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Front Matter

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Questioning God?, John C. Peckham

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Personal Happiness, Self-Fulfillment, And Homosexuality In The Church, David K. Penno

Faculty Publications

With the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States and other countries, the Adventist Church must face the issue of how to relate to gay individuals. We need to examine our arguments when addressing how, or even if, gay persons who are in a sexual relationship with a same-sex partner fit into the life of the church.

Spirit-Empowered Discipleship In Acts, Yan Chai

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Discipleship study had unavoidably been focused on the Gospels, and rightfully so. Whereas missions and church planting tended to occupy centre stage in the study of the book of Acts, and discipleship was often overshadowed. Nevertheless, Spirit-empowered discipleship, undoubtedly, had played a crucial role in the explosive growth of the early church. The purpose of this project is to utilize the four “E” principles of discipleship implicit in Acts: empowerment, exhortation, encouragement and exaltation to galvanize growth in Faith Hope Love Chinese church. It shall investigate the discipleship pattern that existed, apply the underlying principles given, and subsequently, analyze the …

The Importance Of Preaching For The Transformation Of Christians In Korea, Ho Jung Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Korean Christians have had a problem with the transformation of their values and life-styles following their conversion. This thesis project will attempt to prove that one of the most important factors in the transformation of new believers, is biblical preaching. It will further attempt to show that much of the preaching in Korea is non-Christocentric, and this is especially ineffective in transformation. To produce transformation in new believers, churches need Christocentric preaching. This thesis project will explore Christocentric preaching’s historical background, principles, and importance. This project will also present the advantage, need, and importance of doctrinal expository preaching, especially in …

The Patristic Pre-History Of Devotion To The Immaculate Heart Of Mary, James K. Hanna

Marian Studies

Devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart emerged in the Middle Ages and flourished after the apparitions at Lourdes, Rue du Bac, and Fatima. But its roots run deep in tradition and are evident in the writings of the Fathers and the texts of the ancient liturgies. This paper begins by discussing early-Christian exegesis of Luke 2:35 and other key biblical texts. It proceeds to examine the various ways in which the Fathers spoke of Mary’s heart, and considers these in light of recent research on the earliest devotion to the Blessed Virgin. It concludes by evaluating Immaculate Heart devotion according to …

To Know Salvation: Marian Consecration As Antidote To New Gnosticisms, Maura Hearden Fehlner

Marian Studies

In this essay, the author initiates a discussion about key ways in which the theology behind and practice of Marian consecration as developed by St. Louis de Montfort both refutes the errors of and fulfills the longing indicated by the emergence of strong gnostic currents in contemporary thought. To accommodate the parameters of this project, discussion is limited to three categories of “new Gnosticisms”—political, New Age, and technological—and key theological concepts.

Sabbath Intentions, Teresa Terhaar

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"I found myself continually challenged and increasingly convicted that I needed to change my personal Sabbath practices."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­understanding Sabbath rest from 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/sabbath-intentions/

Fundamental Image Theory: An Integrated Model Of Trauma, Cassandra K. Sieg

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Historically, trauma theory and intervention has focused on “actual or threatened death or serious injury” (DSM-IV; APA, 1994). More recently, the field has broadened its consideration to a range of trauma and stressor related disorders, including perpetration induced traumautic stress (PITS; MacNair, 2015). Violence perpetration has negative implications on a personal, interpersonal, and group level, but a review of the literature reveals a significant gap in our understanding of perpetration-induced traumatic stress, including 2 fundamental questions: how does perpetrating violence cause trauma, and how can we treat this trauma? None of the existing psychological models adequately answer the first question, …

Exploring Intercessory Prayer As It Relates To Spiritual Warfare Preaching At Mount Zion Christian Church, Vernon Langley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The focus of this thesis is exploring the influence of intercessory prayer; from the standpoint of spiritual warfare preaching. Present day homiletics concentrates on the method of sermons by applying information within the message to a great story and powerful scriptural passages which is imperative to make the sermon thought provoking and applicable to contemporary congregations. However, there is another element to preaching the gospel, which has gotten considerably less attention in modern day study. How the evaluations of Divine powers of intercessory prayer operate behind the discourse, and spiritual powers of darkness that endeavor to obstruct the reception of …

Developing A Model For Church-Based Disaster Relief, Brady Rose

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide a manual for the local church to implement in preparation for and during times of disaster. The author will specifically focus on the region of Amherst County, Virginia for this project. The author will approach this project by first defining what a disaster is and the role the church should play during times of great need. Attention will be given specifically to how the church should respond during times of disaster in foreign nations, in the United States, in nearby counties, and in the community of the church’s backyard. This project will …

Five Principles To Empower The Worship Leader, Stacey Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The role of the worship leader exists in most churches. These leaders serve in roles from volunteer choir directors to the directors of large worship staffs. They are the standard-bearers of worship for their teams and their congregations. To successfully serve, they must possess knowledge of worship practices and leadership skills. While students of worship may have a firm foundation of biblical, historical, and philosophical principles, many current leaders do not have strong leadership backgrounds and, therefore, lack basic foundational skills for leadership. Through a study of current literature and a survey of leaders of worship in churches of various …

A Machiavellian Christian: Analyzing The Political Theology Of 'The Prince', John G. Addison

History Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper attempts to reconsider the role that Christian religion played in the political philosophy of Niccolò Machiavelli, focusing specifically on The Prince. Despite regnant popular and scholastic opinion, this paper posits that Machiavelli's ideological foundation falls squarely into the theological and moral traditions and scripture of Christianity, and is thus an inseparable element of the political theory of Machiavelli. Further, this work seeks to illustrate the presence of orthodox political and religious beliefs contained within The Prince and throughout the Machiavellian corpus, focusing on the socio-political milieu of Renaissance Florence and the broader traditions of humanist thought. In …

Biblical Principles Of Small Group Ministry, Shawn Barr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Small group ministry models abound today, and so do the materials that provide the methodology for these models. However, there seems to be a dearth of resources that connect the methods with a theological foundation. This project will demonstrate the need for examining small groups from a theological aspect, and then examine the principles of biblical community as found in Scripture. These principles will then be measured through surveys of at least fifty participants in small group settings from several churches, including the churches where the author was the small group pastor for the last seven years and where he …

Clergy Cultural Competency : Multicultural Competency As A Prerequisite For Ministry In Hawaii, Debra K. Murray

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Empty-Handed Church : Discerning Consumerism's Impact On Today's Christian, Raymond J. Rooney Jr.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Remixing The Post-Civil Rights Era: Responding To Daniels' A Convergent Model Of Renewal, Daniel White Hodge

Quaker Religious Thought

No abstract provided.

The Ecological Crisis: Questioning Christianity’S Contribution, Jessica Bolak

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"Introduction

Distinguished academic, Lynn White, claims that the Judeo-Christian religions are to blame for the ecological crisis and uses interpretations from the Bible to support his argument. He believes these religions have a harmful impact on the relationship between humans and nature. In this paper I will examine White’s claims specifically against Christianity, and refute them by providing multiple perspectives from varying scholars to substantiate my argument."

Not Saul's Armor : Introversion And Effective Pastoral Leadership, David E. York

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Exploration Into Small, Rural, Declining, Near End Of Life-Cycle Church Turnaround In The Wesleyan And United Methodist Church, Marcel Allen Lamb

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Iron Sharpens Iron : How Experiential Work Groups Promote Transformational Discipleship Among Men, Eric A. Flood

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Interim Ministry : An Intentional Support For Managing Pastoral Transitions Among English-Speaking Congregations In The Central District Council Of The Assemblies Of God Of Malaysia, Chee Keong Cheong

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

From Shame To Shalom : Postures & Practices That Help Heal Men's Hearts, Amos B.L. Ang

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Grief In Community: The Establishment Of Bereavement Ministry Teams From The Congregation At Sandy Run Baptist Church In Mooresboro, North Carolina, Andrew S. Rawls

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Church is to be the expression of hope through the various contours of the human story. Too often congregations have difficulty expressing this hope during the time of death and extending that hope to ministry with the bereaved. In this project I studied the increase in self-efficacy in bereavement ministry with the congregation of Sandy Run Baptist Church in Mooresboro, North Carolina. The research focuses on the teaching of a curriculum that explores the biblical, theological, and clinical aspects of grief. The results of my research show this was an effective means of increasing self-efficacy.

The Cresset (Vol. Lxxix, No. 4, Easter), Valparaiso University

The Cresset (archived issues)

No abstract provided.

Planning For 2017: Reformation Resources For Your Library, Mark A. Granquist

Faculty Publications

This survey of recent and forthcoming books relating to the Reformation seeks to help readers to navigate the deep waters of this literature and to find useful volumes from which to “drink.”

Overshadowed By The Spirit: Mary, Mother Of Our Lord, Prototype Of Spirit-Baptized Humanity, Sally J. Shelton

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

A major issue over which many Evangelicals differ from Roman Catholics is the status of Mary, Jesus’ mother. Evangelicals critique some of the Marian dogmas and practices as excesses that challenge with Christ’s sole mediation and eclipse the Spirit, while Catholics see Protestant neglect of Mary as potentially leading to failure to fully acknowledge Christ’s humanity and divinity.

This dissertation attempts to bridge the gap between the Catholic and Evangelical Marys by proposing a Pentecostal Mary. After outlining the underlying pneumatic, ecumenical hermeneutic in the first chapter, in the next three I focus on the Scriptures related to Mary, including …

A Study Of Developing Healthy Disciples In The Korean-American Church, Kyung Seo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Korean-American congregations within the Presbyterian denomination need to implement a Bible-centered discipleship model in order to become a more spiritual and viable Christian church. As the Senior Pastor for the Columbia Korean Presbyterian Church (2009-2014), the author utilized qualitative and quantitative analysis when interviewing church pastors within the Korean-American Presbyterian Churches of America. The surveys identified the need for a practical model of spiritual growth to develop healthy disciples within the Korean-American Church. Based upon the biblical principle of Christian discipleship, the author developed an overall a three-level strategy of making healthy disciples.

The Pastor As Leader: Assessment, Change, And Growth In Pastoral Leadership Style And Ability, David C. Crawford

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

D.Min. dissertation, Asbury Theological Seminary, 2014.

Full Text of the Dissertation

This study explored the leadership perceptions of a sampling of Nazarene pastors who were predominantly newer in ministry in terms of years of service in the Southwest Ohio District. This qualitative analysis sought to measure their self-reported leadership style and self-described leadership ability both prior to and following a leadership seminar devoted to the development of pastoral leaders.

All Things New: A Holistic Theology Of Major Depression And Pastoral Care, T. S. Giovanetto

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Dissertation Notice:

M.A. Thesis, Trinity International University, 2015.

Full Text of the Thesis available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global

This study approaches the topic of mental illness within the church, integrating biblical theology and clinical psychology to propose a model of pastoral care for the severely depressed. Examining the history of distrust between the church and the social sciences, and criticizing prominent models of pastoral care built upon the chastisement of mentally ill individuals, the thesis proposes a model of care built upon the acceptance and validation of persons facing psychological distress. In this model, ministers teach sufferers to …