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Calvin Theological Seminary Academic Catalog 2026-2027, Calvin Theological Seminary

Seminary Academic Catalogs

No abstract provided.

On Dark Skinned Jesus Of Nazareth: Why Color Matters, Nicholas Berkel

MA Theses

This thesis examines the historical, religious, and cultural consequences of portraying Jesus as white within Christian art. Although Western art has overwhelmingly depicted Christ with white skin, archaeological, and contextual evidence supports a dark-skinned Jesus rooted in the ethnogeography of first century Palestine. The persistence of a White Jesus has shaped religious imagination and perception for centuries, reinforcing racial hierarchy and legitimizing systems of white supremacy. Through an interdisciplinary analysis combining biblical studies, Christian iconography, ethnography of ancient Semitic, Greco-Roman, and Egyptian peoples, medieval symbolism, modern mass-produced imagery, and Black thought, this study demonstrates how Jesus’ original complexion was gradually …

Lenses Of Faith And Culture: Christian College Students' Perspectives On Infertility, Mary Samuels

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis investigates the perspectives of Christian college students on infertility, adoption, and assisted reproductive technologies through focus group discussions. Following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision, 13 states have established a total abortion ban, and 28 states have established abortion bans based on gestational duration. This study materializes because recently developed state-level abortion laws may impact in vitro fertilization (IVF) access if states expand legal protection of fetal personhood. Previous research has described that while Christian traditions demonstrate cultural pronatalism and opposition to abortion, Christian individuals’ concepts of infertility and views of treatments such …

The Devil’S Partners, James M. Taylor

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Three Mothers Who Prayed, James M. Taylor

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Critical And Exegetical Notes And Discourses On The Gospels. Volume 1, Matthew And Mark, Andrew Carroll

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Critical And Exegetical Notes And Discourses On The Gospels. Volume 2, Luke And John, Andrew Carroll

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Touring South America With The Gospel, James M. Taylor

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Master Plan Of Evangelism – Kurdish Version, Robert E. Coleman

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Shadow And Sunshine, Eliza Suggs

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Successful Evangelism, Or, Life And Labors Of Rev. E. A. Fergerson, W.B. Yates

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

A Young Missionary: The Life Of Bertha Rasmussen, Hannah Rasmussen

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

Hope For The Drowned: Baptism, Faith, And The Open Community Of Grace In Marilynne Robinson’S Housekeeping And Lila, Mackenzie M. Miller

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis explores the baptismal imagery across two of Marilynne Robinson’s novels, Housekeeping and Lila. The hermeneutic used to understand baptism is based on some of the works of Rowan Williams, Mircea Eliade, and Northrop Frye. In its death and rebirth function, baptism is understood for its connection to the formation of self and identity. Baptism is also explored as a means of community initiation. Further, connecting these two baptismal functions, this thesis also looks at the role community plays in the formation of that identity. In this process, I compare Housekeeping’s Ruth and Lila’s titular character; …

¡Salud! Sacrificing The Sacred Sip: A Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of The Spiritual Conquest On Alcohol Traditions In Central México, Elizabeth Vilchis

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

By thoroughly investigating the available primary sources, this thesis will convey the importance of the Mesoamerican inebriating drink pulque in both the ethos and mythos of ancient Nahua society, examining how the ritual use of pulque became problematic in the eyes of the Spaniards, by investigating the cultural and ideological contradictions or double standards that enabled the tensions, struggles, and violence with which the Spanish colonial regime repressed the ritual use of pulque. This thesis compares the Nahua ethos and mythos of pulque to the Christian ethos and mythos of wine, highlighting the parallels perceived by Spaniards in Central México …

Book Review: Growing Women In Ministry: Seven Aspects Of Leadership Development, Beth Ann Fisher, Victoria Blondeau

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Growing Women in Ministry: Seven Aspects of Leadership Development, by Anna R. Morgan. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2024. 272 pages, $30.

Chasing Light, Jason N.E. Ho

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Even though my body wishes I were somewhere lighter and warmer, I'm grateful for the reminder that winter brings that the light and the hope of Jesus's birth take place against a backdrop of darkness."

Posting about Advent hope from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Chasing Light

The Other Side Of Rousseau’S Political Theology: The Influence Of Plutarch And Calvin On The Profession Of Faith Of The Savoyard Vicar, Thomas Daniel Moore

Yale Divinity School Theses

This thesis examines Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Profession of Faith of the Savoyard Vicar, paying particular attention philosophic influences of the Vicar, especially as pertains to metaphysics. It fills a void in the scholarship, as there is not much work in general–and especially in recent years–on the relationship between Plutarch, Calvin, and Rousseau. Indeed, although Rousseau’s love for Plutarch is often acknowledged, it is seldom explored; and, when it is explored, it is typically only with an eye to the political realm, and never the metaphysical dimension. Calvin, when mentioned in association with Rousseau at all, is typically interpreted as a minor …

An Ancient And Future Model Of Ecclesial Ministry: Exploring Insights From African Ecclesiology For A Revitalized Understanding Of The Catechist In The Amecea Region, Fortunatus Mugisha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ministry of the catechist has historically been an enduring and transformative ministry in the life of the Church in Africa, particularly in the AMECEA region. Within the AMECEA region (Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa), catechists have ministered not merely as transmitters of the faith but as the “unsung heroes and heroines” and vital agents of evangelization, pastoral care, and community leadership serving as the local face of the Church. This dissertation, relying on the insights from African ecclesiologies, proposes a renewed theological and pastoral understanding of the catechist as an ancient and future model of ecclesial …

Developing Christian Artists: The Live Music Sphere, Camille Crites

Student Scholar Symposium

Christian/Gospel music was the fourth-fastest growing music genre in 2024, and many artists are seeking to enter the Christian music industry. This research seeks to examine the exploration of live music opportunities for Christian music artists in the developing stages of their careers. Every musical artist’s career consists of about five sectors: Songwriting/Publishing, Recording/Releasing Music, Live Music, Merch, and Sync (Film/TV). While parts like Songwriting and Recording are very accessible for new Christian artists, it can be challenging to know how to best approach the Live Music sector, one of the major sources of income for any performing artist. There …

Divinely Woven, Lily Robinette

Student Scholar Symposium

The relationship between science and faith has often been viewed as contradictory, with individuals typically aligning with one perspective or the other. However, a deeper examination reveals that these two ideologies are not independent but are interconnected parts of the greater tapestry of life. This paper takes the audience on a journey through the thought process of a chemistry student of the spiritual and physical being affirming of each other rather than competing ideas. It delves into the concept of complex interactions of atoms and the purposeful design of life that suggest that the universe is not a product of …