentured only temporarily while foreigners can be enslaved as chattel (permanent property). This model resembles the distinction between White indentured slaves and Black chattel slaves in the American colonies. However, the biblical influence on these early modern practices has been obscured by the rarity of citations of Lev. 25:39–46 in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century sources about slavery. This article reviews the history of slavery from ancient Middle Eastern antiquity through the seventeenth century to show the unique degree to which early modern …

Soteriology: Using The Classroom To Develop A Theology Of The Gospel, Charles R. Goodman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to confront and correct the level of gospel misunderstanding found within the project director’s ministry context at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College. Through Anonymously surveying a group of ministry students at CCBBC regarding their understanding of the gospel, their level of gospel misunderstanding was assessed. The project director constructed lectures to articulate a theology of the gospel curriculum that he presented to this same group of ministry students. Then, he anonymously surveyed this same group of ministry students again to determine the amount of growth the students acquired as a result of engaging with …