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Suffering As The Way To God, Marjorie Shahani

LMU Theses and Dissertations

As a spiritual director and Christian, I desire to accompany women on their journey to a deeper personal relationship with God holding in tension the suffering Servant on the cross and the hope in the resurrected Christ. I long to illuminate their understanding of self-sacrifice and denial. Participating in Jesus’ suffering on the cross must not lead to neglect of oneself, denial of one’s human dignity, or the tolerance of any form of abuse – physical, emotional or mental. I comprehend the redemptive power in suffering for the love of God, but I also know Christ invites us to rejoice …

The Operation Of The Holy Spirit In Pastoral Counseling And Chaplaincy, Elizabeth Canfield

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The operation of the Holy Spirit in pastoral counseling and chaplaincy is a topic that is difficult to quantify. How and where the Holy Spirit moves is often a mystery. This dissertation seeks to understand the movement of the Holy Spirit in pastoral counseling and chaplaincy in the form of a theological and literature review looking into the history of soul care/pastoral counseling and the development of chaplaincy. It also looks at who the Holy Spirit is, how the Spirit operates, and develops a theology of the Holy Spirit within pastoral counseling and chaplaincy with a focus on spiritual gifts. …

Savasana Tears, Lori Wenner

PoemMemoirStory (literary magazine)

pp. 72-82

An Examination Of “The Vine” Motif Through The Lens Of The Old Testament, The Books Of John And Revelation, And Peripheral Extrabiblical Sources, Ellsworth C. Huling Iv

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Motifs and themes are interchangeable, used in everyday speech, and common in scholarly literature. Some scholars view motifs and themes as the two most used forms of narrative repetition. “The vine” motif contains multiple meanings throughout the Old and New Testaments. Sometimes, “the vine” readers misunderstand motif-specific referents. Research on “the vine” motif can clarify those specific passages of Scripture that utilize this motif. The interpretation of Scripture is not easy to understand without a proper understanding of the vine motif. Throughout Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, Israel is “the vine.” In the Gospel of John, Jesus is “the …

A Lifestyle Who Is Christ: An Integrative Model Of Spiritual Formation, Katherine L. Pang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The field of spiritual formation is replete with models, ways, and processes, including many that propose the integration of psychology and Christianity and have further examined the psychology of Paul. Yet, none emphasize the impact of neuroscience, our brain function, neurochemistry, and neurobiology integrated with the tools and techniques of psychological science facilitated by the Holy Spirit and scripture-based truths derived primarily from Pauline theology in the Christ-follower for growth in spiritual maturity. A model formulated from Pauline theology, psychology, and neuroscience, as such, is novel within the field of spiritual formation. Therefore, the claim stems from the need for …

Editorial: Worship Leadership In Action, Hayoung Lim

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Full Text

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

A Quantitative Study Of The Influence Of Emotional Intelligence On The Ministerial Effectiveness Of Executive Pastors As Scored By Their Lead Pastors., Thomas P. Frisinger

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Over the past two decades, churches have expanded their pastoral staff to include executive pastors (XP) to support lead pastors (LP) by mitigating stress and enhancing effectiveness (Krenz-Muller, 2022; Tidwell, 2020) in finances, facilities, and governmental entities, and staff oversight and development. This study involved an examination of the relationship between the emotional intelligence (EI) levels of XPs, using the TEIQue-SF (Cooper & Petrides, 2010), and their perceived ministerial effectiveness (ME) as assessed by LPs on the Ministerial Effectiveness Survey (MES; Dobrotka & Frisinger, 2024). The aim of the study was to identify any significant correlation between XPs and ministerial …

Discerning The Missional Implications Of Context: A Demographic Study Of Great Falls For The Great Falls Church Of Christ, Matthew C. Burleson

DMin Project Theses

The purpose of this Lipscomb University June 2024 Doctor of Minstry project thesis was to discern the missional implications of GFCC’s (Great Falls Church of Christ) context. Three components comprised the larger purpose. First, the purpose was to survey the mission of God in Scripture with a team made up of members from GFCC. This survey would facilitate the missional aspect of discerning the missional implications. Second, the purpose was to acquaint this team with practices and principles of spiritual discernment. Acquainting the team with these practices would facilitate the discerning aspect of discerning the missional implications. Third, the purpose …

An Evaluative Assessment Of Leadership Retreat As A Spiritually Formative Experience For Leaders Of Campus Churches Affiliated With The Churches Of Christ In Ghana, Frank Obeng Essien

DMin Project Theses

This June 2024 Doctor of Ministry project thesis at Lipscomb University examines the Churches of Christ in Ghana are a mission plant. They were planted by two American missionaries, Wendell Broom and Sewell Hall, around 1958. The Churches of Christ in Ghana pursue a theology of ministry which resolves around evangelism, edification, and benevolence. These are often referred to as the “mission of the church.” They represent the holy trinity of activities which was once and for all time delivered to the church in Ghana. Against these, there must be no rival theological focus. Any innovation beyond this risks the …

The Kansas Band’S Musical Depictions Of Spiritual Quests, Elizabeth Romero

Master's Theses

The progressive rock genre has been an intriguing subject of study for the scholarly community, especially within the last 30 years. An understudied part of the progressive rock scene, however, is its manifestation in the United States through the band Kansas. The band from 1970’s Topeka is acknowledged by Mitchell Morris as troublesome for critics due to the hybrid use of European art music and blues influences. It is no wonder a large study of Kansas music has not taken place due to the maligning of the band by its critics as well as the controversial views regarding pretentiousness of …

Protocols For Enhancing The Role And Value Of Spiritual Care Resources In The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Garrett Harper

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This thesis addresses the assessment of innovative practices in police chaplaincy. The purpose of the project intervention is to develop protocols that can guide police chaplains through an assessment process. The intervention relies on practical theology as exemplified through the ministry of chaplaincy. This ministry comprises police chaplains offering spiritual comfort to persons encountering critical incidents involving violence, accident, or other trauma-intensive events and situations. Adoption of innovations can allow police chaplains to be more effective in fulfilling many outward-focused tasks such as delivery of death notifications. I conclude that: (1) police chaplaincy is amenable to use of protocols to …

Mentoring : An Essential Tool For Developing Committed Disciples And Leaders In The Liberia Baptist Missionary And Educational Convention Churches, Frederick Nyah Gbatu Sr.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Catalyzing The Kingdom : A Church Staff System For Corporate Spiritual Leadership Formation, Christy J. Lipscomb

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Function Of Humility In St. Teresa Of Avila's Autobiography: A Literature Review, Jennifer Sanchez

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

In the Carmelite nun St. Teresa of Ávila’s (1515-1582) autobiography, The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila by Herself (1588), the author repeatedly asserts her unworthiness. Contemporary scholarship has explored the function of Teresa’s rhetoric of humility in this text. Scholars from the 1990s have largely argued that Teresa’s humility is a carefully crafted, defensive method to meet the demands of the patriarchal culture in which she wrote. Twenty-first-century scholars take a (slightly) different approach. To them, Teresa’s humility is not solely rhetorical; they suggest that Teresa’s humility is also a consequence and tool of her spiritual journey. In this …

Providing Biblical Knowledge To Women Ages 25–70 To Place Women In Ministry And Leadership Positions In The Church, Evelyn Diane Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide biblical knowledge to equip women to assume scriptural roles in church ministry and leadership. The project was conducted at The Word Ministry Church in rural Dallas County, Alabama. The writer reviewed women’s challenges and issues in the Christian community dominated by patriarchal theories. This project provides an overview of the study group and the training criteria for preparing women for ministry and leadership. The goal was to educate women not serving in leadership or ministry positions to obtain biblical knowledge to give them the confidence and support to accept their gift of …

The Role Of Spirituality In The Lives Of Counselors: Reframing The Focus, Greg A. Meyer

Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling

The term spirituality is often hard to hear without prior, preconceived ideas and bias attached to it, and is often used interchangeably with other words, depending on one’s past and culture. The field of counselor education and supervision has also used the term in ambiguous ways, which has led to apprehension and a lack of clarity with which the term is taught and understood. This paper explains the historical focus of spirituality within the counselor education field, then redefines the focus towards the lives of counselors, but more specifically the lives of counseling students and the impact counselor educators might …

The Prayer Tongue And The Jesus Prayer: The Witness Of Abbot David Geraets, Clyde Glandon

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

To my knowledge Abbot David Geraets (1935–2012) of the Pecos Benedictine Monastery has been the only Christian witness and writer, past or present, to join the practice of the ancient Jesus Prayer and the prayer tongue. He simply says that “repeating the name of Jesus can become a masterful art of glossolalia prayer.” Abbot David’s statement is not found as such in the centuries of Eastern Orthodox literature about the Jesus Prayer. Nor is such a joining found among classical Pentecostal Christians who, while fully familiar with the prayer tongue and with life and power in Jesus’ name, commonly have …

Spiritual Fathering: Does It Really Make A Difference?, Jeffrey A. Jacob

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The importance and impact of having a father in the home is undisputable. Statistics dictate that the effect of fatherlessness on children is devastating. Could it be that having a spiritual father or mother involved in a believer’s life makes a verifiable difference as well? This dissertation will investigate the effects of spiritual fathering as evidenced by the spiritual disciplines of those who identify as having a strong spiritual father or mother. The Apostle Paul said, “Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through …

The Content And Practices Of Spiritual Formation : Determining Best Practices, Patterns, Content, And Delivery Methods For Spiritual Formation In Local Churches In Nagaland, Kedo Peseyie

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Addressing Chaplain Care And Resiliency As Protective Factors To Burnout In Community Chaplaincy, Robin Jonell Ratcliff

Masters Theses

This paper will address Chaplain Care and Resiliency as Protective Factors to Burnout in Community Chaplaincy. There will be a problem stated, literature review covered on the subject, the results of the assessments, scales, and screening used to address burnout. Then the author discusses training and interventions and shows analysis of said training and interventions.

Review Of John Tracy Ellis: An American Catholic Reformer, Michael Sean Winters

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Michael Boym: The Polish Marco Polo, Agnieszka Couderq

Comparative Civilizations Review

The following is a selection drawn from Ms. Couderq’s written proposal for a television series based on the book she has published. It offers a summation of the life of this remarkable cross-civilizational traveler.

Contributors

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Doctrinal Development: The Doctrine Of Lesser Magistrates And American Political Theology, Daniel Christopher Samms

Liberty Theological Review

The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate plays a unique role in the development of political theology. While the principle is found in Scripture, the doctrine is developed across church history during catalytic moments in which civil or religious authorities are at odds with Christian convictions. While the principle made developmental strides in the early centuries of Christianity, it was codified in the Magdeburg Confession of 1550, leading to more rapid development throughout the Reformation, and eventually influencing the American War for Independence. This analyzes the development of the doctrine, identifying it as a natural maturation of biblical principles. The doctrine …

Peak Teaching: Exploring And Fostering Sacred Experiences In University Classrooms, Charles Burack

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive

Supporting the spiritual growth of college and university students with diverse backgrounds and orientations is both important and challenging. It is important not only because spirituality is a crucial dimension of human life but also because the majority of students at both private and public schools want their teachers to address spiritual issues in the classroom. A powerful way to address spirituality is to explore and foster sacred experiences in university classrooms. Sacred experiences include religious, spiritual, mystical, transcendent, numinous, and peak experiences as well as many other nonordinary experiences. The author offers guidance to educators on how to: 1) …

Supporting Christian Gen Z Undergraduates Through Life Setbacks By Equipping Spiritual Directors, Brandon Taylor

Doctor of Ministry

The project within this portfolio seeks to help Christian Gen Z undergraduates at Biola University navigate setbacks in a way that fortifies their faith. Both anecdotal evidence at Biola and survey data demonstrate that Gen Z required increased support and intervention when they reached college campuses in the mid 2010’s. The American College Health Association has surveyed hundreds of thousands of Gen Z college students over the past seven years and found as far back as 2016 that 87.1 percent of the 27,787 undergraduate respondents to their Fall 2016 survey said they felt “overwhelmed by all they had to do'' …

Contributor Biographies

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Formational Living: A Blueprint For Spiritual Formation Within A Virtual Church Community, Darcy Lynn Shepherd

Doctor of Ministry

An opportunity exists to design and develop an educational and experiential spiritual formation website for the virtual E-Church community at The Potter's House to create safe fellowship space, offer formational resources and inspire the community to "Live More Like JesusTM."

Three key insights emerged upon completion of the research: (1) 100% of respondents found The Daily Clay to be a helpful resource to learn more about spiritual formation; (2) 100 % of respondents thought The Daily Clay would be a helpful resource for a church community; and 100% of respondents indicated that they would subscribe to The Daily Clay. Collectively, …

Project Portfolio: Questions Leaders Ask As Modeled By Jesus, Kristy Newport

Doctor of Leadership

For people to be seen, heard, and understood, it is important for a leader to ask good questions. If this does not take place in a small group or within an organization, people do not feel appreciated. Often the result is people leaving a small group or organization. In order to address this need I have wanted to educate organizational leaders in the skill of asking good questions. As a marriage and family therapist I have experienced the power that questions bring. It is my hope to empower organizational leaders with tools for them to connect with those they lead. …