Digital Commons Network^™

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear: Exploring The Effectiveness Of A Person-Centered Disability Awareness Seminar In A Congregational Setting, Joshua H. Jones

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

People with disabilities and their families frequently experience barriers toward inclusion and belonging in multiple spheres of life. These barriers are also present in Christian congregations. However, many congregations express a godly desire to love people with disabilities and their families without these obstacles.

The Old and New Testaments provide examples of how God’s people sought to love people with disabilities in their midst creatively and intentionally in response to God’s gracious actions, invitation, and command. Recent research in disability studies routinely highlight the necessity of being attentive to the uniqueness of each person with disabilities and his or her …

The Relationship Between Contemporary Evangelical Church Leadership And Church Discipleship Formation, James Lawrence Marshall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine if the church leadership paradigm contributes to the problem of a lack of disciple-making in Pennsylvania Evangelical churches. A disciple is defined as an unwavering commitment to the Lordship of Christ that is illustrated by Luke 9:23 in which disciples deny themselves and carry their cross daily. This research sought to identify the causes for the lack of discipleship in Pennsylvania Evangelical churches, and had the following findings from the quantitative survey. First, the vision that leadership provides for disciple-making is much higher than either the member involvement in discipleship …

Lived Experiences Of Assemblies Of God Pastors With Regards To Leadership Style, Demands, Stressors, And Ministry Burnout, Barbara Christina Chavez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to discover the perception of 15 small church Assemblies of God pastors in San Antonio with regards to leadership style, leadership demands, leadership stressors, and ministry burnout. The researcher used the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach due to the openness of collecting the data through semi-structured interviews that allowed participants to respond to open-ended questions. The additional interview instrument was the WLAB scale and the burnout inventory instrument from Iverson, Olekalns, and Erwin (1998). The researcher coded and evaluated data using NVIVO12 software. Through the association of common themes, the researcher unearthed …

Fidelity In Institutional Structure: Divine Family Formation And The Variance Of Church Amid Dysfunctional Behavior, Terrence Lyne Toliver

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been a rift in the providential establishment of our Lord. Humanity is indulgent unto sin and the family is suffering. Disobedience and selfishness have blinded humankind into a false sense of reality. The fallacy has taken the place of divine order in the chosen avenues into humanism depicted as science, technology, philosophy, cultism, and any other route devoid of Christ. Therefore, this in-depth study seeks to dispel or to bring to light a revelation of where humanity rests in the grand scheme of contemporary life. Two notions of preponderance present themselves, to forgo selfishness and to embrace righteousness. …

"Building The Temple": An Alternative Metaphor To The Use Of "Kingdom" In The Christian University Context, Donald Roth

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

The Testing Of Jesus In Light Of The Dead Sea Scrolls And Intertextual Hermeneutics, Donald C. Mcintyre

Liberty Theological Review

This article will seek to interpret Matthew 4:1-11, commonly referred to as the “temptation account” by taking into consideration issues from Old Testament Textual Criticism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Historical and social contexts, as well as theory on inter-textuality. This article will seek to show how Jesus is seeking to prove his Divine Sonship through creating a comparison between himself and the Second Generation of Israel who inherited the Promised Land after their parents’ failures despite satanic harassment. This will be accomplished through an examination of Matthew’s main argument for the book, and move towards grammatical and syntactical issues within …

The Historical And Theological Backdrop Of Jesus's Names In John Chapter One: A Baseline For Christology, Joseph D. Carson

Liberty Theological Review

At the beginning of John’s gospel, a rich theology of Christ’s person unfolds through multiple professions of newly called disciples. In order to understand the person of Christ, the various titles associated with his name should be analyzed in their historical and theological contexts. Full of Jesus’ titles, John 1 is an intersection of history, title-giving, and theology, rich with the meanings of Jesus’ titles; furthermore, John 1 is written with historical accuracy and with impactful theology for the Church. It orients the trajectory for the following chapters and gives a foundation for Christology. Cumulatively, the names of Jesus in …

Melchizedek: Exposing His Character And Its Biblical-Theological Implications, Wesley Nottingham

Liberty Theological Review

Commentators have long recognized the mystery of Melchizedek, noting “that Melchizedek appears in the narrative out of nowhere and just as quickly is gone.” In light of the nature of this Melchizedek figure, the task for a deep reader of Scripture becomes not only identifying who this figure is as he appears in Genesis, but also drawing out the biblical-theological implications of his presence. To determine how to best understand Melchizedek as well as his presence within the canon, the most effective approach is to examine the text in which he first appears—Genesis 14:18-20—and examine its interplay with another key …

The Glory Of The Lord Whose Likeness Is As The Appearance Of A Human Being/Adam: A Study Of Ezekiel’S Son Of Man/Adam Anthropology, Timothy R. Schmeling

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

Ezekiel has often been criticized as a dehumanizing book. Still it is alternative humanisms that have done so much to dehumanize mankind with the totalitarianism of self-deifying individualism or the totalitarianism of collectively-imposed manmade metanarratives. Far from being a dehumanizing book, the objective of the son of man/Adam is certainly to purge his hearers of all anthropologies of autonomy and license, but this Adamic priestly prophet does this to eschatologically resurrect in them an anthropology of dependence and true freedom. Reasserting the creation theology and anthropology of Genesis, Ezekiel insists that authentic humanism, Edenic humanism (i.e., the original humanism), is …

Overcoming The Lack Of Expressive Worship In The Haitian Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Yoner Valmyr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many Haitian Seventh-day Adventist members are not pleased with the Haitian Seventh-day Adventist Church’s lack of expressive worship. According to research, Haitian church members are unable to freely express themselves in corporate worship due to rationalistic, as oppose to kinesthetic worship practices. During worship services, Haitian Seventh-day Adventist members, young and old, are afraid to have an authentic demonstrative worship experience because of “soma phobia,” the fear of letting themselves or their bodies get out of control. Because of a traditional European cultural ethos that still exists, there is a fear that others may look upon them as ungodly. When …

Ukrainian Protestants And Digital Culture, Maksym Balaklytskyi, Аndrii Shevchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Ukrainian Protestantism in recent decades has found fertile ground on the Internet. Activities through the Internet environment proved to be more successful than actual activities, as it was possible to cover larger areas and scales. Although the Internet is an additional option to the offline reality, it is also perceived by Ukrainian Protestants more as a marketing tool. This study examines two aspects of Protestant dialogue with digital culture: educational and applied. The educational direction is represented by the ecumenical curriculum in digital theology, initiated by Protestants. This educational center seeks to overcome confessional differences by establishing a common Christian …

Adult Suicide : Church Awareness, Support, And Prevention Education, Jannette Way Rudolph

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Seasons Of Change : Navigating New Beginnings And Endings Within The United Methodist Church, Wade Killough

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Contemplative Prayer And Meditation : Their Role In Spiritual Growth, Karen L. Bray

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Faith And Work Pedagogy For The Twenty-First Century : A Consultation Of The Curriculum Of 210leaders, R. Matthew Schell

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Discipling With Purpose : Best Practices In Light Of God's Telos For Discipleship, Leighton St. Aubin Mcfarlane

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

21st Century Class Meeting : Wesleyan Discipleship With Software Facilitated Blended Learning, Michael Koho Larbi

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Discipleship Band : Evaluating The Transformative Potential And Best Practices For Seedbed's Model Of Discipleship Bands Among Students At Asbury University, Mark A. Benjamin

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Go & Make Disciples: The Biblical Foundation For Discipleship In The Way Of Jesus, Ryan May

Senior Honors Theses

What are Jesus’ foundational teachings that lay the groundwork for discipleship in the church today? Within this paper, I will seek to work through the initial section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to distill the essential theological lessons of Christ on discipleship. After introducing some important cultural realities concerning the state of discipleship in the church today, Matthew 5 will be thoroughly engaged. Beginning with a discussion on cultural, literary, and theological backgrounds, the passage will be broken down section by section to discern key truths expressed for the modern church. The paper will conclude with further reflection questions …

Lay Leadership Collaboration, Communication, And Succession Among The Baby Boomer, Generation X, And Millennial Generational Cohorts, Matthew T. Seel

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Welcoming Vulnerable Children Who Need Help From Today's Church, Nega M. Zeleke

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Us-Based Ghanaian Methodist Young People : Improving Their Participation In And Commitment To Church, Samuel Osam-Duodu

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Dealing With Depression : Factors That Contribute To The Presence Of Major Depression Disorder And Its Impact In Hispanic Pastors Of Church Of God In Southeast Region, Nelson Parra

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Man Up Retreat : An Instrument Of Defense Against Absentee Fatherhood, Jaime Faberlle

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Creation Care As Caring For Human Beings: An Environmental Justice Case Study, Jeffrey S. Lamp, Ph.D., Kathryn J. Moder, Megan R. Munhoffen, Cade A. Rich, Nathan B. Von Atzigen

Research Symposium

Caring for God’s creation is a burgeoning area of interest among Christians in recent decades. In many Christian circles, however, caring for creation is not given high priority in rankings of the duties of Christian disciples in the world. This article will argue that caring for creation is a biblically mandated call for God’s people in the world and derives from the role of human beings as caretakers of creation, creation’s status as a recipient of God’s salvation in Christ, and the connection between human beings and the other-than-human creation. If creation care is understood as an act of healing …

The Canonization Of The Books Of The Jewish, Catholic, And Protestant Scriptures, Kaleb J. Jung

Classical Conversations

The three Canons of Judaism, Catholic Christianity, and Protestant Christianity all claim more authority or consistency than what they have. Judaism puts too much authority on an unknown group in 200 CE that was not regarded until 400 years later in the Mishnah. Catholicism emphasizes the divinity of scriptures that the early church fathers almost universally disbelieved. Protestantism held that the Canon put forward by Calvin was entirely equal in its truth and that it should not be changed even in the face of changing beliefs or new discoveries. However, just because a Canon has been altered or closed in …

Reclaiming The Art Of Sabbath: A Biblical And Practical Theology For Pastoral Sabbath-Keeping, Robert D. Elliott

Masters of Theological Studies

Pastoral Sabbath-keeping is both a lost art and a vital part of the spiritual vitality of the twentyfirst century church. A majority of pastors within the United States affirm that they do not take a time for weekly Sabbath, which in turn has led to higher cases of pastoral burnout and ministry ineffectiveness. This is intrinsically linked to a lack of pastoral spiritual health. The solution to this spiritually fueled problem is found in reclaiming the art of pastoral Sabbath-keeping. Developing a well-rounded biblical theology of Sabbath-keeping practices will allow twenty-first century pastors to apply a biblically founded practical theology …

Semeiotic And The Problem Of Panentheism For Christian Natural Theology, Nathan G. Wheeler

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation considers the theological suitability of Charles S. Peirce’s philosophy of signs (semeiotic) for use in theories respecting the great Christian tradition. As a case-study, this dissertation examines panentheism as a problem for a Christian approach to natural theology utilizing semeiotic, as proposed by Alister McGrath. Leading interpreters of Peirce’s philosophy of religion, Michael Raposa and Robert Corrington, hold that Peirce’s semeiotic entails a panentheist ontology. If that is the case, then a fully developed use of semeiotic by McGrath may inad-vertently risk the coherence of his theory. The present study takes a systematic theology approach combined with an …

Church Revitalization Resources And Connections For The Northside Of Indianapolis, William James Marshall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to provide a connection point and resources for pastors on the Northside of Indianapolis, IN to revitalize their churches. This project addresses the problem that many pastors on Indianapolis’ Northside may lack a connection point and resources to revitalize their churches. The research, resources, and connection points in this study focus on the biblical and practical leadership traits of a pastor, which are necessary to lead a church’s revitalization. This study offers a biblical-theological groundwork for a pastor/shepherd, emphasizing that a pastor should be of good moral character, affirming, aware of mutual need, caring, …

Biblical Parenting, Mehret Kahsai

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The goal of this Doctor of Ministry thesis project, Biblical Parenting, is to equip parents with tools that will enable them to conduct Bible study and family worship in an age-appropriate manner, so that their children will grow up understanding the Word of God and have a biblical worldview that will direct their daily decisions. Some of the parents at Calvary Baptist Church and Covenant Christian Academy appear not to be accomplishing their God given task of evangelizing and discipling their children at home. Instead they have relegated that responsibility to the church. However, according to the Bible, parents are …