Practical Theology Commons^™

Infinite Horizon: The Prairie Spirituality Of Ronald Rolheiser, Michael W. Higgins

Mission & Culture Publications

Ronald Rolheiser, president of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio Texas (but a native of the Saskatchewan prairie), is one of the most popular Catholic spiritual writers and syndicated columnists at work today.

What some critics see as Rolheiser’s complacency, his supposedly uncritical embrace of modern secular society, is actually borne of his remarkable faith and confidence in God’s abiding presence and care. Like the philosopher Charles Taylor, a fellow Canadian and Catholic, Rolheiser is keenly aware that modern liberal values such as tolerance and benevolence, and especially respect for individual dignity and freedom, have deep Christian roots.

In All Things..., Neal Deroo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"As Christians, we like Jesus - as long as it's our Jesus, the one we like best."

Introduction to In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/in-all-things/

God’S Power Touches Lives In Cuba, L. Fernando Ortiz

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Church Hospitality: A Biblical Model For Growth Based On The Seven Churches In Revelation, Gesner Noel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Church growth seeks both to actualize the precepts of the "Great Commission", to attract new members and sustain current congregation. One of the fundamental problems is the inability to preserve hospitality. The pertinence of hospitality to the Church originates from Scriptures that clearly exemplify Christ's deeds and teachings of hospitality. This thesis project will investigate the seven churches in Revelation and reveal factors of outstanding and inhospitable practices in relation to Church growth and hospitality. Surveys will be based on unregulated interactions among pastors. Twenty pastors across five denominations, Evangelical Lutheran, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Seven-Day Adventist, and Roman Catholic will demonstrate …

A Pre-Methodological Theology For Biblically Proper Ecclesiological Health, James Woods

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The American church is in a dramatically noticeable decline, with many resources offering superficial remedies and solutions but rarely digging below the surface to evaluate the structural integrity of the foundation. This paper will evaluate the foundation as to how it has been altered over the last two thousand years, as well as identifying three main foundational attributes of the first century church that must be in place for the twenty-first century church to be on target biblically. The thesis will be corroborated by utilizing two different, yet related surveys administered to both pastors and congregants, as well as by …

Addressing Apathy In The Church: Moving People Towards A Biblical Healthy Discipleship Model, Kevin Brooks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul speaks to the giving of spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit to individuals at the time of conversion. However, current statistics reveal that a large majority of church members are not actively serving their current ministry. The purpose of this project is to investigate the problem of apathy in the church, the failure of God's people to use their spiritual gifts and also present an effective model for solving the issue. A ministry filled with servants instead of spectators will help unify the body and more effectively reach the community for Christ. Research …

Love Your Enemy? Reflections At The Centenary Of World War I, Denis Kaiser

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Observations On The Performative Force Of The Qyama And The Ihidaye, And Its Pertinancy Today, C. A. Chase

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

Using contemporary social and art theory, with particular emphasis on the notion of performative, this paper examines the historical and theological context of a unique social and ecclesial phenomenon in 4th century Syria—the Sons and Daughters of the Covenant. By observing these committed laity as a ‘living performance,’ an exploration of the identity of the faithful, both severally and as a community, may be undertaken. This paper focuses on the relation of such a performative to notions of Christology and anthropology, with an eye towards today’s laity and their seeking for identity in a complex world of competing shifting …

Stand Firm: 48 Life-Guides From Philippians, Dave Branon

Alumni Book Gallery

The book of Philippians may be 2,000 years old, but throughout its pages Paul gives us clues about living that are just as valid for us today as they were for the believers in the ancient city of Philippi. “We need to hear from a guy who was beaten, jailed, shipwrecked, threatened, and mistreated due to his allegiance to Jesus as he tells us how to stand firm and experience peace,” says author Dave Branon.

Digging into the meaning and teaching of Paul’s letter, Stand Firm

• Provides easy-to-read and engaging narrative
• Challenges Christians to secure their faith and experience God’s …

Concordia Seminary Magazine | Summer/Fall 2014, Jeffrey Kloha

Concordia Seminary Magazine

God’s Rest in a Restless World.

Creemos 1-Proclamando La Verdad, Ilc Chile, Lcms

Confesiones Luteranas

Creemos 1-Proclamando la verdad

Seminary Promotes Healthy Lifestyles, Eloise Ravell

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Mcgavran’S Family Heritage, Gary L. Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

Mission was the natural expression of Donald McGavran’s heritage. This article traces the ancestral history of Donald McGavran’s family line from James and Agnes Anderson, his maternal grandparents, and John and Helen McGavran, his mother and father. His connection to the Stone-Campbell Movement and William Carey’s Baptist Missionary Society is discussed.

Book Review: The Coffee Shop That Changed A Church: Discovering The Net Effect By Steve Parr, Peter Varosky

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Reaching The Nations Through Our Cities, Chris Clayman

Great Commission Research Journal

While the American public perceives New York City to be a post-Christian environment, reality is that the city is moving into a post-secular existence largely influenced by religious immigrants. These immigrants are symbolic of a new era in pioneer missions—one in which migration, transnationalism, globalization, and urbanization pose newer challenges and opportunities than uncharted geographies, isolated societies, and foreign cultures. “Reaching the Nations Through Our Cities” proposes that the next challenge for missionary pioneers is reaching busy, hidden, influential unreached peoples who have migrated to cities. Based on several years of research on the immigrant populations in Metro New York, …

Why Is There A Silent Exodus Of English-Speaking Adults From Western Canadian Chinese Churches?, Matthew Todd

Great Commission Research Journal

This study recommends solutions towards the retention through empowerment of Canadian Born Chinese (CBC) adults in Chinese bicultural churches. To address retention, the key risk factors and common dynamics that contribute to a “silent exodus” of CBC adults were established through qualitative research, including a survey of participants from diverse church affiliations. Based on an analysis of the literature review and survey results, this study advocates working toward the retention of English-speaking adults from Chinese Canadian churches through associated parallel independent English congregational models; this recognizes a link between the process of acculturation and the imperative to leverage mission.

The Church Of The Nazarene And Church Growth: Better Together?, Duane H. Boady

Great Commission Research Journal

The essence of the article is to offer a fresh look at Church Growth to the Church of the Nazarene. Perhaps the Church of the Nazarene is one of many denominations that struggle with plateaued and declining churches. It seems to this writer that we have failed to ask difficult questions about what we are doing and why we do those things. If we are part of the Body of Christ, then we ought to be flourishing. Instead the converse is often more true. The Church Growth movement may have brought out some people hoping to sell their latest and …

Book Review: Planting New Churches In A Postmodern Age By Ed Stetzer, Joseph Mun

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Embracing Shared Ministry: Power And Status In The Early Church And Why It Matters Today By Joseph H. Hellerman, Paul Gritz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Why Multiply Healthy Churches?, Charles Van Engen

Great Commission Research Journal

This article examines biblical motivations to multiply new, healthy churches. Such motivations emerge from the following five biblical truths: a) God the Father seeks and finds the lost, b) The love of Christ obligates us, c) God sent the Holy Spirit for all human beings, d) The local congregation is the primary locus of the rule of the King, and e) Multiplying churches is for the glory of God. Our loving and compassionate triune God desires that all women and men become disciples of Jesus Christ, active participants in a local Christian church, and committed agents of the transformation of …