Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

New Measures: An Analysis Of An Argument Among Lutherans In The United States During The Fourth And Fifth Decades Of The Nineteenth Century, John Fuchs

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This paper is a description and explanation of some aspects of the controversy over revivals and "new measures" which disturbed the Lutheran Church in the United States during the 1830s and early 1840s. Primarily, it is the story of an argument. Secondarily, it examines some of the theological assumptions implicit and explicit in the rhetoric of the controversy. The argument, however, was not about theology as much as it was about various practices in the life of the Church. Therefore this paper will of necessity describe some of those practices and attempt to evaluate them.

Auctoritas In Ecclesia: Jean Gerson And Martin Luther On The Authority Of The Papacy And General Councils, Paul Robinson

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Luther's ecclesiology provides fruitful ground for testing the validity of these hypotheses. The development of Luther's doctrine of the church continues to generate interest, especially in regard to the question of Luther's relationship to the medieval theologians. The earliest statements of Luther's doctrine of the church, those found in his first lectures on the Psalms, have been treated in this regard by Scott Hendrix. Hendrix has isolated specific themes found both in Luther and in medieval commentators on the Psalms for the purpose of comparison. The study presented here will approach Luther's statements on authority in the church, specifically the …

The Use Of Lament In Pastoral Care: Exploring Its Use With Those Working Through The Loss Of A Child, Cornelius J. Deboer

CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses

The general purpose of the thesis is to reintroduce an ancient Jewish/Christian tradition of lamenting which taps the anger and inappropriateness of death, destruction, and injustice. This ancient tradition has been lacking and has not been readily encouraged in the Christian community, even though lamenting can easily be understood as a vital part of our relationship with a covenantal God.

More specifically the thesis describes ministry to bereaved parents, and the important place of lament in this ministry. Although the psalms of lament are set forth as the main model, other creative avenues of lamenting are explored. Some prayers and …

A Psychoanalytic And Archetypal Examination Of Two Seminal Dreams And Visions Of Ellen G. White, Dennis E. Waite

Dissertations

This study is a psychological examination of the earliest dreams and visions of Ellen G. Harmon (more commonly known by her married name Ellen G. White), a 19th century prophetess and founding leader of the Seventh-day Adventist church. The following two questions were addressed: (1) What effects did Mrs. White’s dreams and visions have upon her resolution of childhood emotional or developmental conflicts? and (2) In what way do Mrs. White’s early religious experiences clarify the role of religious experience in individual psychological and emotional development?

Two dreams and two visions were selected for analysis by two methods of dream …

Luther And The Third Use Of The Law, With Special Reference To His Great Galatians Commentary, Jeffrey G. Silcock

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The question of whether Luther taught a third use of the law is far too broad for a thesis. We will therefore confine ourselves, in the main, to his great Galatians Commentary of 1531 / 1535, where he explicates in considerable detail the doctrine of justification and the proper distinction between law and gospel.4 Even though the nature of the letter is such that Paul speaks there more about justification than about sanctification, Luther still writes enough about the role of the law in the Christian life to warrant using this as our primary source. There are two main reasons …

A Proposed Prolegomenon For Normative Theological Ethics With A Special Emphasis On The Usus Didacticus Of God's Law, John Tape

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The purpose of this study is to examine and organize some of the current contrasting methodologies of theological ethics in an attempt to determine the Biblical method of choosing the moral option. This will be done in two different ways.

In the first part, two common methods in moral philosophy, the deontological method and the teleological method, will be defined and illustrated. It will be demonstrated that Scriptural ethics has elements in common with both rule deontology and rule teleology. In the second part, the Scriptural method of moral reasoning will be examined more closely by comparing three different ways …

William Clarence (W. C.) White: His Relationship To Ellen G. White And Her Work, Jerry Moon

Dissertations

The topic. William Clarence White (1854-1937), third son of Seventh-day Adventist founders James and Ellen G. White, was for thirty-four years his mother's counselor, editor, and spokesman. He was alleged by some to stand in a manipulative relationship to his mother and her work, a charge she denied.

The purpose. The purpose of the study was to describe, analyze, and evaluate W. C. White's relationship to his mother and her work during her lifetime. This purpose required the development of a partial biographical sketch of W. C. White as a context for understanding his relationship to his mother.

The sources. …

The Concept Of God And Sacred Music Style : An Intercultural Exploration Of Divine Transcendence/Immanence As A Stylistic Determinant For Worship Music With Paradigmatic Implications For The Contemporary Christian Context, Wolfgang Hans Stefani

Dissertations

Problems. The conscious conservation of religious music style in most cultures contrasts with the stylistic pluralism of Western Christian worship music. This study addressed the problem of decision making within the diversity of music available for Christian worship.

Purpose of the Study. The study's purpose was to explore a core aspect of worldview concerning the nature of ultimate reality--the concept of divine transcendence/immanence--as a transcultural determinant of sacred music style. The focus was the music rather than associated lyrics.

Methodology and Sources. This interdisciplinary study followed a philosophical approach to develop a theoretical paradigm. Documentary research from the …

Apostolic Succession In The Writings Of Yves Congar And Oscar Cullmann, Carlos Alfredo Steger

Dissertations

Since its first explicit enunciation by the end of the second century, apostolic succession has been considered as one of the basic components of the church's apostolicity. As history shows, however, there have been different views on the nature and function of apostolic succession. Moreover, its legitimacy and normativeness have been challenged, particularly since the sixteenth century onwards. In our century, fairly established confessional positions have been reexamined in the light of new theological perspectives, as is evident in the documents produced by the ecumenical movement.

The purpose of this research was to set forth, analyze, compare, and evaluate Yves …