Biblical Studies Commons^™

Egypt, Israel, And The Levant: The Merneptah Stele's Role In Shaping Historical Narratives, Quincy Adams

Studia Antiqua

This paper investigates the Merneptah Stele, an exceptional artifact from the reign of Pharaoh Merneptah during Egypt’s New Kingdom, to reassess the stele’s role in understanding early Israelite identity. The Merneptah Stele is among the earliest known references to “Israel,” and consequently has sparked discussion among scholars regarding this early group’s socio-political and cultural status during the late Bronze Age. By examining the stele in conjunction with the inscriptions of the Cour de la Cachette in the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak, this study situates the Merneptah Stele within the broader historical and cultural framework of the New Kingdom to …

Front Matter

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Review Of A Visible Unity: Cecil Robeck And The Work Of Ecumenism. By Josiah Baker., Michael A. Donaldson

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A Visible Unity: Cecil Robeck and the Work of Ecumenism. By Josiah Baker. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2024. xii + 265 pp.

Review Of Martyrs, Monks And Mystics. By Michael J. Mcclymond., Eric N. Newberg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Martyrs, Monks, and Mystics: An Introduction to Christian Spirituality. By Michael J. McClymond. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2023. xi + 396 pp.

Review Of Romans. Word And Spirit Commentary On The New Testament. By Sam Storms., Michael Blythe

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of Romans. Word and Spirit Commentary on the New Testament. By Sam Storms. Eugene, OR: Word and Spirit, 2024. 272 pp.

Review Of Puzzles, Parables, & Paradox: Understanding The Mysteries Of God’S Kingdom. By Randall Feller, Cletus L. Hull Iii

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of Puzzles, Parables, & Paradox: Understanding the Mysteries of God’s Kingdom. By Randall D. Feller. Tulsa, OK: Randall D Feller, 2022, 214 pp.

Types, Shadows, And Spiritual Experience: Theological Interpretation As A Pentecostal Approach To Song Of Solomon, Audrey E. Mccormick

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

An allegorical interpretation of the Song of Solomon has been central in Pentecostal spirituality. This approach was unique for its time as it demonstrated a break from modernity, which prized historical-grammatical biblical interpretive methods. This essay argues that, knowingly or not, early Pentecostal engagement with the Song of Solomon exhibited affinities with ancient practices of biblical interpretation known as theological interpretation. Additionally, it reveals theological interpretation to be a key for understanding early Pentecostalism and guiding the ongoing developments of a uniquely Pentecostal hermeneutic.

An Unfolding Vision Of Transformation: A Comparison Of The S/Spirit Motif In Romans 8 And Jubilees 1:19-26, Lemuel J. Godinez

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This study compares the role of the s/Spirit motif in Paul’s writing and that of a Second Temple Jewish theologian’s. The books of Romans and Jubilees, respectively, appear to develop their language of renewal within a developing trajectory motifs in the Hebrew Scriptures, including “heart circumcision,” “new covenant,” and “the s/Spirit.” One would be hard-pressed to prove intertextuality between Romans and Jubilees (which this study does not claim). Yet, the renewal description in Romans 8 is evocatively similar to Jubilees 1:19–26. Paul may therefore have developed his portrayal and narration of the Spirit in the vein of Second Temple thought. …

Lacunas In Spirit-Empowered Leadership, Eric N. Newberg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article addresses three issues that are lacunas not adequately addressed in the domain of Spirit-empowered leadership. These three lacunas of pressing concern in Spirit-empowered leadership are (1) spiritual formation, (2) moral integrity, and (3) power distance. These lacunas impinge directly on the viability and sustainability of Spirit-empowered leadership. If we conceive leadership as a gift given and sustained by the Holy Spirit, it follows that it is endowed and empowered by the Spirit, rather than acquired by human effort and skill. However, those who are entrusted with stewarding the process of developing leaders must at times hold accountable those …

Guest Editorial, Wonsuk Ma, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Editorial for Spiritus 10, nos. 1-2

Front Matter Spiritus 10, Nos. 1-2 (2025), Spiritus Oru Journal Of Theology

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Full Issue Spiritus 10, Nos. 1-2 (2025), Spiritus Oru Journal Of Theology

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Full issue of Spiritus 10, nos. 1-2 (2025) guest edited by Wonsuk Ma and Daniel D. Isgrigg.

Authentic Relationships Among The Body Of Christ: Naming The Obstacles That Hinder Authentic Relationships And Expressing A Gospel-Centered Path Toward Overcoming Them, Luke J. Anderson

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Anderson, Luke J. “Authentic Relationships among the Body of Christ: Naming the Obstacles that Hinder Authentic Relationships and Expressing a Gospel-centered Path toward Overcoming Them.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2025. 157 pp.

St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grafton, Wisconsin, recently underwent a vision process in which they proposed five values to define their congregational living. One of these values is authentic relationships. Those who crafted this vision, as well as the entire body who adopted it, recognized this value as primarily aspirational in nature. While some relational connectedness existed, all sought to better define this value …

El Corazón Al Descubierto: Reflexiones Sobre Levítico 18.22, Renato Lings

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

The article explores the hermeneutical paradoxes of the book of Leviticus through the personal experience of Rabbi Steven Greenberg, whose encounter with Leviticus 18.22 transformed his relationship with the Torah and his own identity. Through rigorous textual analysis, the article questions traditional cis-heterosexist interpretations and examines the semantic complexity of the expression mishkebey ishshah [a wife’s bed]. The study shows how Leviticus—far from being a monolithic code—contains internal tensions, profound ethical elements, and a surprising openness toward neighbors and immigrants, inviting a critical and liberating reading.

La Pasarela De Santiago 2.1-26: Buitres, Muertas Y Otros «Varones De Fe», Roque Javier Cabrera Feliciano

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

The article proposes a theological-academic and creative-critical reading of James 2.1-26 through the metaphor of a fashion runway, integrating biblical exegesis, socio-historical analysis, and contextual theology. The study addresses the denunciation of favoritism toward the rich and the relationship between faith and works, engaging Paul in critical dialogue without positing doctrinal contradiction. Through a camp aesthetic register, the figures of Abraham and Rahab underscore an embodied faith expressed in concrete practices of justice, hospitality, and mercy. The study advances an explicit critique of capitalism, cis-heteropatriarchy, and the spiritualization of poverty, and proposes a coherent, contextually grounded Christian ethic.

Cartografías Del Que(R)Er: Subjetividades En Tránsito Y Creación, Dan González-Ortega

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

I propose insights into a theology in motion that maps «Wanting» [que(r)er]—love, desire, and the search for a whole life—amid multiple transitions: forced migrations, the climate crisis, queer and digital (epochal) subjectivities. From a territorial and incarnate biblical hermeneutic, I reread Scripture from the perspective of marginalized bodies and territories. I integrate feminist, postcolonial, and posthumanist contributions to think of creation as living territoriality and subjectivity of revelation. Human mobility and the wounded Earth are understood as intertwined cries that challenge the world. I present a potential open spiral of communion, in which all subjectivity—human and more-than-human—is welcomed …

A Roadmap For Equipping Saints For The Work Of Ministry At Sugar Land Church Of Christ, Lewis Anthony Parker Iv

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to create a roadmap for a process that invites and equips saints at Sugar Land Church of Christ to work in ministry. As part of the research process, a design team was empaneled and met for eight sessions, during which participants offered valuable insight into Sugar Land’s ministry context. This data informed the final roadmap. Ephesians 4, which discusses the importance of every member getting involved in ministry, serves as the foundation of this project. The work of every member is for the edification of the entire group, and the calling and gift of …

A Faith-Based Approach To Mental Health Challenges, Patrick Leblanc

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This project sheds light on mental health issues within the Black community and the need for faith communities to intentionally address mental health issues in communities of color. Black men are oppressed by an interplay of cultural, historical, societal, and economic factors that impact their well-being. Racial discrimination and oppression are non-medical drivers exacerbating mental health disorders among Black men. The influences of culture and faith fabricate barriers to help-seeking behavior, and mistaken perceptions of masculinity cause many men to suffer in silence. To begin erasing derogatory perceptions of mental health disorders, faith communities need to increase mental health …

The Spiritual Care Of Hospice Patients With Cognitive Deficits, Shane Sullivan

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT How can a hospice chaplain know whether their presence and ministry make a meaningful difference when visiting patients with dementia or other serious cognitive impairments? This project thesis seeks to answer that question conclusively. The theological foundation of this project centers on the doctrine of the imago Dei—the image of God—as it relates to individuals who are dying with cognitive deficits. Specifically, it explores how a person who is helpless and near death continues to reflect the image of God. The project intervention described here is the creation of a specialized training guide for hospice chaplains at Bridge Hospice …

Creation To Covenant: The Chronicler's Use Of Genesis Narratives In Shaping Israel's Post-Exilic Identity, Dalton J. Harmon

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the Chronicler’s (the unknown author to whom biblical scholars have attributed the composition of: the Book of Chronicles, the Book of Ezra, and the Book of Nehemiah to) use of Genesis narratives—namely the Covenant of Works—in the formation of the social, political, and religious identity of post-exilic Israel. By using a covenant-theological and intertextual approach with special attention to the Septuagint, this study demonstrates that the Chronicler does not merely retell Israel’s history but deliberately reinterprets it according to theology established in creation. The analysis begins with Genesis 1–3, where Adam’s federal headship and the blessing–curse logic …