Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Review Of The Theology Of Louis Massignon: Islam, Christ, And The Church, Jon Armajani

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Comparing Cultures And Religions In A Postmodern World, Januarius J. Asongu

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Mary In Different Traditions: Seeing The Mother Of Jesus With New Eyes, Carl Chudy

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear: Exploring The Effectiveness Of A Person-Centered Disability Awareness Seminar In A Congregational Setting, Joshua H. Jones

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

People with disabilities and their families frequently experience barriers toward inclusion and belonging in multiple spheres of life. These barriers are also present in Christian congregations. However, many congregations express a godly desire to love people with disabilities and their families without these obstacles.

The Old and New Testaments provide examples of how God’s people sought to love people with disabilities in their midst creatively and intentionally in response to God’s gracious actions, invitation, and command. Recent research in disability studies routinely highlight the necessity of being attentive to the uniqueness of each person with disabilities and his or her …

Trinity And Divine Subjectivity: A Study In The Trinitarian Theologies Of Franz Anton Staudenmaier And Isaak August Dorner, Andrew Hamilton

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

In the German philosophical tradition that begins with Kant and grows into Romanticism and Idealism, philosophical understandings of personal subjectivity underwent drastic changes. I argue in this dissertation that these new understandings of personal subjectivity exercised an important influence on how the Catholic theologian Franz Anton Staudenmaier and the Lutheran theologian Isaak August Dorner conceived of the personal subjectivity of the divine, particularly on how they rendered the divine as a triune personal subject.

“Precios Perle Wythouten Spotte”: Accepting The Unknowable In Pearl, Jana Ishee

Master's Theses

The fourteenth-century Middle English poem Pearl, authored by the anonymous Pearl-poet, survives in a manuscript known as London, British Library, Cotton MS Nero A.x. This dream vision, narrated by a grieving father, tells the story of his journey to Paradise, where he encounters his infant daughter, now older, regal, and wise, proffering admonishments with the authority of God to her tearful father. meeting with her in Paradise. Drawing on Caroline Walker Bynum’s work on medieval European conceptions of death and resurrection, J. Stephen Russell’s work on the dream vision genre, and Karl Steel’s work on oysters as liminal figures, …

The Erosion Of Theological Understanding, Thomas Glenn Sleeth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many Christian churches have been experiencing declines in attendance at Sunday services, Bible studies, and prayer meetings, and have experienced the affects of an apathetic attitude toward Christian community engagement. The lack of teaching scripturally accurate Biblical doctrine and applying scripture to daily life has led to a sharp decrease in discipleship. By examining the attitudes and reasons contributing to this lack of Christian participation and scriptural understanding, pastors and other church leadership can address the specific rationales for not living the scripture in daily life. Through the advent of a discipleship program an increase for the desire of congregants …

The Development Of A Biblical Theology Curriculum For The Congregation Of Poplar Bluff First Baptist Church, Brandon Paul Spain

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to educate the congregation of First Baptist Church of Poplar Bluff how to understand the biblical theology of Scripture. It is the belief that if the people of FBCPB receive proper training in the subject of biblical theology that they will begin to appreciate the grand narrative of the biblical story. It is the researcher’s hope that once the people begin to read the Bible through a gospel lens they will become eager to dive deeper into the Word of God. The researcher also has hope that a healthy biblical theology will not only …

Micro-Kingdom: A Theological And Missiological Apologetic For The Microchurch Model As An Effective And Faithful New Testament Expression Of The Kingdom Of God, Donald Clayton Dodge

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Using a bibliographic methodology, this thesis is a theological and missiological defense for the microchurch model as a solution to the limitations of the prevalent Western attractional model to effectively live out Jesus command to be a community of disciples making disciples. The declining western model is proving insufficient in a post-Christian, post-Christendom world to fulfill the intended role of the church. And as more churches are continually planted, if the erroneous presuppositions responsible for the decline of the church’s efficacy are not amended, there will be no lasting change regardless of how much effort and money is invested. New …

Effective Sermon Application In A Charlotte Exurb Baptist Church, David Keuss

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis explores an improvement in expository sermon application using two technical tools added to the sermon divisions of sermon series messages. The background of applicational improvements is explored, the problem at Sandy Plains Baptist Church of Gastonia is outlined, and the solution employed. The problem is a spiritual comfort or plateau among members with previous life applications of sermons. The goal was to provide two new resources that would overcome the spiritual status quo in Sunday worship attendee’s lives. This method was tested utilizing Likert scale surveys, unpaired T-tests, and facilitator notations. The thesis project provides guidance to other …

The Relationship Between Contemporary Evangelical Church Leadership And Church Discipleship Formation, James Lawrence Marshall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if the church leadership paradigm contributes to the problem of a lack of disciple-making in Pennsylvania Evangelical churches. A disciple is defined as an unwavering commitment to the Lordship of Christ that is illustrated by Luke 9:23 in which disciples deny themselves and carry their cross daily. This research sought to identify the causes for the lack of discipleship in Pennsylvania Evangelical churches, and had the following findings from the quantitative survey. First, the vision that leadership provides for disciple-making is much higher than either the member involvement in discipleship …

A Study On The Essence Of Worship In Online Worship Groups Under Covid-19 Pandemic: Focus On Korean Ministers In The Northern Virginia Area, Nakjung Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to review the current needs regarding online worship that were conducted by Korean ministers in the Northern Virginia area under the COVID-19 pandemic and thereby supplement the found needs through establishing a theological basis and a summary of essential elements of worship that should be applied to online worshiping groups. Thirty-three (N = 33) Korean ministers in the Northern Virginia area who conducted online worship under COVID-19 participated in this survey. Results showed that the dominant need in online worship was an education on the essence of worship followed by technical support and ways …

Obedience: The "Year Of St. Joseph", Cindy Gonzalez

Obsculta

This piece responds to Pope Francis' proclaiming this year to be the Year of St. Joseph through the lens of exploring obedience as a form of resistance. The piece asks readers to not only grapple with their own privilege during a time where inequalities are rampant and apparent but to resist human made forms of oppression. The author uses her identity as a Chicana mother to invite readers to lament the complex grief that we are collectively experiencing during this time of global pandemic, COVID-19.

Christ, Be Our Light: An Epiphany Encounter, Marie T. Racine Osb

Obsculta

Can hymn singing during liturgy affect the worshipping community’s life in the world? This paper proposes that singing the hymn Christ, Be Our Light by Bernadette Farrell during the liturgy of the Feast of the Epiphany can help transform the hearts of the worshipping community and compel its members to the social action highlighted in the hymn. An examination of the theology of the Feast through the lens of its proper prayers, a theological and literary analysis of the lyrics and analysis of the musical setting of the hymn reveal a strong connection between hymn and Feast. A theology of …

Reflections On A Pandemic, Leah Wakefield

Obsculta

This provides a personal ethical reflection on issues raised during the Covid-19 pandemic and racial justice movements and how these themes connect to the themes of hope, destruction, chaos, and resurrection as depicted in the Synoptic Gospels, particularly the Gospel of Mark.

Real Presence Imaged In Friendship, James Voeller Fbp

Obsculta

This reflection is aimed at considering another way of looking at the Sacrament of the Eucharist through the Christian belief of what it means to be truly human. Understanding humans as symbol-making beings allow us to consider relationship or friendship as a basic sacrament of God’s saving presence. Humans need a greater awareness of humanness, to wake up and know what is going on.

Traveling Together To Ward Off Fear: Lenten Reflections During The Coronavirus Pandemic, Laura Suhr Osb

Obsculta

Reflections on life in a Benedictine Monastery provide insights into how the Benedictine way of life can help Christians during the trials and tribulations of the coronavirus pandemic. Humility, community living, and our inner attitudes can also deepen our experience of Lent.

Right Seeing: Means And End In Patristic Monastic Lives, Jason Horstman

Obsculta

Right seeing is a central motif in the biographical Lives of Saints Antony and Macrina. ‘Right seeing’, used here to signify the alignment of one’s vision with truth, is manifest variously as ‘the discernment of spirits’, as firmly hopeful trust in the revelation of the divine, and as perceiving the world from the divine perspective. Manifest in these ways, right seeing is both a guide for ascetic training the telos of which is union with God, and it is the fruit of that very union with God unto which askesis aspires.

On Cannon Law, Anisabel Palma

Obsculta

A letter to a friend who wonders the relevance of Canon Law for everyday life and looking for guidance regarding a son who has fallen away from the Catholic faith. This letter touches five different aspects of prayer, a call to work in our own conversion and encouragement to accompany our efforts with penance. There are 20 canons from the Code of Canon Law cited in this document. This paper was originally written for a course on Introduction to Ecclesiastical Law.

On Silence In The Rule Of St. Benedict: A Study Of Chapter 6: 1-6, Karen F. Arce

Obsculta

This paper is a study of Chapter 6: On Silence in The Rule of St. Benedict. It studies verses 1-6. It briefly includes verses 7 and 8, which reinforce Benedict's value of humility and the exhortation to refrain from useless conversation. This study shows the value of silence as a way to stop all interior and exterior chatter in order to have the chance to listen to God, one’s neighbors and oneself. This study also gives a deeper understanding of the Latin word taciturn Tate which emphasizes a state of being which opens the person for a deeper listening.