Christianity Commons^™

Healthy Souls And Steady Hands: A Relational Model For Soul Care Of Rural, Assemblies Of God Pastors, Nathaniel E. Rhoads

Doctor of Ministry

The NPO: Pastors and their spouses, of rural, Assemblies of God (AG) churches, need a relational structure for sustainable soul care to maintain a healthy spirituality and ministry. Pastors expend great energy caring for the welfare of others through acts such as teaching, counseling, and visiting. But who provides care for pastors? How can pastors take care of themselves? If the souls of pastors are dry, disordered, and dismayed, their relationship with God and service to the church suffers. Pastors in rural communities, typically in small congregations, face particular challenges, especially from geographical isolation and expectations of church growth. In …

Korean American Young Adults: Spiritual And Emotional Formation Though Art, Hesed Lee

Doctor of Ministry

It is a well-known phenomenon in America that many young adults are disengaged from the Church, at the same time they are battling internal emotional conflicts while trying to understand their faith journey. Even though most of them grew up in the Church, participated in church programs, and learned about God, they are anxious, lonely, and struggling to discover their spiritual identity. What then, what are we missing? After conducting an anonymous online survey with Korean American young adults and gathering narrative research from Korean American young adults as well as Asian American English Ministry pastors, this paper explores the …

Ecumenical Diplomacy: The Art Of Welcoming Dialogue For The Sake Of Mutual Christian Collaboration Toward Peacemaking, Justice, And Ethical Citizenship, Tiffanie Paige Wilson

Doctor of Ministry

The project was developed in response to the NPO: How can we become proficient in better listening to and learning from each other to understand the ethical and intellectual commitment and stakes behind theological, political, and social perspectives different from our own? In a pluralistic society, such deep understanding is necessary to enable working together toward ecumenical diplomacy. A key insight emerging from research was just how impactful the path of ecumenical diplomacy would be for participants. People are truly weary of the polarization experienced in the United States, particularly theologically and politically, and are eager to learn a new …

The Invitation Of Desire For God Opened By The Stories Of Christian Mystics, Kathi Gatlin

Doctor of Ministry

As people are seeking to understand and find answers in the midst of making meaning of their life experiences, many are drawn to a deeper relationship with God. This dissertation proposes that the writings of Christian mystics, an ancient tradition of Christian spirituality, offer an invitation to a deeper understanding and relationship with God.

In this work, mysticism is defined as: Christian mysticism, at God’s invitation, is a journey of experientially knowing the God defined as Love. This journey leads to a knowing that is underneath the surface of rational thought and includes and transforms the whole self: body, mind, …

God Likes Sex: Conversations Integrating Spirituality And Sexuality, Jennie Armstrong

Doctor of Ministry

Throughout Christian history, the Church has provided inconsistent messages about the spiritual foundation for healthy sexuality. With avoidant messages of silence and shame around sexual topics from the Church, many emergent women separate their spirituality from their sexual lives, never considering scripture as a guideline for healthy sexuality. Emergent adult women, specifically those without strong spiritual foundations, are more likely to engage in unhealthy sexual behaviors which often leave them feeling alone and separate from God and spiritual community. Because popular culture does not support marriage as a moral requirement for a sexual relationship, present cultural messages advocate that these …

Changing Behavior And Renewing The Brain: A Study Of College Students, Mark Maddix, Glena Andrews

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The field of neuroscience and religion continues to explode as researchers seek to understand religious experiences in the brain. Studies in religious experience, called neurotheology, attempt to draw conclusions about the truth of these religious experiences from the study of biological brain events. Given the substantial research on the science of religion, this article explores the physiological changes of college students engaged in regular spiritual practices. Students were asked to engage in intentional spiritual formational practices, such as prayer, meditation, Scripture reading, and contemplation, to see if these practices impacted their physiological activities, including brain wave, heart rate, skin response …

Spiritual Formation In The Graduate School Of Clinical Psychology At George Fox University, Rodger K. Bufford, Nancy S. Thurston, Kathleen Gathercoal, Marie-Christine Goodworth, Lynn H. Holt

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

At its inception, the training model in the Graduate School of Clinical Psychology (GSCP) at George Fox University was informed by the approach inaugurated at Fuller Theological Seminary School of Psychology in the 1960s. In the original model, training in Christian religion/spirituality and theology accompanied training in professional psychology. In the interim, our culture, psychological knowledge, perceived psychological needs, and training programs have changed greatly. Here we report changes in religion/spirituality (RIS) training and integration over the last two decades. We describe our current spiritual formation structure and process, and program evaluation efforts. Over the past several years the GSCP …

The Dance Of Formation: Engaging Faith Practices As A Way To Shape Clergy Spouse Life In The Evangelical Lutheran Church In America, Erin M. Swenson-Reinhold

Doctor of Ministry

Christian spiritual formation is a lifelong process of being transformed into the image of Christ. The current model of theological education in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) often fails to prepare seminarians and their spouses for the challenges of long-term ministry by neglecting the spiritual formation process in favor of skill-based training. When this occurs, problems may arise in the marriage or ministry. This dissertation proposes there is a definite need for spiritual nourishment and spiritual formation for clergy and their families, and faith practices are important predictors of individual and relational health.

The first five years of …

Means Of Grace As Formative Holiness: The Role And Significance Of John Wesley's Spiritual Formation Practices In The Pursuit Of Christian Holiness For The Church Of The Nazarene, Aimee Stone Cooper

Doctor of Ministry

Within the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition broadly, and the Church of the Nazarene specifically, occasional confusion, distrust and skepticism has arisen concerning “spiritual formation.” Some of the underlying issues may reflect a lack of understanding regarding what Christian spiritual formation is and is not, where the language comes from, what is meant by traditional Christian disciplines of formation, and how those practices relate to holiness theology and sanctification.

The purpose of this dissertation is to thoughtfully and practically engage this subject through the lens of John Wesley, for whom the means of grace are a practical marriage of God’s work and our …

Richard Baxter's Paradigm For Pastoral Spiritual Formation, Robert W. Hyatt Jr

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation outlines the thoughts of Puritan pastor Richard Baxter regarding the spiritual lives of clergy and applies his thoughts to those in ministry today. Though Baxter lived some 400 years ago, his passion for the spiritual formation of pastors and concern that their lives preach the same message they delivered from the pulpit is relevant to pastors in any age, not least in our own. Section 1 describes broadly the state of those in ministry today. Section 2 describes the often “business-like” approach many take to ministry and its shortcomings. Section 3 traces some of the themes of Baxter’s …

Spiritual Disciplines Of Early Adventists, Heather Ripley Crews

Doctor of Ministry

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the Biblical spirituality of the early Adventist Church in order to apply the spiritual principles learned to the contemporary church. Though it is God who changes people, the early Adventists employed specific spiritual practices to place themselves in His presence. Research revealed five main spiritual disciplines that shaped the Advent leaders and by extension the church. The first is Bible study: placing the Holy Scriptures as the foundation for all beliefs. The second is prayer: communication and communion with God. The third is healthful living: treating the body well so God’s work …

Restoring Burnout Millenial Ministry Leaders Within A Western North American Digital Society, Richard S. Rhoads

Doctor of Ministry

A growing number of emerging Millennial leaders between the ages of 22 and 35 are burning out, leaving ministry, and subsequently not returning. Emotional drain, physical fatigue, and an underdeveloped formation mark these individuals. My research studies the digital age and it's unique impact on Millennial burnout and the subsequent leaving of ministry. Spiritual formation is offered as a corrective and preventative lifestyle, while simultaneously being important to the restoring of young burnt out ministry leaders. Section 1 describes the landscape of burnout among Millennial leaders, highlighting the emerging generation and their unique relationship with burnout. Section 2 surveys burnout …

In His Disciple Making Ministry, How Did Jesus Christ Determine What To Say And/Or Do?, David A. Toth

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation answers the question, “How did Jesus Christ ascertain what to say and do in his disciple making process?” The thesis is that Jesus Christ used the immediate life circumstances of his disciples to determine what he would say and/or do in the process of his disciple making. Jesus was remarkably effective in terms of quality and quantity leaving behind disciples who reflected his lifestyle and commitment to the mission of God and who powerfully reproduced themselves. The research supports the thesis as a partial answer and reveals three additional dimensions that significantly informed Jesus Christ’s disciple making approach. …

Reclaiming The Kingdom Of God Metaphor For The Twenty-First-Century Church, Timothy R. Willson

Doctor of Ministry

In this dissertation I will argue that an egocentric eschatology (preoccupation with what happens to the individual at the moment of death) has unwittingly trumped the importance of incarnating the Kingdom of God in this present world. It is my assertion that a better understanding of Kingdom of God theology and the promotion of its priority will inspire Christian discipleship leading to reformation and renewal in the church. For this to happen, we must fundamentally renovate our definition and articulate the meaning of “Kingdom of God” as His sovereign reign and rule over a people He has called out, set …

The Jesus Prayer For Pentecostals: A Fresh Proposal For Spiritual Formation In The Pentecostal Church, Charles T. Dawes

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Holiness Of Heart And Life For The 21st-Century Church, Catherine Newberry Davis

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Direction And Evangelicals : Exploring Its Growth, Margie Van Duzer

Doctor of Ministry

During the last thirty years interest in the ministry of spiritual direction has grown rapidly within evangelical circles. This paper explores the conditions that have nurtured this change. Specifically, this dissertation defines and describes spiritual direction, sets forth its biblical and historical context, and then explores a variety of factors that help explain its increase in popularity among evangelicals. In the final chapter, the dissertation turns to a consideration of how best to prepare the growing number of evangelical spiritual directors and proposes an outline of a curriculum for a spiritual direction equipping program.

The paper is divided into three …

A Contemplative Vocational Discernment Model For Christian College Students, Barbara K. Dewald

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.