Christianity Commons^™

Theology Of The Laity: The Lutheran Way, Brian M. Mosemann

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

The distinction between the laity and clergy has been a contributing cause of disunity within the church because the clergy and laity are often pitted against one another with one or the other being elevated to the detriment of the other. This problem has plagued the church from the middle ages until the present day. Since the definition of the term “laity” is vacuous, the laity are generally defined relative to the clergy, specifically in reference to their authority and duties. This results in a negative definition when the laity are defined as the opposite of the clergy. The laity …

We Are All Eve: Rescuing The Mother Of All Things From Patriarchal Interpretation And Its Implications For Modern Christian Women, Maeve Pioli

Senior Theses

For centuries, the traditional Christian understanding of the Genesis narrative has relied heavily on the patriarchal biases of historic church figures to enforce a gendered hierarchy where women are deprived of authority, voice, and agency. My thesis deconstructs these misogynistic interpretations to provide liberating, alternative readings for the Garden of Eden as well as New Testament verses that utilize Eve’s transgression to justify women’s secondary status. As a former Christian, I have witnessed the persistence of this oppressive theology, often repackaged as a “complementary” relationship between sexes where women must dutifully submit to the headship of men. Therefore, by building …

Mercy Vs. Justice - Blood Of The Lamb, Ryan Murphy

Honors Projects

How did Christ's death save us? The Atonement is a Christian doctrine which has been heavily debated in how it should be understood since the beginnings of Christianity. This analysis covers the theological theories of the Atonement, narrates a Catholic layman's personal understanding that is based on scholarly research and is kept within the bounds of Catholic doctrine, and summarizes the thoughts and feelings of surveyed college-age Christians on the subject.

A Theology Of Creation Lived Out In Christian Hymnody, Beth Hoeltke

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Hoeltke, Beth June “A Theology of Creation Lived Out in Christian Hymnody.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2014. 308 pp.

A seminal article written by Lynn White in the mid-1960’s indicted Christianity as a major cause affecting the ecological crisis of the day. White emphasized that the Christian tradition practiced domination rather than dominion and ownership rather than stewardship. Since White’s article Christian theologians have challenged his interpretation. One of the unexamined sources of the church’s teaching on creation is hymnody. This dissertation examines this source. Hymns play a vital role in the church’s teaching as they have the ability to …

A Pastor And His Ministry: Gregory Thamaturgus' Address Of Thanksgiving To Origen As Pastoral Practice, Edwin Harkey

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

One such student of his times was Origen. In his writings we see glimpses that while his goal was ultimately a deeply spiritual one-no less than a union with the Divine-he seemed no stranger to a more holistic approach in his encounters with the students who placed themselves under his tutelage. One of those students, Gregory Thaumaturgus, often called the "Wonderworker," even bequeathed to the church a most revealing document that enables us to get a rare glimpse of Origen and his method and style. It is that document, Gregory's Address of Thanksgiving to Origen, that will be the subject …

Virtue Ethics And The Place Of Character Formation Within Lutheran Theology, Joel Biermann

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This study strives to provide a way for all parish pastors to reconsider the task of providing ethical training in a parish setting. The intent of this investigation is to encourage a shift in perception that will allow training in ethics to be evaluated and eventually adopted as both practically positive and theologically valid. Failing that ambitious goal, the study can at least prompt further discussion of the appropriate place of training in ethics, that is, teaching the practical matters of living the Christian life. Understood scripturally, the goal is quite simply to provide a way for congregations faithfully to …

Christology In Africa: Work In Progress, Carl Rockrohr

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

Can Jesus Christ be preached, teached and confessed only through the worldviews, philosophies and languages of the writers of the Nicene and Chalcedonian creeds? Can Christology be faithfully understood only from traditional Western perspectives? Now in the life of the Christian church in Africa at the end of 20th century, this is a question being addressed by a variety of African Christian theologians. This paper will: 1) briefly outline some difficulties currently being identified by African theologians and missionaries with Christology presented from Western world views in Africa; 2) overview some Christologies developed with an African perspective; and 3) review …

Aurelius Augustine's-Use Or Discarding Of The Classical Methodology Of Education To Promote The Christian Faith, Gordon Beck

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Thesis statement: It is the purpose of this paper to examine Augustine’s use or discarding of the classical methodology of education as found in his works de Ordine and de Doctrines Christiana.

Introduction: The tension in the early church between the Christian faith and pagan culture found a compromise in Augustine's declaration: "Every good and true Christian should understand that wherever he may find truth, it is the Lord's". This he declared in de Doctrines Christiana, 396.

Jerome On Virginity: An Analysis Of St. Jerome's Position On Consecrated Virginity And Celibacy And Their Relation To Marriage, Daniel Kempin

Master of Sacred Theology Seminar Papers

How and why Jerome came to be a champion of this cause is a story in itself, and his own accounts of his personal experience are often emotional and dramatic. Of greater significance, however, is the theological legacy to which Jerome contributed by his strong emphasis on Christian celibacy, particularly consecrated virginity. In this paper I will investigate Jerome's position on Christian celibacy and virginity, including the influences that contributed to his position, in order to identify the theological implications that were a part of his position, and to discuss briefly the exegesis with which he supported his position.

Ordination Liturgies, The Call Process, And The Office Of The Ministry In The Landeskirche Of Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel, 1569-1815, Kent Burreson

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Therefore this study intends to examine the rites on their own merit as historical evidence of the theological understanding of church and ministry that arose in a specific context—a contextual-historical study of rites concerned with forming pastors. As Smith asserts, "Liturgical events such as ordination do not occur in a vacuum. They are supported by an attendant structure which influences the way in which they are experienced and understood. The political, cultural, theological, and ecclesiastical context will be considered in order to determine the milieu and mindset in which the rites were framed and celebrated." Having determined the context, its …

The New Testament Concept Of Shame, Richard Paul Bode

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Is the society which gave birth to the New Testament a guilt society or a shame society? Is the function of shame in the New Testament psychological or sociological? To what degree does the sanction of shame determine the behavior and life of the followers of Christ? These are some of the initial questions which aroused interest in carrying out the present study. The function of shame in the early Christian community and its usage in the New Testament does not conform precisely to either the Eastern or the Western view of shame: nor does it merely occupy a mediating …