Digital Commons Network^™

Lift Up Your Hearts: Preaching Grace Effectively As A Pastoral Response To Shame, Harold Kenyon

Doctor of Ministry Theses

Proposes preaching grace effectively as pastoral response to shame. Sources include Robert Albers, Robin Stockitt, James Fowler, Serene Jones and Cameron Harder. Argues fall-redemption theology harms those experiencing shame. Employs shame as alternative lens for reading scripture. Explores social, biblical and theological dimensions of shame. Differentiates shame and guilt. Demonstrates shame’s connections to mental illness, trauma, and addiction. Honors people’s formative narratives. Claims baptismal basis for identity. Seeks preaching practices that build resilience from shame’s spiritual and psychological consequences. Identifies narrative practices enhancing understanding God’s acceptance. Offers insight into crafting sermons that celebrate identity within a reconciled future.

Preparing Transformational Sermons: An Attitudinal Model Of Sermonic Application, Donald G. Bryant Jr.

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This mixed method, action-reflection project explores the results of attitudinal rather than a behavioral sermon-application model. The research project delves into the change in the listener’s perceptions, thoughts, and beliefs through sermons deliberately designed for attitudinal application of the gospel. My project will attempt to assess whether such an intentional focus on attitudinal application can impact heart transformation. I hoped to study sermons that transform the human heart as opposed to legalistic (behavior-based) sermons within evangelical churches.

Telling The Old, Old Stories: Reconnecting With Jesus' Parables Through Biblical Storytelling, Kathryn L. Skoglund

Doctor of Ministry Theses

Suggests the use of biblical storytelling as a means of presenting Jesus’ parables in order to regain their original power. Uses the practice of biblical storytelling, contrasted with simple reading of the text from the Bible. Examines the responses of congregations from two churches comparing reactions of those who heard six parables told as a story to those who heard them read from the Bible. Also notes the connection the method of presentation of the parables has to listeners’ engagement with the sermon. Includes discussion with confirmation-aged students regarding the efficacy of biblical storytelling.

Led To Lead: Vocational Discernment And Emerging Pastoral Leadership In The Reformed Church In America, Tanner Smith

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This mixed-methods sequential exploratory research project investigates the leadership development practices of two Christian organizations—a multi-site church and seminary—within the Reformed Church in America. The study identifies the best practices of both organizations for building vocational discernment capacity in emerging leaders, and compares the practices of the organizations in an attempt to foster dialogue that leads to collaboration in leadership development efforts.

Earth Stewardship And The Missio Dei: Participating In The Care And Redemption Of All God Has Made, David M. Carlson

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This explanatory sequential mixed methods research project surveyed leaders and conducted focus group interviews in an ELCA synod. It evaluated earthkeeping practices and perceptions using several lenses: sustainability, globalization, global civil society, nature as active subject, stewardship as participating in God’s mission, perichoresis as modeling reciprocal relationships with nature, eschatological themes of redemption and reformation, and sacramental imagination. Results revealed concern about environmental challenges, openness to earth stewardship, significant differences by political preference, and more pronounced personal than congregational practices. Congregations with creation care teams have promising capacity to exhibit earth stewardship’s missional character through personal, congregational, and community engagement.

Mobile Daily Register, January-June 1860, Vicki Betts

By Title

Selected articles from the Mobile Daily Register, published in Mobile, Alabama, covering the months January through December, 1860.

Journal In Entirety

The WATS Journal: An Online Journal from West Africa Theological Seminary

No abstract provided.

The Jesus Film: Between Global Christianization And World Christianity, Colin H. Yuckman

Papers

No abstract provided.

Did Saint Paul Take Up The Great Commission?: Discipleship Transposed Into A Pauline Key (Chapter 7 Of Ethics And Ecclesia), Nijay Gupta

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

The term 'discipleship' is pervasive in church language, and for good reason since Jesus had disciples and called them to go out and make more disciples. What is particularly interesting about the ecclesial use of the language of discipleship is how it is used by believers to refer to a kind of general Christian category that would align with what academics call 'ethics'. For many churches, denominations, seminaries, and biblical scholars, discipleship is equivalent to Christian obedience to God.1 A cursory look at denominational vision statements will bear this out. The United Methodist Church, for example, claims, 'The church calls …

Mission In Central And Eastern Europe: Realities, Perspectives, Trends, Corneliu Constantineanu, Marcel Valentin Măcelaru, Anne-Marie Kool, Mihai Himcinschi

Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series

Central and Eastern Europe is one of the areas of the world that has undergone profound transformations during the 100 years delimited by the two Edinburgh gatherings that inspired the Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series. It is the place in which Marxist ideology gave birth to the Communist hegemony that has impacted the European arena for over 50 years. But this is also the place where Christian Churches experienced God’s grace and provision, and even unexpected flourishing in some quarters. The present volume brings together significant contributions from over thirty theologians, missiologists and practitioners from this part of the world. The …

Reflections (Personal And Otherwise) On Protestantism’S Uneasy And Diverse Response To Higher Criticism, Peter Enns

Studies in the Bible and Antiquity

Each of us has been asked to address some important questions about the intersection of our own faith traditions and higher criticism— an apt metaphor, since “intersections” are where collisions often happen. This brings me to my topic, Protestantism and higher criticism, a messy subject to be sure.

Imparting Biblical Theology Cross-Culturally For Transformation, Malcolm S. Reid

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Moore Theological College’s Preliminary Theological Certificate has been a vehicle to impart an approach to Biblical Theology not only domestically but also outside Australia. Course participation overseas has seen significant growth and this research identifies some of reasons for this as well some principles for imparting Biblical Theology cross-culturally. The first chapter of this study outlines the specific approach of the research. Four specific case studies are identified as being Latin America, India, East Africa and South East Asia. A biblical foundation is laid down in the next chapter. Three themes that affect a Biblical Theology of culture in the …

Issan String - Tying Ritual As Missio - Logoi, Paul H. De Neui

Papers

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Contextualization For The Swm Faculty:, Stephen Bailey

Papers

No abstract provided.

Meditation As Mission, Moe Moe Nyuant

Papers

No abstract provided.

“They Will Be Like Angels.” Paradise Without Marriage?, Rene Gehring

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

"This article deals with Jesus’ statement that “in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matt 22:30; Mark 12:25; cf. Luke 20:34-36) and a possible biblical rationale for the abolishment of this originally Edenic institution in the new paradise."

A Biblical Investigation Of Matriarchal Structures In Ancient Semitic Life, Margaret English De Alminana

Selected Faculty Publications

This paper shall demonstrate that a gender-stratified template for the leadership of family and government believed to be modeled after ancient Semitic patriarchal structures according to a pattern found in Old Testament biblical texts is erroneous. It shall demonstrate that strong elements of matriarchalism existed alongside of patriarchalism, and that Old Testament texts offer no accurate template for gender-based governance.

Full Issue

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

You More Than Owe Me This Benefit: Onomastic Rhetoric In Philemon, Matthew L. Bowen

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Wordplay and punning involving the names Philemon (Φιλήμων, “affectionate one”) and Onesimus (Ὀνήσιμος, “useful”) and their meanings, with concomitant paronomasia involving the name-title Χριστός (Christos) and various homonymic terms, constitutes a key element in Paul’s polite, diplomatic, and carefully-worded letter to Philemon, the Christian owner of a converted slave named Onesimus. Paul artfully uses Philemon’s own name to play on the latter’s affections and to remind him that despite whatever Onesimus may owe (ὀφείλει, opheilei) Philemon, Philemon more than owes (προσοφείλεις, prosopheileis) his very self — i.e., his life as a Christian and thus his eternal wellbeing — to Paul. …

What Is Mortal Shall Be Swallowed Up By Life (2 Cor 5:4): A Critical And Constructive Engagement With John Hick's Theology Of Death In Death And Eternal Life (1976), Hongmei Zhao

Dissertations

The springboard for my investigation is John Hick’s theology of death or “par-eschatology” in Death and Eternal Life (1976), a postmortem soteriology rooted in Irenaeus’ teleological framework of person-making. I organize my project around the two constitutive aspects of human existence: time and space, or temporality and embodiment.

Regarding postmortem temporality, I present: 1) new scholarships in the New Testament, early Christianity, and Reformation studies, and 2) recent developments in ecumenical dialogues and the Justification-Sanctification Debate. Through this, I demonstrate a widely emerging emphasis–the centrality of sanctification in the Christian understanding of salvation. I argue that this crystalizing consensus lends …

Death Being Swallowed Up In Netzach In The Bible And The Book Of Mormon, David Larsen

BYU Studies

One way to read the Book of Mormon is to be attentive to ways in which it comes across as a translated text. Being mindful of this is wise, because all translations—even inspired translations—lose something of the primary language, particularly as meanings shift when words are rendered into the vocabulary or idioms of the target language.

Praxis, Phenomena, And Spirit Reception In Luke-Acts: A Study Of Shared Elements In Luke’S Corporate Baptism Of The Holy Spirit Accounts, Thomas Lyons

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Special Book Review Essay, Aaron Perry

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

N.T. Wright's Theological Perspective And Methodology- An Evangelical Analysis And Evaluation, Sungwon (Moses) Kim

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews, David Bundy, Moe Moe Nyunt, Brian Shockey, Michael Tavey, Zachariah S. Motts, Ryan K. Giffin, Bejamin D. Espinoza, Kevin Burr, Benson Gob, Shivraj K. Mahendra, Timothy J. Christian, Jeremy B. Griffin, Samuel Sidjabat, Rachel L. Coleman, Isaiah Allen, Babatunde Oladimeji

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Books Received, Robert Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Genesis 3 As A Model For Understanding The Nature Of Sin And Salvation, Jiri Moskala Thd, Phd

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

"In order to perceive the nature of sin clearly, it is necessary to freshly investigate what is sin and its consequences according to God’s revelation. This biblical-theological study is principally limited to Genesis chap. 3."

A Power Or Person: The Nature Of The Holy Spirit, Jo Ann Davidson

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

"This paper surveys and reviews the broad Biblical testimony of one member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit."

Justice, Cult, And Salvation In Isaiah 56-59: A Literary-Theological Study, Hudyard Y. Muskita

Dissertations

The main focus of this dissertation is the interconnection among the themes of justice, cult, and salvation in Isaiah 56-59. The investigation will analyze and explore the theological importance of these themes, which include questions such as, What are the descriptions of these themes in these chapters? How are they related to each other? As divine salvation is portrayed as moving back and forth from immanence to distance several times throughout this particular section of the book of Isaiah, what factors are responsible for this dynamic? What is the role of cult and social justice in this salvation? In what …

Spiritual Formation: Beyond Cognitive Belief - An Ethnographic Study Of Adult Sunday School In Baptistic Churches In Massachusetts, Laura J. Cassidy-Moffatt

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research project was designed to examine adult Sunday School in seven baptistic churches in Massachusetts. In interviewing pastors and surveying attendees, an ethnographic study was conducted to discern common practices and to highlight opportunities for growth in the midst of church decline. The researcher examined the biblical concepts of teaching and knowing. The researcher then conducted a literature review in the fields of the history of Sunday school, pedagogical best practices, and advances in cognitive neuroscience of learning. Through field research, the researcher identified five themes common to these Sunday school programs that have impacted the observed results of …