Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Early Christian Perspectives On The Catechetical Process, Mark A. Frisius

Center for Faith & Family

The goal of this paper is to provide a brief overview of findings related to the catechetical practices or early Christianity. This approach was occasioned by the observations that 1) the United States is headed toward a post-Christian reality, where Christianity can no longer be assumed as the dominant force in American culture, and 2). that it would be possible to gain insight from Christians who lived in a pre-Christian environment. This paper is organized around themes and is not meant to be read straight through. Instead, each theme contains a series of lettered or numbered observations designed to help …

Augustine Of Hippo: A Historical Theology Critique, Zachary Monte

Honors Program Projects

This study evaluates how current historical theology survey texts understand and present the theology of Augustine. The texts are examined to assess the following: accuracy of presentation on discussed topics, specific theological topics Augustine addressed excluded in the surveys, and theological bias on the part of the authors. The historical theology surveys include Gregg Allison’s Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine, Justo González’s A History of Christian Thought, and Alister McGrath’s Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought. The three major topics treated include Augustine’s Trinitarian thought, the Donatist Controversy, and the Pelagian Controversy. The findings …

The Japanese Way In America: A Comparison Of The Spiritual Beliefs, Habits, And Ideas Of The American Religious ‘Nones’ And Contemporary Japanese Nationals, Jarrett Stalinger

Honors Program Projects

There has been growing interest in the religiously unaffiliated within America. This growing interest has caused a new name to come about, the Nones. The present discussion attempts to give context to the rise of the Nones and to compare the religious beliefs and habits of these American Nones with the Japanese Nationals who inhabit Japan. There are many similarities between these two groups relating to ethics, interactions with people, and connection with nature. These comparisons show that there is a possible connection between people which explains spiritual experience, even outside that of normalized, institutional religions. This “intuition of the …

Church Refugees: Sociologists Reveal Why People Are Done With Church But Not Their Faith, Craighton T. Hippenhammer (Reviewer)

Faculty Scholarship – Library Science

This is a sociological study written for church leaders that examines the phenomenon of mature Christians leaving the institutional church, who keeping their faith, look for alternatives to church, having become convinced that church as it exists is detrimental to their spiritual growth.

2nd Place Essay: The Art Of Leadership, Bailey Heemstra

Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners

In response to the essay prompt: "Leadership is more art than science."

Effective leadership is an art. Leadership is not a direct set of rules to follow or books to read. Finding the correct way to lead cannot be found in a textbook. Leadership is a characteristic that is learned over time. Leadership is forming relationships, making connections, and meeting the needs of your followers. Just as art is full of many possibilities and not defined to one answer, so too is leadership. The most effective form of leadership is one that incorporates flexibility, creativity, and the idea that there …

3rd Place Essay: Leadership: A New Art, Matthew D. Reed

Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners

In response to the essay prompt: "Leadership is more art than science."

Leadership is not a science. Leadership is more of an art and should be evaluated as such. Although everyone can benefit from studying and developing basic leadership qualities, just as one studies the works of famous artists to benefit from their techniques, I believe that becoming a leader requires something more, something intangible. Like great works of art, great works of leadership can be found in many different forms and in all areas of life, every example unique. It cannot be described completely in a lecture, or in …

1st Place Essay: Leadership: Fulfilling The Purpose Of Art, Amanda Johnson

Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners

In response to the essay prompt: "Leadership is more art than science."

“Leadership is more art than science” is a bold statement. It implies that leadership does not follow a set of rules nor is it based on experimental results, but rather, it comes from the creative and skilled mind of the leader. I believe that God has ingrained creativity and potential for leadership in every human being when He created us “in His image.” Without the divine inspiration of God, the success of his leadership will rarely be complete or long-lasting. The best leaders listen to God’s leading and …

Engaging Capitalism With Wesleyan Theology, Paul R. Koch, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Economics

In this paper presented at the Wesleyan Theological Society Annual Meeting in March 2014, two professors from Olivet Nazarene University – one from the field of Economics and the other from Theology – address the intersection of Wesleyan theology and ethics with the theoretical foundations of capitalism. The paper consists of four major sections:

• A Wesleyan voice in the capitalist jungle
• The compatibility of capitalism and Wesleyan thought
• Elements of Wesleyan theology most relevant to capitalism
• Toward a Wesleyan approach to free market economics

The Collaboration Of Faith And Social Work In Creating A Gateway Of Helping, Breanne M. Bambrick

Honors Program Projects

When tragedy occurs, trauma follows. In crises, emergency response professionals are called upon in order to aid survivors. While the majority of professionals involved have received formal education on crisis management or disaster relief, the faith community is often called upon to assist without such prior knowledge. However, based on their mutual commitment to serve those in need, the social work profession and faith community represents a natural partnership in preparing for the disaster management process. Therefore, social workers can assist faith leadership in order to empower the faith community to be involved in crisis response. Specifically, this research addresses …

2nd Place Essay: Leading Without Limits, Whitney Knox

Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners

In response to the essay prompt: "If you knew you could not fail as a leader, what would you attempt to do for Jesus?"

I am a firm believer that God equips His servants for the mission that He calls them to. I hope someday to be a calming and assuring presence for my patients during a time when they are suffering. Knowing that I could not fail as a leader, I would not be afraid to make the tough decisions that deeply affect the lives of those who entrust me with their health care. Knowing that Jesus would not …

1st Place Essay: Bringing Revival To Central And Eastern Europe, Chelsea Risinger

Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners

In response to the essay prompt: "If you knew you could not fail as a leader, what would you attempt to do for Jesus?"

If I was certain that I could not fail as a leader, I would work to bring revival to Central and Eastern Europe. Former areas of high religious influence, these ex-Soviet countries have been altogether stripped of their beliefs in Jesus Christ. Those that were Christians in Slovakia, previously Czechoslovakia, during the time of Communism were looked down upon or punished for going to church. With unfailing leadership, my attempt for Christ would include a revival …

3rd Place Essay: Serving God On The Mission Field, Abbie Allen

Reed Leadership Student Essay Contest Winners

In response to the essay prompt: "If you knew you could not fail as a leader, what would you attempt to do for Jesus?"

By the end of elementary school, I knew two things about my life. I wanted to be a nurse, and God wanted me to be a missionary. It would take me a while to understand that God, being a good God, could take the desires of my heart and use them to serve Him on the mission field. If I knew I could not fail as a leader and if I had God’s blessing, I would …

Stories Economists Tell: Studies In Christianity And Economics, By John P. Tiemstra, Paul R. Koch

Faculty Scholarship – Economics

A review of the book Stories Economists Tell: Studies in Christianity and Economics by John P. Tiemstra (Pickwick Publications, 2012).

Understanding The Complexities Of The Gay Marriage Issue, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

The goal of this paper is to help frame the issue of gay marriage in a constructive way, without the rhetoric and the oversimplifications that are too often prevalent. It is the author’s contention that this issue is not ultimately about legal rights; it is about legitimation. In order to support this claim, it is first necessary to clarify the various aspects of the issue, namely, homosexuality itself, the role of marriage in society, and the hermeneutical challenge of formulating a Christian response. The paper also briefly considers some of the more common arguments that are made for or against …

Teaching Social Justice To Middle School Aged Children, Stacey J. Gerstung

Honors Program Projects

Early adolescents find themselves in a very unique juncture of life. Even though these students in the middle grades are often troublesome to adults, they have the ability to perceive deep truths and are making decisions that will affect the way they live the rest of their lives. This transitional time between childhood and adulthood is the prime time to introduce students to important concepts, such as the need to seek social justice. For this project, lessons regarding various aspects of social justice were taught to the Middle School/Jr. High Youth Group at College Church of the Nazarene in Bourbonnais, …

Familia E Inmigración: Discovering Biblican Immigration Narratives That Speak To Today's Latin American Immigrant Families In Chicago, Mckenzie Fritch

Honors Program Projects

This qualitative study sought to gain insight into the motivations, challenges, and behavior patterns of Latin American immigrant families in the Chicago, Illinois area, and can be divided into two parts: research and application. Research was collected by conducting focus group interviews with immigrant parents and children at three Nazarene Hispanic churches in and around Chicago. Questions were asked about the families’ reasons for immigrating and their stories of entry and arrival, but the interviews maintained a particular focus on the changes each family experienced while living in the United States. This study was especially interested to learn about communication …

Reducing Barriers To Wesleyan Thought: Olivet Nazarene University And The Wesleyan Holiness Library, Craighton T. Hippenhammer

Faculty Scholarship – Library Science

Olivet Nazarene University’s recent move to start publishing academic scholarship in a digital institutional repository, Digital Commons, is a smart move to not only highlight and preserve Olivet scholarship, but also to support the worldwide open access movement that is widely expected to rescue the current failing model of academic publishing. The traditional methods for publishing faculty scholarship have been inadequate for some time, and the financial structures that sustain them are collapsing due to skyrocketing journal prices. What faculty members want most for their research is that it be as accessible, available and useful to other researchers and to …

The Church Of The Nazarene In The U.S.: Race, Gender, And Class In The Struggle With Pentecostalism And Aspirations Toward Respectability, 1895-1985, Charles L. Perabeau

Faculty Scholarship – Sociology

This dissertation considers how the issues of race, gender, and class factored in the response of the Church of the Nazarene to the Azusa Street Revival, and how the processes of anti-Pentecostalization, whitening, masculinization, and embourgeoisement have contributed to elevating the social respectability of the Church of the Nazarene in the United States.

An Investigation Of Two Contemporary Influences On Ecuadorian Native Culture And Environment, Laura A. Kirst

Honors Program Projects

The condition of native culture and the natural environment in Ecuador
today were investigated through library research, firsthand observation, and
in-country interviews conducted in the context of a study abroad experience.
Twenty individuals including native Ecuadorians, missionaries working with
indigenous tribes, field station representatives, and an oil company employee
were interviewed and their responses recorded. It was found that the
presence of foreign and national oil companies and Christian missionaries in
Ecuador had a noticeable impact on both the native culture and natural
environment of Ecuador. The native culture of Ecuador is in a state of
transition between traditional and …

Where Justice Meets Compassion: A Christian Assessment Of Illegal Immigration, Kevin Twain Lowery, Courtney Fuqua

Faculty Scholarship – Theology

This presentation examines the multifaceted problems created by illegal immigration, both those impacting United States citizens and those encountered by the immigrants themselves. Two main areas of focus are the economic and sociological effects of illegal immigration. Although there are many injustices surrounding illegal immigration that need to be rectified, Christian ethics demands that compassion be given precedence. In the end, we identify key issues that need to be addressed for a holistic solution to be reached.

Engaging Economics: New Testament Scenarios And Early Christian Reception, Edited By Bruce W. Longenecker And Kelly D. Liebengood, Paul R. Koch

Faculty Scholarship – Economics

A review of the book Engaging Economics: New Testament Scenarios and Early Christian Reception edited by Bruce W. Longenecker and Kelly D. Liebengood (William B. Eerdmans Pub., 2009).

Pastoral Perspectives From Your General Superintendents On Homosexuality, Board Of General Superintendents. Church Of The Nazarene

Scholarship – President's Office

Official statement from the Board of General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene regarding homosexuality. Based on the 2005-2009 Manual of the Church of the Nazarene.

Ministering To Those Who Lose Their Jobs, Kevin Twain Lowery

Faculty Scholarship – Christian Ministry

Work is much more vital to a person's well-being than merely providing a means of financial support. Work is often a means of self-expression and socialization, and it thus is central to one's self-identity and self-esteem. Understanding these dynamics is crucial to ministering to those who lose their jobs or go through a major career change. The Christian concept of vocation is also very helpful in this regard.