Religious Education Commons^™

Exegesis Or Eisegesis: Does Chiastic Analysis Help Us To Understand Leviticus 20?, Jonathan Burnside

BYU Studies

Chiastic studies have been vulnerable, on occasion, over the past fifty years to the charge that their existence may be more a matter of eisegesis rather than exegesis. This paper contends that it is possible to have objective, textual grounds for the existence of a chiasmus which can, in turn, be key to exegesis. In particular, it proposes that chiastic analysis helps us to understand the complexities of Lev 20 and, furthermore, that this text should be held up as an example of a well-developed chiasmus in biblical law.¹ Towards the end of the paper I speculate on some …

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Chiasmus In The Book Of Genesis, Gary A. Rendsburg

BYU Studies

Since I have published a detailed discussion on the subject announced in the title of this article, the present essay will provide only a summary of my earlier work, with ample key illustrations. My earlier treatment may be found in chapters 2, 3, and 5 of my book The Redaction of Genesis (1st ed., 1986; 2d ed., 2014).¹ As indicated, in what follows, I rehearse that material here, though for the sake of simplicity, I do not footnote each individual discussion.

Mirrored Poeticity: Chiastic Structuring In Mayan Languages, Kerry Hull

BYU Studies

The last quarter century has seen a marked shift in Maya hieroglyphic studies in recognition of the presence of poetic language in the script. Poetics in indigenous Mesoamerican tradition is based primarily upon the principle of parallelism, most often in the form of coupleted discourse. Chiasmus, a rhetorical feature fully dependent upon parallelism, was one such poetic device used by ancient Maya scribes and colonial period indigenous authors, and it is still found among modern ritual specialists in some Maya communities. In this study, I explore the use and forms of chiasmus over time among various Maya groups and languages. …

The Roles Of Words, Phrases, And Ideas In Macro-Chiasms, Stephen Kent Ehat

BYU Studies

What roles do words, phrases, and ideas play in large-scale chiasms and in the analysis of their form? Just as words and phrases play different roles in language generally, so too they may play different roles in their contributions to chiastic forms. In the analysis of the criteria used in evaluating a text for the presence of phrase-based chiasms and conceptual, idea-based chiasms, the analyst may see different roles played by words and phrases, depending on whether the pattern is a word-based or clause-based chiasm or a conceptual, idea-based chiasm. Analysis of texts in light of the general criteria …

Increasing State Restrictions On Russian Protestant Seminaries, Mark R. Elliott

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"In sum, Russian Protestant seminaries are presently undergoing a trial by state inspection that threatens their very existence. Academics Perry Glanzer and Konstantin Petrenko are correct in asserting that the Russian state’s “power to license and accredit” is “the power of life and death” over any educational institution.

State justifications for close oversight of Protestant seminaries appear overstated at best and lack credibility at worst. As regards state concerns for quality control, should not the Russian constitution’s requirement for separation of church and state take precedence over a secular government’s presumption to instruct believers on how best to train their …

Religious Motivations Can Only Get You So Far: The Impacts And Limitations Of Lutheran Educational Reforms, Abigail Schipper

Young Historians Conference

Education was once reserved strictly for the few, the rich, the Catholic, and the male. Along with reforming many of the theological and political practices of 16th century Europe, the Protestant Reformation also introduced educational reforms that would enhance the literacy of the Germany States, instituted compulsory education laws, and extended said compulsory education to girls. However, these reforms were hindered by that which motivated the reforms in the first place: The reformers’ primary goal was to spread a religion, not to educate a populace. Because of this, the educational reforms mainly impacted only the upper classes and failed to …

Inconceivable: An Analysis Of Assisted Reproductive Technology For The Church, Mary Elizabeth Gresham

Senior Honors Theses

Infertility pushes the boundaries of emotional and physical health, which is why many couples inside and outside the church turn to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) for a solution. Despite what has seemed like silence from the Church, some individuals have braved the biological confusion and ethical dilemmas to evaluate the technology. Three major ethical viewpoints have emerged that each prioritize something over medical technology, namely community, order, or human dignity. This paper serves to educate pastors and church leaders on the ever-changing biology of ART as well as give voice to Christians that have spoken out on this issue. At …

An Analysis Of The Debate Over Creation, Evolution, And The Timeline Of The Universe At An Ecumenical Christian University, Mason Pohlman

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

Throughout a significant portion of history and within modern culture, the fields of science and religion appear to be competing for the same holds in a person’s belief system. Universities are where academics and the sciences are the prevailing held truth, while in churches, the Bible reigns as supreme authority. However, in a Christian academic setting, the predominate school of thought in belief systems might turn into a little more of a melting pot. By analyzing gathered personal data (via surveys and interviews), one can begin to piece together the predominate thoughts on the apparent conflict between religion and science …

Defending "The Principle": Orson Pratt And The Rhetoric Of Plural Marriage, Jake D. Simmonds

Theses and Dissertations

In 1852, the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made the pivotal decision to publicize the doctrine and practice of plural marriage—something they had worked to keep out of the public eye for years. This decision came in response to federal and social pressures. They quickly moved to announce and defend plural marriage among Church members as well as broader society, including those in the federal government. Orson Pratt was chosen by Brigham Young to be the face and the voice of the Church concerning plural marriage, both in Salt Lake City among members and in …

How Governor Thomas Ford's Background, Choices, And Actions Influenced The Martyrdom Of Joseph Smith In Carthage Jail, Stuart Rulan Black

Theses and Dissertations

Thomas Ford was the governor of Illinois at the time of Joseph and Hyrum Smiths’ martyrdoms in Carthage Jail in 1844. Before his tenure as governor, Ford’s professional life included service as an attorney and judge throughout Illinois. His background in the legal field gave him a unique perspective which may have influenced his career as governor of Illinois from 1842-1846. Although Governor Ford is relatively well-known for his association with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its history, his background and the bearing it had on the martyrdom of the Smiths has received relatively little attention …

Catholic Deacons And The Sacrament Of The Anointing Of The Sick, Michael J. Eash

Master of Theological Studies Honors Theses

An examination to discern if Roman Catholic deacons should be allowed to sacramentally anoint the sick. This includes a review of the current rite of Anointing of the Sick through is development. The Catholic diaconate is examined in historical context with a special focus on the revised diaconate after 1967. Through these investigations it is apparent that there is cause for dialog within the Church considering current pastoral realities in the United States. The paper concludes that deacons should have the faculty to anoint the sick as ordinary ministers when it is celebrated as a separate liturgical rite.

Self-Efficacy Score Differences Between Supported, Unsupported, Departmentalized And Non-Departmentalized Classical Christian Elementary Mathematics Teachers, Cristina Marie Dube

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Classical Christian schools have increased exponentially over the past 20 years. The main mission of a classical Christian education is to produce a student who is better equipped to think and apply the Christian worldview to every situation. Classical schools are based on the Greek Trivium which focuses on the tools of learning: grammar school, logic school, and rhetoric school. Classical tenets include integration of content, memorization of basic facts, and reliance on the Socratic Method. Utilizing the Socratic Method requires teachers to be confident in their understanding of mathematics. Because of the lower mathematics self-efficacy of elementary school teachers, …

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The First Vision As A Prehistory Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Kathleen Flake

BYU Studies

Most scholarly attention to the First Vision is dedicated to determining whether it happened or whether whatever happened is reliably described in the few primary accounts we have of it. My interests lie in a different direction. I am interested in the First Vision accounts insofar as they tell us something about religion, not about history, and not least because my wager is that this story, as a story, exceeds the limits of history, especially when it becomes understood as scripture. Which is to say, I want to better understand the work done by this story among the members of …

Raising The Stakes: How Joseph Smith’S First Vision Became All Or Nothing, Steven C. Harper

BYU Studies

Joseph Smith (1805–1844) inhabited a visionary world and belonged to a visionary family.¹ At about age twelve, he began to worry about his soul and started searching the Bible. As he compared the scriptures to the Christian denominations where he lived in western New York State, he found discord. For two or three years, he worried about “the darkness which pervaded the minds of mankind.” He became “exceedingly distressed” and “convicted” of his sins, a problem compounded by his inability to find any “society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the new …

Touro Torah Volume 4 Issue 11, Lander College For Women

Yearbooks and Newsletters

Divrei Torah Newsletter, Nissan Edition 5780

A Theology Of Compassion: Encouraging Local Church Ministry To Children In Foster Care, Allen Griffin

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Compassionate care within the local community of a church is of vital essence to a thriving church ministry. For centuries church leaders have endeavored to make an impact in the lives of the people living in their vicinity through outreach efforts. The compassion of the local church is needed in the area of children in foster care. Through the analysis of two church programs focused on serving the spiritual, educational, and social needs of teens in the foster care system, this dissertation will examine how to assist local churches in establishing a program to serve the children in their local …

The Increased Role Of Pesantrens In Indonesia’S Modern-Day Approach To Deradicalization, Helen Bruckner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Indonesia has had a unique relationship with Islamic radicalism since the war for Indonesian independence in 1945. While the formation of an Islamic State in Indonesia has been at the forefront of radical movements since independence, the approaches to achieving this goal have changed drastically over time. This goal has also had multiple adversaries, from Dutch and Japanese colonialism, to the left-wing Sukarno regime, to the authoritarian Suharto regime, and finally the War on Terror. Across all of these different time periods, Islamic radicals in Indonesia have also had to contend with the different Muslim communities across the archipelago, many …

The First Vision And The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Elder Legrand R. Curtis Jr.

BYU Studies

I am grateful for the opportunity to be here with you. As was mentioned, I am the Church Historian and Recorder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In our Church, that position is an ecclesiastical calling. While I oversee the Church History Department—which is filled with trained historians, librarians, archivists, and other professionals— my own training is as a lawyer, and prior to being called to full-time church service as a General Authority, I practiced law for several years. My service as a General Authority has included being in the presidency of the Church’s Africa West Area …