Christianity Commons^™

The Deuteronomic Portrayal Of The Messiah: Christ And Mosaic Typology In Matthew, Francis Riggs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation addresses an underemphasized area in the study of Mosaic typology in the NT portrayal of Christ. Matthew’s Jesus is widely viewed in Mosaic terms, and scholars also consider the nature of his new Exodus, but there is little discussion of the character of the new Exodus participants. Yet the matter is quite relevant because the participants in the historical Exodus were disobedient, and, for the most part, they perished in the desert. Accordingly, this study seeks to find out how the new Exodus participants will be different from those of the historical Exodus, and whether they will now …

Walking With The Wounded: Chaplains As Agents Of Christ’S Healing Ministry, Fred Okechukwu Anucha

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctor of Ministry action research project evaluated the effectiveness of an eight-week Christ-centered training intervention designed to strengthen hospital chaplains’ confidence and clarify sacramental boundaries in end-of-life care at AdventHealth Celebration. Hospital chaplains frequently encounter situations in which patients and families request sacramental or spiritually significant practices during moments of crisis, yet chaplains often lack structured training that addresses how to respond with both pastoral sensitivity and theological clarity within a multifaith healthcare environment.

The project implemented an eight-week training program that integrated theological reflection, case-based discussion, and practical ministry applications intended to strengthen chaplains’ confidence in providing spiritual …

Empowering Lay Leaders For Relational Discipleship At Christian Stronghold Church, Philadelphia, Pa, Keith Paul Bethel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project examines how empowering lay leaders for relational discipleship can revitalize member engagement and spiritual formation at Christian Stronghold Church, an evangelical, multi-generational congregation in West Philadelphia experiencing declining participation and stagnating discipleship models. The ministry context includes significant demographic diversity, leadership transitions, shifts in discipleship structures, and the lingering effects of the COVID 19 pandemic, all of which have weakened historical patterns of evangelism, Bible study involvement, and leader development. The purpose of this study is to design, implement, and evaluate a relational, leader led discipleship intervention that strengthens lay leaders’ capacity to disciple members, deepens member …

God’S Design For Human Nature: Paul’S Biblical-Theological Use Of Creation Theology In Romans 1:18–32, Eunsoo (Daniel) Seo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The world in which the Apostle Paul ministered was not a theological vacuum, but a sophisticated marketplace of competing worldviews and diverse moral frameworks. Within the specific milieu of first-century Rome, the cultural forces of Stoic philosophy, Roman imperial ideology, and pagan polytheism created an environment where complex expressions of human nature and sexuality emerged. Dominant Roman social stratifications often celebrated or normalized same-sex relations and blurred the distinctions of the created order. Paul found himself proclaiming a message of a Sovereign Creator in a society that had been conditioned for centuries to view the human nature through the lens …

Covenantal Allegiance In The Epistle Of James: An Integrative Critical-Covenantal Interpretation, Lorpu Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation argues that the Epistle of James presents faith as covenantal allegiance enacted through communal practices under social and theological pressure. While scholarship on James has frequently separated socio-historical analysis from theological interpretation, this study proposes an integrative reading through the Integrative Critical-Covenantal Method (ICCM). ICCM employs a three-step procedure comprising close textual analysis, text-triggered socio-historical diagnosis, and theological analysis, with integrated adjudication. The dissertation examines seven strategically selected “pressure texts” in James: 1:9–11; 1:27; 2:1–13; 2:14–26; 3:13–18; 4:1–10; and 5:1–6. These passages reveal how James addresses status competition, patronage expectations, economic vulnerability, partiality, rivalry, and injustice within diaspora …

Ethnicity And Evangelism: Understanding The Crucial Role Of Ethnic, Social, And Cultural Factors In Proclaiming The Gospel, Bernardo Salcedo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the pivotal role of ethnic and socio-cultural backgrounds in proclaiming and expanding the gospel to the nations during the early church's formative period. Building upon the theological foundation of God's overarching mission plan throughout Scripture, the research examines how these factors influenced the development of early Christian evangelism, particularly concerning the context of Jewish, Samaritan, and Gentile cultures. The study argues that the early church’s approach to spreading the gospel was profoundly influenced by the ethnic and cultural contexts of the people it encountered. Thus, the dissertation proposes that understanding these cultural dynamics is essential for a …

Spiritual Health Support Groups In The Local Church: Addressing Spiritual Wellbeing In West Virginia’S Eastern Panhandle, Grant Michael Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Mental health services in the Appalachian region of the United States were lacking, both perennially and at the time of writing (Smith & Fisher, 2016). As the needs of this region and the nation continued to climb, the availability of trained, clinical counselors remained stagnant or worse. This lack of socially necessary services created a need that could be addressed in part by the local church. While professional counselors were in short supply and took a great deal of time to educate and train, the repercussions of the then-current mental health crisis needed to have immediate solutions and relief. The …

Faith And Flourishing: Describing The Lived Experiences Of Christian Counselors Who Integrate Christian Faith Into Their Wellness, Angela Joy Stanley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of counselors who integrate Christian faith into their wellness. The basis for this study was rooted in the work of Myers and Sweeney’s (2004) model of the indivisible self and the spiritual framework of coping for optimal health as introduced by Walker et al. (2015). Both models provide a holistic approach to wellness that recognizes the complexities of wellbeing which require the integration of multiple dimensions. Further, each model points to spirituality as an essential part of wellness. The research questions that guided this study were as follows: …

The Servant-Leader: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of The Associate Minister’S Character Traits In Small Non-Denominational Ministries, Rhonda Y. Cochran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to fill a gap in the existing leadership literature by delving into the servant-leader’s character traits of integrity, sacrifice, humility, emotional intelligence, and strength (Cook, 2020) of the servant-leader. By exploring the lived experiences of associate ministers in small non-denominational ministries who are servant-leaders, this researcher intended to show how the character traits compelled the purposive population to fulfill the ten characteristics of listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community (Greenleaf, 1977) of the servant-leadership role. The theory guiding this study was …

Second Temple Period Foundations Of The New Testament: A Teaching Model At Longview Evangelical Community Church, Stephen T. Dixon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project examined whether a structured Bible study focused on the Second Temple Period could improve participants’ ability to recognize historical context in the New Testament and apply that knowledge to a more Christocentric understanding of Scripture. The project was conducted at a local church and involved adult participants from diverse educational and spiritual backgrounds. The study used a six-week instructional model that integrated historical background, theological reflection, and guided discussion. Data were collected through an initial questionnaire and Likert-scale surveys administered before the study began, observational notes and recordings during the study, and a final assessment after …

Imago Dei Leadership Model, Jessica Lei Kritner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Dissertation-in-Praxis sought to observe the intentional application of leadership styles at Birmingham Master Commission (BMC), a traditional discipleship program for college aged adults (ages 18–25). While biblically centered and focused on spiritual formation, BMC lacked healthy leadership precedent and defaulted to peer-leadership only. This practice created a sporadic leadership culture that restricted student growth, autonomy, and investment in the program. This Dissertation-in-Praxis served as a process-based intervention on the psychological and spiritual impacts leadership styles have on young adult leaders. Transformational, servant, and participative leadership practices were modeled in existing ministry systems: one-on-one mentoring, leadership labs, and small group …

Discipleship: Attracting, Retaining, And Discipling Young Adults In Beauty Spot Missionary Baptist Church Fayetteville, North Carolina, Mamie Masella Bailey-Kindell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The partnership of young adults as well as their active involvement in God’s Kingdom work is a key issue facing Christian discipleship within churches in the 21st Century (Allan & Allan, 2020). The young adult congregants had been missing from the sacred teaching, preaching, and discipleship development training within congregations. What seemed only a temporary phenomenon had become a startling realization that reflected the demise of discipleship among the young adult congregants within churches. Christian leaders had wondered when the young adult congregants would return to the gatherings for spiritual worship, refreshing, and spiritual development (Barna Group, 2019, October 21). …

Inviting A Personal Response To Ite, Missa Est: Developing And Offering A Focused Retreat To Extend The Sensory Experience Of The Holy Mass, Celina Chavez

Master of Theological Studies Honors Theses

Holy Mass is a deeply sensory experience, connecting the human with the divine by way of the human senses. At its close, the faithful are sent forth with the final blessing and dismissal; however, some may not understand what this entails.

This thesis examines the necessity of a relationship with Jesus Christ in and stemming from the Eucharist with reference to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, spiritual writings regarding the liturgy and Christian love, and reflections on the missionary nature of the Catholic Faith. It proposes catechesis in the form of a teatime retreat, engaging the senses as a …

On Thursdays, We Wiggle, Beth Evers

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Churches of all stripes, including Roman Catholic, mainline Protestant, and non-denominational churches, have early childhood learning centers (sometimes called daycares, preschools, or child development centers) as part of their ministry profiles. Many of these churches are missing an important opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ by not intentionally ministering with the children and adults of their early learning centers.

In September 2019, University United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, began a worship gathering specifically designed for the infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and adults of their Child Development Center. While the specifics of University UMC’s decision to begin Wiggle …

Incorporating Principles And Wisdom From Hospital Chaplaincy And Pastoral Ministry To Create A Ministry Model To Address Social Isolation And Loneliness In Black Churches, Albert A. Kemp

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

To address the growing and widespread epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, with special focus on Black churches, this dissertation developed a program with the following areas of application: 1) how healthcare trained chaplains can coordinate with churches to positively impact individuals identified as lonely and socially isolated with better social and physical health, 2) how principles of chaplaincy and pastoral care can mitigate and intervene competently when such people are identified, and 3) how the project’s model can be organized, taught, and incorporated into existing arenas of church ministry.

The purpose of the project was to create a ministry …

A Hospital Spiritual Care Volunteer Program: Embodying Vocation And Decreasing Social Isolation And Loneliness In Adults Sixty-Five And Older, Stacy L. Auld

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Social isolation and loneliness have become familiar terms since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the problem did not start there. We have seen a steady rise in the number of people who face social isolation and loneliness over the past fifty years, and now research shows that this problem is impacting people’s health, especially in adults sixty-five and older. These social diagnoses are being addressed by public policy and in health care settings, but they should also be addressed by United Methodist clergy in their care for their parishioners. Therefore, I am writing this dissertation to my clergy colleagues to raise …

The Church As Provider Of Pastoral Care: Relational Presence, Narrative Listening, Preaching, And Advocacy In African American Missionary Baptist Churches In Southside Fort Worth, Texas, Michael R. Timberlake

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Abstract

Michael R. Timberlake, Sr.

May 1, 2026

THE CHURCH AS PROVIDER OF PASTORAL CARE: RELATIONAL PRESENCE, NARRATIVE LISTENING, PREACHING, AND ADVOCACY IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCHES IN SOUTHSIDE FORT WORTH, TEXAS

The purpose of this research project is to restore and maintain the resiliency in the African American Missionary Baptist churches in the Southside of Fort Worth, Texas. The research identified a high level of importance for African American churches in Fort Worth to resemble the historic legacy of spiritual leadership, communal care, and social advocacy while ministering within contexts marked by racial and economic marginalization. Enabling practical …

Therepairer_Vol44no1_Jan1939, Archives Archives

The Repairer

No abstract provided.

Realizing Reality — C.S. Lewis And The Hierarchical Model Of Christian Neo-Platonism, Jordan Spina

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Spina, Jordan, H. “Realizing Reality: C.S. Lewis and the Hierarchical Model of Christian Neo-Platonism.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2025. 253.

In recent years there has been a growing interest in C.S. Lewis’ intellectual relationship to the Medieval cosmological model. Scholars have demonstrated that, for Lewis, the Medieval cosmological model represented more than a scientific picture of earth in relation to other heavenly bodies. Its significance was not dependent upon the number of planets or the order in which they were positioned. Instead, it represented a philosophically robust view of reality

However, what has yet to be demonstrated is the roadmap …

Losing The Body: Tracing Corporeality As A Component Of The Imago Dei Through Early Christian Exegesis, Andrew Kneeland

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Kneeland, Andrew R. “Losing the Body: Tracing Corporeality as a Component of the Imago Dei Through Early Christian Exegesis.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2025. 252pp.

This dissertation examines the interpretation of imago Dei in Gen. 1:26 across early Christian history, revealing both a robust tradition of corporeal emphasis and a shift toward a spiritual consensus that was driven not by immediate, unanimous consensus but a variety of pastoral and polemical factors. Far from a fleeting, anthropomorphic error, a bodily understanding of the image of God spans diverse provenances and contexts. Organized diachronically and topically, the study begins with textual exegesis …