Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Religion, General (11)
- Theology (11)
- Religion, Clergy (10)
- Discipleship (9)
- Religion, Philosophy of (8)
-
- Evangelism (5)
- Religion, Biblical Studies (5)
- Education, Religious (4)
- Leadership (4)
- Church (3)
- Preaching (3)
- Sociology, General (3)
- Apologetics (2)
- Children (2)
- Growth (2)
- Missions (2)
- Pastor (2)
- Small Group (2)
- Trinity (2)
- A Holistic Worship Education (1)
- Abductive (1)
- Aberrant (1)
- Activation (1)
- Aenas (1)
- Aeneid (1)
- Aesthetics (1)
- Age of Accountability (1)
- Ancient Christianity (1)
- Application (1)
- Assessment (1)
Articles 1 - 30 of 44
Full-Text Articles in Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
A Study On The Revitalization Of Worship By Using Multimedia In Korean Rural Churches With A Particular Attention To Visual Media, In Jun Hwang
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this study is to help to bring about the revitalization of worship in rural churches by using visual media. At present, Korean churches, especially rural churches, are facing great challenges due to the aging of the church members, illiteracy rates, a poor educational environment, the lack of incoming young people, pastors’ reluctance to minister in rural areas, troubled rural economy and so on. Nonetheless, churches in rural areas should not be abandoned. In this context, one of the most urgent needs in rural churches is healing and restoration through church worship. At any arduous and difficult time …
Mark's Gospel Compared With Virgil's Aeneid, Floyd Schneider
Mark's Gospel Compared With Virgil's Aeneid, Floyd Schneider
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This dissertation will present the Gospel of Mark in light of the Aeneid, Virgil’s epic poem published by Augustus immediately after Virgil’s death in 19 B.C. The Aeneid’s genre, literary style, grammar, symbolic hermeneutics, and lasting influence has been thoroughly researched and dissected in literature courses throughout the centuries. It has been translated into numerous languages and widely distributed in terms of geography and nationalities. Virgil wrote the Aeneid to proclaim the deity of Augustus. “Hic Caesar et omnis Juli progenies magnum caeli ventura sub axem. Hic vir, his est, tibi quem promitti saepius audis, Augustus Caesar, Divi genus, aurea …
Justin Martyr, Irenaeus Of Lyons, And Cyprian Of Carthage On Suffering: A Comparative And Critical Study Of Their Works That Concern The Apologetic Uses Of Suffering In Early Christianity, Aaron Kilbourn
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Suffering in Early Christianity has often been highlighted in martyrdom and the stories surrounding the persecution of the Early Church. The biblical idea of redemptive suffering was not an afterthought to the Christian community or part of what Joyce Salisbury calls, “the unintended consequences of ancient violence,” but it appears to be part and parcel of the Early Christian community as they sought to live faithfully to Christ’s teachings. As the Early Church lived out redemptive suffering, it became apparent to the surrounding culture and critics of Christianity that their suffering was different and it pointed to something else. Through …
An Examination Of The Necessity For Servant Leadership In The Pastoral Role: Biblical Principles Will Be Explored, Fred Jensen
An Examination Of The Necessity For Servant Leadership In The Pastoral Role: Biblical Principles Will Be Explored, Fred Jensen
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
In this paper, a detailed analysis of servant leadership in the evangelical church is explored. Realizing that there is much diversity regarding leadership patterns, an examination of servant leadership is essential for impacting the lost and bringing about spiritual change in the church. It is paramount to consider servant leadership as clearly exemplified by Jesus Himself. This document addresses the necessity of servant leadership in the pastoral role as demonstrated by Jesus. This type of leadership needs to be restored to the church. In order for the church to be productive, it is imperative for senior pastors to adopt the …
Two Way Discipleship Curriculum: Correlation Of Discipleship With Pastoral Counseling For South Korean Churches, Yoonsu Lee
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
In South Korea, many churches create and run discipleship programs. The programs help many people to focus on Jesus, but the programs come with significant problem. . If a person is experiencing a mental problem like stress, depression, or addiction, that person has a much more difficult time focusing on Jesus Christ rather than the struggles in his or her own life. Most discipleship programs ignore these prevalent mental issues, but including mental care in the course is vital to develop true disciples. Pastoral counseling has various mental care methods that address the problems facing many of its participants. South …
Case Studies Of The Participation And Results Of Professional Visitation To Schools By Youth Ministries Of Local Churches In Korea, Young Cho
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this case study is to get results from youth ministry participation in local churches through a school visitation ministry. Youth ministry faces a crisis in Korea because the number of church attendees is decreasing. In fact, the number of church members in Korea is decreasing, but the numbers of people in the youth group are much smaller than other age groups. Thus, the study shows the failure of education from church and home. The researcher experienced this issue in his own church and tried to find alternative methods. Upon closer study, he found hope for a youth …
Aberrant Relationships In The Book Of Genesis: The Pollution Of The "One Flesh" Relationship As Found In Genesis 2:24, Robert Evans
Aberrant Relationships In The Book Of Genesis: The Pollution Of The "One Flesh" Relationship As Found In Genesis 2:24, Robert Evans
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Genesis is a book of beginnings. Furthermore, Genesis describes the beginning of the relationship between man and woman. That relationship, as found in Gen 2:24, becomes the standard ideal for the one-flesh union set forth by God. Sadly, Genesis 3 tells of the beginning of sin, and how sin damaged the ideal union. And, although sin has persisted and flourished, the standard of Gen 2:24 never changed, nor was it replaced. Thus, the following dissertation seeks to locate, examine, and discuss the various one-flesh, man-woman relationships in Genesis. The first chapter of this research examines the one-flesh relationship found in …
An Introduction To The Free System Corollary: A Theistic Response To The Abductive Problem Of Evil, Peter Morgan
An Introduction To The Free System Corollary: A Theistic Response To The Abductive Problem Of Evil, Peter Morgan
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Two important theistic defenses, the Free Will Defense and the Expanded Free Will Defense, provide valuable thought in defense of theism but are insufficient for addressing specific cases of intense evil, as the non-theistic evidential/abductive arguments from the problem of evil are want to do. However, theodical suggestions from systems of regularity, as a necessary part of living out a free will existence, provide a theistic defense that correlates with free will defenses and more fully accounts for the existence of good and intense evil. This Free System Corollary is derived from a starting point of two basic goods in …
The Trinity...The Biblical Mandates For Preaching, Teaching, Worshipping And Evangelism In The Local Church, Pedreto Graham-Brown
The Trinity...The Biblical Mandates For Preaching, Teaching, Worshipping And Evangelism In The Local Church, Pedreto Graham-Brown
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The Trinity is viewed as the bedrock of the Christian faith. Notwithstanding, the worship of the Trinity in local churches today are hardly mentioned by pastors in their sermon. The researcher chose this topic to introduce the importance of assimilating the worship of the Trinity in the areas of the four key biblical mandates. The researcher surveyed 50 Southern Baptist Pastors and 10 members were selected from each church to participate. It was discovered that both pastors and members lack the essential understanding of incorporating the worship of the Trinity in these four areas of the ministry. The results of …
A Fresh Inquiry Into The Fate Of The Un-Evangelized: A Traditional Dispensational Perspective, Mark Carlton
A Fresh Inquiry Into The Fate Of The Un-Evangelized: A Traditional Dispensational Perspective, Mark Carlton
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
A Fresh Inquiry into the Fate of the Un-evangelized: A Traditional Dispensational Approach This inquiry revisits the question of the fate of those have died never having heard the gospel. It explores the question from the Traditional Dispensational perspective. It argues that salvific grace has always been available to the un-evangelized through the Eternal Gospel which is and always has been universally communicated through natural revelation. The inquiry begins with a lengthy examination and critique of the answers which have been proposed for the question under consideration – and related topics -- from the apostolic age until modern times. Included …
A Study On The Church Growth Method Through The Vitalization Of Small Groups In Traditional Korean Churches: The Case Of Daegu Dong-Sung Church, Byung Min
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Nowadays, Korean society is faced with social issues, like individualism arising from fast growth. The traditional society has become dominated by individual interest and intention, as well as by new social aspects such as the loss of community ethics at large. This can also be seen in Korean churches; we have noticed an increase in Sunday service visitors and unregistered members. This change has brought a number of spiritual crisis into churches and is even a huge crisis in and of itself. In this regard, through research on church growth through small group ministry in traditional Korean churches, this study …
A Proposal For Leadership Transition In Ministry: A Proactive Approach, Fred Hill
A Proposal For Leadership Transition In Ministry: A Proactive Approach, Fred Hill
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The development of leaders for future ministry and equipping them to lead and mentor the next generation of leaders effectively must be an absolute necessity for continued church success. Leaders should endeavor to actively discern gifts and talents early in potential leaders. Once recognized, it is the leader’s responsibility to develop and prepare others for leadership transitions. Previous research has shown that churches have a leadership vacuum because of the lack of leadership development and transition utilizing a proactive approach. There is a trust factor created between the present and future leadership secondary to proper training and unwillingness to relinquish …
Humanity's Capacity To Apprehend Aesthetic Value As An Argument For God's Existence, Walter Davis
Humanity's Capacity To Apprehend Aesthetic Value As An Argument For God's Existence, Walter Davis
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This work presents a theistic argument for the existence of God based on man’s ability to apprehend, aesthetic value. The argument is called the Aesthetic Theistic Argument. Man’s ability to appreciate aesthetic value is unique among biological life forms and is common to every human culture. Explaining the origins of this ability implies a creator/designer who also apprehends aesthetic value. The study both affirms the argument for theism and critiques the philosophical and scientific foundations of Darwinian naturalism. The result of this study affirms the cause for man’s capacity to apprehend aesthetic value is best explained by the existence of …
The Battle Is Real: Spiritual Warfare, Discipleship, And The Christian “Soldier”, Frank Hain
The Battle Is Real: Spiritual Warfare, Discipleship, And The Christian “Soldier”, Frank Hain
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
A review of current literature demonstrates a plethora of material focused on various deliverance techniques, yet very little material is available to assist pastors with developing a spiritual warfare “basic training” plan. The purpose of this project is to illuminate a ministry’s desperate need to adopt a spiritual warfare worldview, to present the basic elements essential to a spiritual warfare basic training plan, and to create an effective strategy for implementing such a plan. Based on surveys and questionnaires sent to pastors and other ministry leaders, the project reveals the need for a spiritual warfare basic training plan for any …
The Study On The Problems Of The Current Korean Churches, Hai Lee
The Study On The Problems Of The Current Korean Churches, Hai Lee
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Christianity in South Korean experienced unusually rapid growth for almost 100 years: The revival of church members, the growth of prayer, worship, and evangelism. However, current Korean churches face many problems that have stopped the growth, and actually put the Korean church in a decline. The problems, but are not limited to, are unethical aspects of pastor; including tax problem, huge church constructions, and loving materials. Korean churches should know why these kinds of problems occur and what the solutions are. There are many studies regarding the development of Korean churches but there are few studies examining the problems of …
Every Life Matters To God: A New Paradigm Of Care For Suicide Prevention, Antonio Campbell
Every Life Matters To God: A New Paradigm Of Care For Suicide Prevention, Antonio Campbell
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Since 2001, National Guard soldiers and airmen have been ordered to multiple deployments In Iraq and Afghanistan. The Department of Defense (DOD) has released data that shows a dramatic increase in suicides by military personnel. This author has chosen this topic to develop a pastoral care strategy, by civilian clergy and/or military chaplains, to help lessen the number of suicides by National Guard personnel. The research will introduce a strategy in which pastoral care practitioners can be actively involved in the therapeutic counseling of National Guard soldiers and airmen who may be at risk. Currently, there is a lack of …
A Model For Biblical Worldview Development In Evangelical Christian Emerging Adults, Roger Erdvig
A Model For Biblical Worldview Development In Evangelical Christian Emerging Adults, Roger Erdvig
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a model of Biblical worldview development during emerging adulthood for Evangelical Christians, ages 18-23. Participants (N = 20) were Christian emerging adults who were nominated as having strong Biblical worldviews. Data was collected via personal worldview development timelines, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group session with select participants. Analysis of the data was conducted utilizing Corbin and Strauss’ (2015) grounded theory analysis protocol. The model generated in this study suggests that maturation in Biblical worldview results from employing various means to process the different prompts that Christian emerging adults encounter. …
Leadership Principles And Applications For Establishing A Christ-Centered Church In South Korea, Dongho Cho
Leadership Principles And Applications For Establishing A Christ-Centered Church In South Korea, Dongho Cho
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this project is to provide a Christ-centered, biblical Great Commission model for Presbyterian Church pastors in South Korea. Pastor Hanhum Ok said that there are many programs and forms without the spiritual vitality in the Korean Church. Many attractional churches attract people by relying heavily on programs that often alter the focus of believers onto the programs themselves and prevent them from focusing on Jesus Christ. To ensure that the church—the body of Christ—remains faithful to its biblical mandates, thesis project argues that the pastors must have leadership principles and applications in accordance to the Christ-centered biblical …
The Development Of The Life-Healing Program In Churches For The Restoration Of God's Image, Young Park
The Development Of The Life-Healing Program In Churches For The Restoration Of God's Image, Young Park
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study is an attempt to introduce a pastoral system called Life-healing to Restore God’s Image. God made man in His image when He created him. The image, however, was broken because of the fall. Even after becoming a new creation by believing in Jesus, many Christians remain the same instead of experiencing the restoration of God’s image. Korean churches have grown in number and emphasize doctrines but face criticism for not exemplifying the life resembling God’s image. In an effort to overcome the criticisms, the researcher biblically analyzes the concept of God’s image and examines the theological resources related …
Maimonides’ Yahweh: How His Via Negativa God Influenced Rabbinic Judaism And Its Subsequent Misunderstanding Of Incarnational Christian Theology, Amy Downey
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The life of Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides) remains a mystery to many within evangelical Christianity while he is lauded as a “Second Moses” within Modern Judaism. In many ways, Maimonides is deserving of the title as his understanding of the nature of God being that of via Negativa created a rationale for rejecting the Messiahship claims of Jesus in Rabbinic Judaism. However, and one of the purposes of this dissertation, is to illustrate that Maimonides in his desire to create an anti-Christian apologetic regarding the Incarnation fashioned a Judaism that does not reflect the truths of the Tanakh (Old Testament) …
Spirit-Empowered Discipleship In Acts, Yan Chai
Spirit-Empowered Discipleship In Acts, Yan Chai
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Discipleship study had unavoidably been focused on the Gospels, and rightfully so. Whereas missions and church planting tended to occupy centre stage in the study of the book of Acts, and discipleship was often overshadowed. Nevertheless, Spirit-empowered discipleship, undoubtedly, had played a crucial role in the explosive growth of the early church. The purpose of this project is to utilize the four “E” principles of discipleship implicit in Acts: empowerment, exhortation, encouragement and exaltation to galvanize growth in Faith Hope Love Chinese church. It shall investigate the discipleship pattern that existed, apply the underlying principles given, and subsequently, analyze the …
Developing A Model For Church-Based Disaster Relief, Brady Rose
Developing A Model For Church-Based Disaster Relief, Brady Rose
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this project is to provide a manual for the local church to implement in preparation for and during times of disaster. The author will specifically focus on the region of Amherst County, Virginia for this project. The author will approach this project by first defining what a disaster is and the role the church should play during times of great need. Attention will be given specifically to how the church should respond during times of disaster in foreign nations, in the United States, in nearby counties, and in the community of the church’s backyard. This project will …
Exploring Intercessory Prayer As It Relates To Spiritual Warfare Preaching At Mount Zion Christian Church, Vernon Langley
Exploring Intercessory Prayer As It Relates To Spiritual Warfare Preaching At Mount Zion Christian Church, Vernon Langley
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The focus of this thesis is exploring the influence of intercessory prayer; from the standpoint of spiritual warfare preaching. Present day homiletics concentrates on the method of sermons by applying information within the message to a great story and powerful scriptural passages which is imperative to make the sermon thought provoking and applicable to contemporary congregations. However, there is another element to preaching the gospel, which has gotten considerably less attention in modern day study. How the evaluations of Divine powers of intercessory prayer operate behind the discourse, and spiritual powers of darkness that endeavor to obstruct the reception of …
Homiletical Discipleship: Developing An Approach To Small Group Study Based On Sunday Morning Exposition, Lance Cole
Homiletical Discipleship: Developing An Approach To Small Group Study Based On Sunday Morning Exposition, Lance Cole
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Jesus promised to make Peter a “fisher of men,” while The Great Commission calls us to make disciples of all nations. The purpose of this project is to create a discipleship approach for the local church that helps teach the church’s members based on the Sunday morning sermon. One disciple making problem is that many people attend a church to spectate and not participate. Some sit for years listening to the pastor preach without having any desire to be an active disciple. Others completely leave the church after a short time. This approach for churches will teach them how to …
Developing A Curriculum Ministry For Widows In The Local Church, Gail Nanez
Developing A Curriculum Ministry For Widows In The Local Church, Gail Nanez
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
An examination of widows in the local church reveals a growing percentage of widows in many churches today, signifying a significant ministry need for widows in the church. An abundance of widows sitting in churches, are not only suffering the grief, and loneliness from their loss, some have lost their only income and sometimes feel neglected or a burden to others. As a biblical mandate, it is imperative that the church, pastors, and counselors take heed to the biblical command of ministering to the comfortlessness and insecurity many widows are facing. This will entail revitalization of the care of widows, …
A Study Of Developing Healthy Disciples In The Korean-American Church, Kyung Seo
A Study Of Developing Healthy Disciples In The Korean-American Church, Kyung Seo
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Korean-American congregations within the Presbyterian denomination need to implement a Bible-centered discipleship model in order to become a more spiritual and viable Christian church. As the Senior Pastor for the Columbia Korean Presbyterian Church (2009-2014), the author utilized qualitative and quantitative analysis when interviewing church pastors within the Korean-American Presbyterian Churches of America. The surveys identified the need for a practical model of spiritual growth to develop healthy disciples within the Korean-American Church. Based upon the biblical principle of Christian discipleship, the author developed an overall a three-level strategy of making healthy disciples.
Reframing The Imperative Of The Great Commission In The Haitian Context: Discipleship Strategies To Impact Haiti For Christ, Dieufort Dieujuste
Reframing The Imperative Of The Great Commission In The Haitian Context: Discipleship Strategies To Impact Haiti For Christ, Dieufort Dieujuste
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Haitians generally identify themselves as Christians. According to World Factbook, Haiti is 80% Catholic and 16% Protestant; however, nearly all the population practices or believes in Voodoo, which is now a national religion. Idolatry permeates every segment of life while the Haitian Protestant Church remains powerless and disengaged. The purpose of this thesis project is to develop key strategies of discipleship for Haiti in view of Matthew 28:18-20. The author proposes to survey 300 Haitian pastors, seminarians, and lay leaders in order to gauge the status of discipleship and to identify hindrances to the gospel in Haiti. The survey will …
A Biblical Strategies For Optimizing The Disciple Training Ministry (Dtm) Within Korean Churches, Keeyoung Kim
A Biblical Strategies For Optimizing The Disciple Training Ministry (Dtm) Within Korean Churches, Keeyoung Kim
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this thesis project is to provide biblical strategies for optimizing the Discipleship Training Ministry (DTM) within Korean churches, which will transform and equip their laity to live incarnationally for Christ in the church and the world. Many different forms of DTM have developed within Korean churches during the recent decades, playing both positive and negative roles in church growth, but many unfortunately digressed into marketing programs that do not transform and equip the laity to follow Christ in every sector of their lives. This thesis project will examine, through a comparative analysis, diverse growth and health factors …
Exploring The Relationship Between Attachment Style, Stress Perception, And Religious Coping In The Evangelical Missionary Population, Laurie Tone
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This cross-sectional survey design study examined the relationships between attachment style, stress perception and religious coping in a sample of 267 cross-cultural, evangelical missionaries. No significance for effect for attachment style on perceived stress was found. However, both age and gender demonstrated significant effects on perceived stress. There was also a significant association between perception of stress and religious coping, independent of attachment style. Religious coping accounted for a small amount of the variance in perception of stress. The vast majority of the sample reported patterns of positive religious coping, which was not influenced by attachment style. A new tool …
Mere Christian Theism And The Problem Of Evil: Toward A Trinitarian Perichoretic Theodicy, Ronnie Campbell
Mere Christian Theism And The Problem Of Evil: Toward A Trinitarian Perichoretic Theodicy, Ronnie Campbell
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
There is perhaps no problem confronting Christian theism more than that of the problem from evil. Evil in the world is not merely a problem for the Christian worldview, however, but also for various other metaphysical systems. This project takes up a comparative analysis of four major worldviews—naturalism, pantheism, process panentheism, and theism—and argues that of the four, theism provides not only the best explanation for the phenomena of evil in the world but it also gives an overall thicker worldview response to the challenges that evil presents. But theism in-and-of-itself is not enough. A specific form of theism is …