Digital Commons Network^™

The Ecological Gift Of Spiritual Formation: A Renewal For Healthy Clergy, Jody Becker

Doctor of Ministry

Every year Lutheran clergy resign pastoral calls citing one, primary reason: burnout. Certainly, the demands of pastoral call within a congregation are easy to observe: long on-call periods of time, intense levels of pastoral care needs, and navigating multifaceted, interpersonal relationships, to name a few. While these demands become symptomatic to the problem of burnout, the determining cause is still unknown, especially given the various contextual factors for these pastors. Yet, the number of pastors leaving ministry or experiencing shortened tenures is alarming. In the Lutheran church, spiritual formation language is often associated with determined deficiencies. Other times, spiritual formation …

Not Rewriting Lazarus’ Story, Jackie Smallbones

Northwestern Review

In this sermon, the author considers Jesus’ raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-45). Focusing on the awkwardness of Jesus’ deliberate delay in coming, the sermon asks whether rewriting the incident to make Jesus appear more caring is advisable. No, rewriting the incident would undercut three lessons in the story as written. First, Jesus’ chief concern was with God and his glory. Second, Jesus revealed more about himself, namely, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Third, Jesus wanted to deepen the faith of Lazarus’ family, friends, and his disciples then and since.

Epiphany 4 One Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Epiphany 4 Series A 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Epiphany 3 One Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Epiphany 3 Series A 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Epiphany 2 One Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Epiphany 2 Series A 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Program: Featured Lecture, "Agape, Justice, And Law: Should Christian Love Shape Law?", Robert F. Cochran Jr.

Frank Pack Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture Program

Program for the Thirteenth Annual Frank Pack Distinguished Christian Lecture Program with featured lecturer Dr. Robert F. Cochran Jr., Professor of Law at Pepperdine University's Caruso School of Law.

Baptism Of Our Lord One Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Baptism Of Our Lord Series A 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Ad Fontes: Desiderius Erasmus’ Call For A Return To The Sources Of A Unified And Simple Christian Faith, Amanda Kieffer

The Kabod

Desiderius Erasmus’ humanism greatly shaped his view of Christianity. He developed a “philosophy of Christ” that led him to seek peaceful reforms from within the Church while attempting to maintain unity. He was a consummate scholar and inspiring figure of his time. Unfortunately, his interactions with Luther did not bring out the best in him, or in Luther for that matter, but there is still much to be learned by modern Christians from Erasmus’ views on reform that can be applied to the modern Church.

Who Speaks For (Or Against) Rome? Acts In Relation To Empire, Matthew L. Skinner

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Passover Sign: The People See The Prophet-King, Randal D. Reynolds

Master of Arts Theses

No abstract provided.

Ijcs News, Volume 5, The Institute Of Judaeo-Christian Studies

Newsletters

The 2017 issue of IJCS News, the Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies' annual newsletter, Vol 5.

Editor’S Perspective: The Time Value Of Morality, Michael E. Cafferky

Faculty Works

This article presents the ancient Hebrew idea of Wisdom and its implications for contemporary business.

Editor’S Perspective: The Sacredness Of The Marketplace, Michael E. Cafferky

Faculty Works

This article presents ideas from the ancient Hebrew concept of holiness and its relevance for contemporary business. It explores the thesis that the marketplace is sacred.

Interpretations Of Hagar: Pathway To Healing In The Wake Of Sexual Assault, Kelsey West

Religion: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

On Scripture: Rise Up! (Micah 6:1-8), Roger S. Nam

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

Excerpt: "The prophet Micah lived during a time of political turmoil and transition. Sound familiar?

For a large portion of the eighth century BC, the Assyrian Empire conducted a massive military conquest of Israel and Judah. During the time of Micah, Samaria had already fallen, and King Hezekiah was in the midst of fervent preparations of protecting Jerusalem for an inevitable Assyrian invasion. At the time, the Assyrian Empire was the largest empire the world had ever known. They were creators of a formidable army with advanced weaponry and military tactics, including psychological warfare. This military supported the empire's ambitions …

74th Annual Pepperdine Bible Lectureship -- Spiritual Rhythms, Scrolls For Robust Salvation (2017), Mike Cope

Pepperdine Bible Lectures: Programs

Program booklet for the 74th Annual Pepperdine Bible Lectures, held at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, May 2-5, 2017. The Pepperdine Bible Lectures is an annual event hosted by Pepperdine University featuring a wide variety of lectures and classes on topics and themes in the Bible and Christianity.

Mike Cope, Lectureship Director

Rick Gibson, Tami Williamson, and Joella Michael, Lectures Team

Historic Models Of Teaching Christian Mission:, Robert L. Gallagher

Papers

No abstract provided.

Advent 2017, Gardner-Webb University

Advent Devotions

Annual Gardner-Webb University Advent devotional book from the year 2017 with contributions from various students, alumni, faculty, and staff members. Each page in the book represents a day of Advent and contains a scripture and short devotion. There are also spaces provided for prayer requests and advent reflection.

Review Of Early Quakers And Their Theological Thought, Leah Payne

Quaker Religious Thought

First-generation Quakers were a radical and persecuted sect of early modern British Christianity. Early Quakers and Their Theological Thought: 1647-1723 shows why the Quakers have survived when so many other 17th century radicals—including Diggers, Ranters, Levellers or Muggletonians—did not. Along the way readers also discover why the Friends, though initially derided, are so loved in the twenty-first century. Quaker theology, rejected by the powers that be in its own era, resonates with many 21st century readers.

Marcion’S Gospel And The Resurrected Jesus Of Canonical Luke 24, Daniel A. Smith

Faculty Publications

From the publisher's website:

"New reconstructions of Marcion’s Gospel, which are considerably more sophisticated than past attempts, allow more certainty when comparing Marcion’s text with canonical Luke. This essay examines the presentations of the resurrected Jesus in canonical Luke and Marcion’s Gospel, with a particular focus on the text-critical problems in Luke 24 (especially the shorter Western readings) and on the distinctive ways the two texts theorize Jesus’ risen bodily presence (especially the terms φάντασμα and πνεῦμα, and σάρξ and ὀστέα). Parallel evidence from the letters of Ignatius indicates that the emphasis on touching Jesus, who has …

Making Room: Conversations About Race And Faith Between Members Of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church In Charlotte, Nc And St. John's Baptist Church In Charlotte, Nc, Martha Dixon Kearse

Doctor of Ministry Projects

In this project, the candidate recorded personal stories from members of two different Baptist congregations: Friendship Missionary Baptist Church (a church made up predominantly of members identifying as African-American) and St. John’s Baptist Church (a church made up predominantly of members identifying as Caucasian). Using those recordings, the candidate created a podcast called “Making Room,” and invited participating group members to listen to each other’s stories. In addition, the candidate invited these same group members to participate in conversations about issues of race, especially as they present themselves in Charlotte, NC. The candidate and group members challenged themselves with the …

In The Way They Should Go: Nurturing The Relational And Spiritual Nature Of Children, Jamee Free

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation explores the innate relational and spiritual nature of children. This dissertation assumes that children are deeply relational and spiritual as part of the image of God within them. Chapter one takes a comprehensive look at how children are struggling within this country on every measure of health, as well as how relational nurture and soul care are significantly lacking. Chapter two explores Biblical materials, especially the incarnation, Jesus’ interactions with children, passages from Deuteronomy, verses from Proverbs, and examples of children in Biblical narratives. The third chapter focuses on historical and theological materials, as well as theories from …

Deconstructing Theodicy: A Fresher Reading Of The Book Of Job, Anthony Maynard

Masters Theses

The Book of Job displays well the reality of the human predicament. However, does the Book of Job provide an answer to the problem it so vividly displays: the existence of God and the reality of suffering? This paper is a quest for an answer, which, if correct, is no. The purpose of the book has less to do with an answer for why good people suffer and more to do with exactly what God has done, and continues to do, to rectify suffering, culminating in the Christ event. Stated simply, the Book of Job exists as a harbinger, to …

Festival Of The Circumcision And Naming Of Our Lord One And Three Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Value Of Quaker Religious Thought To Me And To Friends, T. Vail Palmer Jr.

Quaker Religious Thought

Excerpt: "Quantitatively speaking, if it were not for Quaker Religious Thought, my credentials as a published scholar would be slim indeed. By the time I reached the age of 65, they would have consisted of one published lecture (the 1968 Shrewsbury Lecture) and one book review (in the Anglican Theological Review. Everything else — articles, comments, book reviews, editorials — had been published in QRT."

Practicing Sabbath To Reduce Stress Among Ministers In The Tyger River Baptist Association, Spartanburg, South Carolina, James Hailstock

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Sabbath is the zenith of God’s creation and the climax of living. The key to reducing stress among ministers is the Sabbath lifestyle which includes practicing the disciplines of prayer, silence, feasting and fellowshipping in addition to identifying the signs and symptoms of stress. The Sabbath lifestyle empowers ministers with coping skills that can be personalized and implemented consistently as they progress and deal with the daunting demands and responsibilities of ministry. This project tested and compared the stress levels of the research and control groups before and after teaching four courses (disciplines) in the context of a Sabbath …