Digital Commons Network^™

'To Free The Truth': The Depth Of Latin American Theology Of Liberation, Dylan Parson

Denison Journal of Religion

No abstract provided.

Seeing And Being Seen At The Margins: Insight Into God From The Wilderness, Luke Hillier

Denison Journal of Religion

Hiller argues that by approaching the often neglected or negatively interpreted biblical story of Hagar through a particular context, one can conclude that God is encountered at Hagar’s location: the outskirts and the margins. Hiller’s analysis is rooted in this “literary and culturally contextual” reading of Genesis 16, asking the reader more deeply examine Hagar’s experience of oppression to see the radical nature of her encounter with God. The first part of this essay describes how Hagar’s agency, identity, and life are compromised in the face of adversity. As a female slave, Hagar answers to Sarah and Abraham in every …

Experience And Authority: Knowledge, Gender, And The Creation Of The Self In The Book Of Margery Kempe And Late Medieval Travel Literature, Rebecca D. Fox

The Hilltop Review

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between written authority, experiential authority, travel, and gender in late medieval travel literature. By expanding Terrence M. Bowers’ discussion of travel as a masculine rite of passage beyond Margery Kempe to include Marco Polo, John Mandeville, and Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, the relationships between the aims and experiences of each figure are clarified. Each figure claims that their travels have given them unique a experiential knowledge which allows them to both recreate themselves on their own terms and to assert their own authority in opposition to written authority. Variables such …

The Threat Of Pluralism, Postmodernism, And Dual Allegiance To The Development Of Biblical Spirituality In Africa, Sampson M. Nwaomah

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

How Curses Impact People And Biblical Responses, Passmore Hachalinga

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Principles Of Missional Pastoral Leadership For South Korean Churches, Ilkeun Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since 2000, the Korean Church has increasingly lost public confidence. The reason for this is that pastors have focused on church growth. They have entirely missed the essence of missional ecclesiology. However, the church is generated from the mission of the triune God to redeem all creation. The church should not be identified as a building or a place but as the people of God who are to be sent into the world to participate in the mission of God. The purpose of this thesis project is to present the principles of missional pastoral leadership for an existing Korean church …

Evaluating Missionary-Care Responsibilities: A Guide For Sending And Supporting Churches, Donald Hall

Masters Theses

A thoughtful approach to global missions requires a team of support personnel. This team, composed of the sending church, the supporting churches, the missions agency and other supporters, is effective when it works together to recruit, train, and maintain a healthy missionary workforce, but a sub-standard support structure jeopardizes the mission. Sadly, many sending churches do not properly understand or fulfill their missionary-care roles and responsibilities. This project provides a biblical, philosophical, and practical methodology by which churches can properly evaluate their responsibilities and address gaps in their missionary-care ministry. In the model presented in this paper, the sending church …

Toward Just Hospitality, Ron Bruner

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

The ministry of Jesus moved through times of seeking justice, sharing hospitality, and withdrawing for prayer. Though inescapably “other” because of his divine identity, he sought solidarity with humans by becoming human and interacting with humanity through hospitable practices. The Ancient Mediterranean customs of hospitality were well-defined, but Jesus took this powerful cultural framework and changed its practice so that it produced reconciliation and justice.

This work briefly reviews the practice of hospitality in the time of Jesus. It also presents the work of scholars identifying linguistic markers that would have cued readers in the Ancient Mediterranean to recognize a …

“Bone Of My Bones And Flesh Of My Flesh”: A Feminist Analysis Of Christianity, Evolutionary Theory, And The Provenance Of Patriarchy, Heather Bishop

Dialogue & Nexus

While perceived by many as conflicting in nearly every sphere, science and religion both play an important role in the promotion of patriarchal ideologies. My research has found that neither Christianity nor evolutionary theory are inherently patriarchal, neither do they justify patriarchy. Instead, it is the misinterpretation and misuse of these subjects that contribute to the justification of patriarchy for the deep-seated goal of reproductive power. I will show this by analyzing theological themes present throughout the Christian scriptures, as well as investigating findings of evolutionary psychology and hominid ancestry. The implication of this study is that there is no …

A Congregational & Legal Study In The Practice Of Hospitality At Faith Community Center, Lacey, Washington, Matthew Henry

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Henry, Matthew R. “A Congregational and Legal Study in the Practice of Faith Community Center.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2017. 171 pages.

Churches that practice hospitality by operating community centers must remain faithful in their confession and abide by anti-discrimination laws. This project provides the necessary theological and legal guidance for community center ministry in morally diverse settings. Surveys conducted before and after a congregational presentation at Faith Lutheran Church, Lacey, WA, reveal opinions of both limits and freedoms as to what activities and groups may be permitted or disallowed. As an expression of love for …

Burnout Among African American Pastors: A Biblical And Practical Solution, Ronald Strong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastors are dropping out of the Christian ministry at an alarming rate. These spiritual leaders often experience burnout due to excessive demands, which lead to physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion, impairing their pastoral effectiveness. Qualitative and quantitative surveys and interviews were used to determine the relationship between burnout and ministry effectiveness by focusing on three mitigating factors: physical, emotional, and spiritual rest. The results identified overall fatigue as the primary cause of spiritual aridness and pastoral failings. Using this research, this thesis provides a model for holistic health with specific solutions for ministry burnout, thereby, improving pastoral effectiveness.

The Romanian Church Musician: Biblical Foundations For Training Musicians To Serve The Romanian Evangelical Church, Gary Mathena

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Emanuel University of Oradea, Romania, was founded in 1986 as an underground training school for pastors and missionaries during the brutal regime of communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. In December of 1989, Ceaușescu’s government was overthrown. The new democratic government not only officially recognized the school (then the Baptist Biblical Institute) as a theological seminary, but also commissioned the institution to train teachers for the newly emerging, publicly funded religious schools being established across the country. The school accepted that mandate and in 1998 changed its name to Emanuel University of Oradea. The music program began in those early days for …

Impact Of Church Health On Mergers : A Study Of Two Merging United Methodist Congregations, Andrew Stephen Adams

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Stewardship In The Church : The Theology And Practice Of Tithing, Offerings, And Stewardship In Evangelical Churches Of Russia, Sergey Chervonenko

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Overflow In Young Christian Leaders : Factors Leadng To Emptiness Or Fullness, Carey D. Akin

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Connecting The Dots : Role Of Storytelling In Character Development And Leadership Practice Of One Rock Mentors, Associates And Mentees, Joanna E. Williamson

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Discerning Lay Leaders' Biblical Understanding Of Same-Sex Relationshiops : A Theological Review And Study Of Traditionalists' And Revisionists' Understanding Of Same-Sex Relationships, Benjamin Reil Greenbaum

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Church Has Left The Building : The Benediction And Missional Worship, Nathan Leslie Carden

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Recovery Ministry And Its Relationship To The Larger Church, Mark A. Hicks

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Hispanic United Methodist Church Growth : The Factors That Impact Growth In Hispanic United Methodist Churches Within The Kentucky Annual Conference, Iosmar Alvarez Alfonso

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

From Infancy To Maturity : Effective Discipleship Practices Of Nazarene Churches, Anthony M. Sparrow

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Differentiation Of Self In Pastoral Leaders : Differentiation Of Self Inventory, Revised As A Valid Assessment Protocol, James Edward Cinocca Jr.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Christward Movement Among Urban Dwellers In North India : A Study On Delhi, Jaison George P. V.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Revive Us Again : Intergenerational Ministry As A Strategy For The Revitalization Of Bongshin Church In Seoul, Korea, Jung Jun Kim

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Before God And These Witnesses: An Evangelistic Guide To Weddings, David Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Every year, according to the Center for Disease Control, an average of 2.3 million couples wed in the United States, while nearly 900,000 divorces occur. One fourth of couples marry outside of a church. Though most ceremonies take place in a church building, the church’s presence is small. An opportunity exists to reach receptive engaged couples and provide needed counseling services to those marrying outside of the church. Premarital counseling reduces the risk of divorce approximately 30 percent. To impact marriages and see growth, the church must take a proactive and evangelistic role in providing premarital counseling and weddings services …

A Church Planting Church In South Korea: A Case Study On Missional Outreach, Deokjong Bang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Gallup Korea, in 2015, reported that 30% of people under 30 years old had stopped attending churches in South Korea during last ten years. The primary reasons that young people leave a church is secularization of growth-oriented churches represented by huge buildings, power-oriented pastors and lack of morality of Christians. Therefore, a new church model that will engage young people is required for Korean Christianity. The missional church movement can be an alternative model for churches in South Korea. That is because the movement pursues a small church, a non-power-oriented pastor, and real life as a disciple of Jesus. Based …

A Study For Training And Building Up Worship Leaders For Spiritual Maturity And Revival In South Korea, Kyuhyuk Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Worship leaders have become important ministers in worship since the 1990s in South Korea. However, South Korean churches rarely train and build up worship leaders because of the lack of recognition of the importance and expertise about worship leading. They have a false belief that the only role of worship leaders is to lead worship with musical skills. The purpose of this thesis project is to help worship leaders and their congregations to worship God correctly by presenting the concept and necessity for God-centered worship and principles for spiritually mature worship leaders. This study will examine the Bible and literature …

A Study On The Use Of Church Building Space On Sundays And Weekdays: The Case Of Yongin Jeil Church, Byeong Im

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The objective of this study is to propose alternatives for better utilizing church space. It aims to help the church space serve multiple purposes during weekdays in addition to Sundays, and meet the needs of both the local community and the next generation. In many places in South Korea, the church buildings are too big to deliver the pastoral philosophy and the spirit of the times. Consequently, the South Korean public oppose building large churches. Furthermore, the church buildings are typically used only during the weekends, an inefficient use of space for their size. In order to improve such use, …

From The Father’S Heart To Our Hands: Christian Responsibility In The U.S. Foster System, Amelia Tam

Selected Honors Theses

Nearly half a million children are currently served by the child welfare system in the United States. This overwhelming strain on state departments and non-profit placement agencies is compounded by the fact that there are not enough available homes. There appears to be a shortage of capable and resilient foster and adoptive parents. Thousands of children who are ready to be adopted do not have anyone to take them in, and thousands more float in the system until new families agree to foster. This seeming shortage of homes is absurd considering the wealth of compassion and capability within the American …

Music Of The Protestant Reformation: A Pedagogical Analysis Of Hymns, Hattie H. Bays

Student Scholar Showcase

During the Protestant Reformation (1517-1600) reformers influenced music through the progression of Roman Catholic to Protestant principles. With the intent of improving music pedagogy, the purpose of this research is to investigate the music of the Protestant Reformation (1517-1600). Problems addressed in this research include: 1) to trace the origins of the Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican Church, 2) to discuss protestant reform as it relates to music, and 3) to identify reformation hymns included in the Disciples of Christ, Southern Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian hymnals.

The Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican church developed during the late Renaissance (sixteenth century) as …