Christianity Commons^™

The Way International, Its History, Theology And Impact On The Church, Douglas Morton

Master of Divinity Thesis

This paper deals with one such cult. Its founder is a man named Victor Paul Wierwille. The name of the false spiritual movement connected with this man is The Way International. This is a name that I am sure the Church will be hearing more of in the future. It can be classified among the new cults which have sprung up in America during the last few decades.

This paper will, in only a brief way, give the reader a look at this group. The hope is that the paper will give the reader a look at the insides of …

The Bahai Faith- A Theological Analysis Of A World Religion, Mark Mueller

Master of Divinity Thesis

What, then, is a Bahai? Bahai is a person who accepts Baha'u'llah as his Lord, knows his teachings and obeys his precepts; the Bahai religion is the religion of Baha.

An Autonomous Lutheran Church In Canada In A Time Of Rising Nationalism, Roger Ellis

Master of Divinity Thesis

While this paper is concerned with the historical development of the fellowship discussions among the three church bodies it will be presented here in a cursory fashion for itis not the main intention of this paper to be a history. The LC-C has just commissioned the writing and publishing of a book on this very subject which is now available in paperback, written by the Rev. Albert Schwermann. What this paper will try to demonstrate and say is that the United States is a foreign country, different from Canada, and that in this time of rising nationalism in Canada it …

Michael Praetorius Creuzbergensis-The Man, The Musician, The Theologian: An Introduction, David Susan

Master of Divinity Thesis

One particular focus of this paper will be Praetorius' theology of music, woven of the thread of coneio et cantio, sermon and song, that runs through the prefaces and dedicatory letters to many of his works.

The overall purpose of this paper is to make available in English an introduction to the music and thought of Praetorius, since most of the primary sources and much of the secondary literature are not translated. Material quoted in the text from German and Latin sources has been translated into English, and a translation of one important primary source, his Funeral Sermon, is appended …

The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod And World War I-A Study Of The Loyalty Problem During World War I And Theodore Conrad Graebner's Attempt To Solve It, Walter Steinbach

Master of Divinity Thesis

This paper deals with troubles experienced by the Missouri Synod in general, but its answer to the major problems are based almost exclusively on the writings of Professor Theodore Conrad Graebner. Professor Graebner was on the faculty at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1914 he assumed the role as co-editor of the Lutheran Witness, the official English periodical of the Missouri Synod. Professor Graebner was probably the most important leader of the Missouri Synod who attempted to prove its loyalty during this time. He also became the advisor, for many pastors who did not know what to do …

Close Communion, Stephen Bartelt

Master of Divinity Thesis

The scope of-this study, rather, is to see where the Lutheran church has stood on the practice, as well as its reasons for standing where it has. Within these limits, furthermore, no claim is laid to the comprehensiveness of the treatment. The material presented is selective. The excursion into the practice of the early church was included for two reasons. First, the study Eucharist and Church Fellowship in the First Four Centuries by Werner Elert indicates that the practice of closed communion was maintained in the early church for some of the same reasons it was practiced among Lutherans. Secondly, …

Dr. Adolph A. Brux And Prayer Fellowship In The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, John Marschhausen

Master of Divinity Thesis

The purpose of this paper is to explore the case of Dr.Adolph A. Brux and his relations with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod on the subject of prayer fellowship, and in doing that to discover what effect, if any, the work of Dr.Brux had upon the Missouri Synod. F. Dean Lueking, in his book, Mission in the Making, terms the period between 1920and 1940 "The Struggle for Vision" within Missouri. It is in this period that the case between Dr. Brux and the Missouri Synod took place, and it is during this time that one can begin to see the shift …

The Scriptural And Confessional Stance Of American Lutheranism 1742-1867, Arthur Gillespie

Master of Divinity Thesis

What kind of things did our American Lutheran forefathers say about the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions? This was the initial question behind the research in this paper. How did they express what they believed about the documents? There are quite a few words that surround our expressions of fidelity to the Bible and the Confessions. We are continually in dialogue about what we are really saying when we use them. Are they adequate for our intentions? Should we retire some of them? By means of this paper we hope to discover what was said and what was meant by …

An Investigation Of The Origin And Development Of The "Gesellschaft Zur Unterstutzung Von Prediger- U. Schullehrer- Wittwen U. Waisen Innerhalb Der Ev. Luth. Synode Von Missouri, Ohio U. A. Staaten", Erwin Lueker

Master of Divinity Thesis

It is the purpose of this paper to investigate the origin and development of this organization within Synod as a whole from the proposal for such an organization in 1850 up until 1889, when the various districts officially took over the support of the widows and orphans of Pastors and teachers.

The History Of Women's Rights In The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, Robert Fitzpatrick

Master of Divinity Thesis

The shift in the practical position was made possible by a new approach to the interpretation of the Scriptural passages historically used as guides for establishing policy in regard to the question of women's rights in the church. I am not here attempting to be an exegete or a hermeneutician. The nature of this study is historical. I have attempted to report what happened, when it happened', and why it happened, an/to indicate the changes in the approach to .the passages involved which aid in understanding the shifts in practice which have occurred.

The Origin Of Origen's Origins, Kenneth Bernthal

Master of Divinity Thesis

It is the purpose of this paper to trace a small piece of the history of man's answers to these eternal questions of Whence? Why? and Whither? We shall see how Origen, one of the early Christian church fathers, answered these questions in a work the vastness and completeness of which is exceeded only by the genius of its author.

Various Muslim Interpretations Of The Curcifixion Of Jesus In The Qur'an, Rodney Otto

Master of Divinity Thesis

This paper is a beginning attempt to understand the Qur'anic teaching on the crucifixion of Jesus. Since the Qur'an is the basis of all Islamic thought, it is the primary emphasis of the study. This was done through the books of S. Zwemer, J. Robson, and G. Parrinder as well as M. Pickthall's translation of the Qur’an itself. From this base some attempt has been made to understand the traditions which have grown around the Qur’an. Because the Ahmadiyyah movement is so vocal in its opposition to the crucifixion, it is treated as an illustration of present day Muslim thought …

Portent And Providence- An Investigation Of The Puritan Habit Of Deciphering The Will Of God In The Natural And The Preternatural With Special Reference To "The Scarlet Letter" By Nathaniel Hawthorne, Milton Sernett

Master of Divinity Thesis

This paper has something to do with both Puritan history and Nathaniel Hawthorne. As originally conceived it was entitled The Puritan Prolapsis: A Study in the Conception and Collapse of the "Holy Commonwealth," with Special Reference to the Interpretation of Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was to have been an attempt to isolate the basis, both experiential and theological, for the "Holy Commonwealth" and to determine what undermined the colony, especially as to the tension between the individual and the society in New England. However, after a good deal of research, it was found that such a problem would force a consideration …

The German-Russians: Their Heritage And Their Role In The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, Vernon Schindler

Master of Divinity Thesis

If it were necessary to state a reason for this paper at this time, the reader's attention is directed to the following facts; first of all, the United States Census for 1930reported a total of 303,532 German-Russians in the population of the United States. Secondly, numerous Lutheran congregations within this country, including the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, have a membership which is solidly. Of German-Russian extraction. Thirdly, these people have drifted away from the Lutheran church, in many cases, because they were not understood.

The German-Russians and their descendants are with us to stay. They and their descendants now number more …

An Analysis Of The History Of The Protestant Conference From 1927 - 1932, Luther Albrecht

Master of Divinity Thesis

If one were to ask a sample number of active Lutherans today, I feel that most of them would not be able to answer the question, "What is the Protestant Conference?" While discussing what the Protestant Conference is, other questions would also be raised such as: What did the Conference discuss in early meetings? Where did they meet? What type of organization, if any, did they strive to have? What insights into their theology can we gain? Who were some of the men that wrote and contributed to Protestant scholarship and theology? And many more questions could be raised.

This …