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Circumcising The Mouth Of Moses: The Idolatrous Status Of Yahweh's Mediator Among The Idols Of Ancient Mesopotamia, Amy L. Balogh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The thesis of this dissertation is that in the defining moment in which he is transformed from "uncircumcised of lips" to "god to Pharaoh" (Ex 6:28-7:1), Moses is best understood as Yahweh's idol, undergoing a status change akin to the induction ritual for ancient Mesopotamian idols, the Mīs Pȋ ("Washing/Purifying of the Mouth"). To make this point, I argue that Moses and idols be compared with respect to their status as mediator between divine and human realms. With their respective status changes, not only are idols and Moses transformed on an ontological level, but so are their relationships to their …

Understanding African American Preaching: The Style, Culture, And Rationale For The Worship Experience And The Value For Education, Harry Zimmerman Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Preaching is an oratorical method for sharing the biblical text, which God uses to affect the lives of people for His glory. In the context of the African-American culture, preaching highlights differences between the rationales of the practical approaches of African-American and other styles of preaching. This project will examine fundamentals of African-American preaching as well as its dynamics while focusing on African-American traditions in a critical and creative manner. It will provide insights for training associate ministers at Faith United Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. The research utilizes a single method research approach, utilizing surveys of pastors and …

Churches Of Christ, Spiritual Formation, And The Liturgical Christian Calendar, Wes Horn

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

For many Christian traditions, participation in the liturgical year does not seem remarkable; in fact, it is second nature being the form, or liturgy, through which congregational members grew up practicing their faith. However, for those Christian traditions, like the Churches of Christ, who have avoided the liturgical year, the inclusion of liturgical practices is a substantial deviation in worship theology, practice, and comfort.

This article recounts one congregation’s journey through the liturgical calendar as a test case for a Doctor of Ministry project. The thesis questioned whether the introduction of the liturgical Christian calendar into the worship life of …

Old Testament Costume Resource Guide, Rory R. Scanlon

Faculty Publications

This report offers visual costume research support for artists working on Old Testament Bible projects, with an historical overview of Mesopotamia and how to understand its historical clothing pieces, an annotated listing of the best research sources, a list of garment and fabric terms for the 4000 BC to 0 AD period, and sample sketches from historical artifacts to suggest how to interpret the original research images the artist will encounter.

The Initiation Of Growth-Focused Relationships Involving Healthy Accountability, Stephen L. Shaffer

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This paper summarizes a Doctor of Ministry project thesis conducted in 2011 that introduced healthy accountability within growth-focused relationships to shape an emergent spiritual growth culture at the Carbondale Church of Christ. The theological basis for the intervention (1) uses Romans 12 to establish the Christian community, not the individual, as the ultimate vision of fully realized human life and (2) asserts that spiritual growth, following Alasdair MacIntyre’s definition of a practice, must involve virtues such that the means of growth are reflective of the desired ends of growth. The positive results demonstrate the effectiveness of healthy accountability, illuminate participants' …

Factors And Qualities Of Lay Leadership Influencing Church Growth : A Multiple Case Study

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"Extant literature regarding church growth mentions lay leaders as important partners in the operation and administration of a church. While discussions of their participation acknowledge their importance, no studies on church growth focused on the way they specifically influence growth. this qualitative multiple case study took a holistic approach by examining three churches within the Wesleyan churches in the American Midwest."

Should Southern Baptists Baptize Their Children?: A Biblical, Historical, Theological Defense Of The Consistency Of The Baptism Of Young Children With Credobaptistic Practices, Robert Matz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Southern Baptists have expressed increasing degrees of alarm over allegedly rising rates of child baptisms. As a result, an increasing number of Southern Baptists have argued that the baptism of young children is inconsistent with Southern Baptists’ understandings of credobaptism and a regenerate church membership. Against these allegations, this dissertation asserts that children can be converted and when converted they should be baptized. The first chapter of this dissertation argues that water baptism is prescriptively contemporaneous with Spirit baptism. It establishes such based on the relationship between water and Spirit baptism as seen in the seven direct references to Spirit …

The Kingdom Of God And The Holy Spirit: Eschatology And Pneumatology In The Vineyard Movement, Douglas R. Erickson

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation explores the relationship between eschatology and pneumatology in the Vineyard movement. The Vineyard movement is a growing expression within the evangelical Protestant tradition that seeks to combine the core doctrines of Evangelicalism with the experience of the gifts of the Spirit that is often associated with Pentecostalism. As a relatively new faith expression, the Vineyard has not received a great deal of academic interest, and thus much of its core theological commitments have not yet been explored. I shall argue that the central theological distinctive of the Vineyard is their understanding of the inaugurated, enacted, eschatological kingdom of …

Gifting Freedom To The Samaritan: Considerations On Access To Both The Sacramental Event And Salvation For Those Who, For Whatever Reason, Find Themselves Outside The Church, And The Consequences Of Identity For The Church In Gifting Such Access, C. A. Chase

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

This thesis gives consideration to issues surrounding the question of access to salvation, and to sacramental event, for contemporary ‘Samaritans’ – those persons who, for whatever reason, find themselves outside the Church. To chart such access, attention must be afforded, not only to the historical pronouncements of the Church, but also, most importantly, to the voiced laments and insights of these Samaritans themselves, enduring their dissonance and respecting their critique, both theological and ecclesiastical. Through such colloquy, a return to the Samaritan in Luke who offers hope to the exigencies of access, and leaves to linger an ecclesiastical question of …

Some Reflections On The Field Of Sermon Studies, Robert Ellison

English Faculty Research

Multidisciplinary endeavours with the word ‘studies’ in their names have brought like-minded scholars together for over sixty years. Those specializing in certain parts of the world, for example, can join the North American Conference on British Studies (founded in 1950), the British Association for American Studies (1955), the African Studies Association (1957), or a host of other groups. Similarly, organisations for scholars interested in specific time periods include the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies (1983), the Society for Renaissance Studies (1967) and the European Network for Avant-Garde and Modernism Studies. Finally, students of politics, gender and other aspects …

Christ, The Son Of The Living God: The Theme Of The Chiastic Structure Of The Gospel Of Matthew, S. Joseph Kidder

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

Common Sense Theology: An Analysis Of T. L. Carter's Interpretation Of Romans 13:1-7, Joshua Alley

Senior Honors Theses

Common sense theology has been a part of American theology since the time of the Revolution when Evangelicals incorporated ideals from the Scottish didactic Enlightenment into their thought. This paper deals with the work of one particular author, T. L. Carter, and his interpretation and exegetical work on Romans 13:1-7. It deals with the two major presuppositions of his common sense theology, namely that interpretations of any passage of Scripture will adhere to common sense and will result in a value-based ethic. Following this is an analysis of both the strengths and weaknesses of Carter's methodology.

Discerning Segment Boundaries Within John 1:19-4:54, Joseph R. Dongell

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies

Bible commentators have traditionally supplied hierarchical outlines for the books they interpret under the assumption that texts are semantically structured, and that valid interpretation flows in part from accurately discerning textual structure. The disciplines of narrative criticism and discourse analysis have significantly advanced our understanding of textual structure, and have crossed paths by way of mutual influence with the IBS movement, which has given sustained attention to formalizing the study of textual structure. Against this backdrop, John 1:19-4:54 invites closer scrutiny in terms of the logic of its composition. The nearly universal agreement that 1:1-18 forms a clear literary unit, …

Reading A Protoevangelium In The Context Of Genesis, David Pettus

Eruditio Ardescens

This article proposes that the case for a ‘messianic’ reading of Gen. 3:15 is cumulative. No single individual argument is decisive and it is virtually impossible to sustain a robust protevangelium interpretation of this text within the context of Gen. 3 alone. However, as already pointed out in the introduction, isolating Gen. 3 from its literary/historical context in the book of Genesis does not lead to a fruitful resolution of its meaning but at best creates a hypothetical reconstructed meaning behind the text which becomes difficult to sustain in light of the interpretation of the 'seed' in the entire book. …

"Not A Hand Bound; Not A Voice Hushed": Ordination And Foundational Adventist Understandings Of Women In Ministry, Ginger Hanks Harwood, Beverly Beem

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

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Judgment Motifs In The Messages To The Seven Churches, Kim Papaioannou, Edward Moyo

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

The Spirit Of The Lord And Obedience To God's Law : An Exegetical, Intertextual, And Theological Study Of Ezekiel 36:27, James Waita Mutua

Dissertations

Problem

In Ezek 36:27, God foretells that he will put his Spirit within his people and he will “do” so that Israel will obey his laws. Ezekiel 36:27 indicates a close relationship between the Spirit of God and Israel in observing the statutes and judgments of God in the Babylonian exile among the nations and after the exile. In this text, every major phrase and clause has varied interpretations or calls for further investigation. Not only do scholars have different interpretations of the verse, but also the English Bible versions vary in their translations. This leads to the following questions: …

The Sin Against The Holy Spirit In The Writings Of G. C. Berkouwer And E. G. White: A Comparative Study And Ethical Implications, Michael Davey Pearson

Dissertations

While compatibilists claim that divine sovereignty either elects individuals to salvation or inevitably consigns them to damnation without the involvement of human response, non-compatibilism claims that divine love requires both human choice along with a behavioral response. This dissertation examines these respective dilemmas in the context of the sin against the Holy Spirit with the purpose of ascertaining how these views impact the sovereignty and character of God and the resulting ethical implications. Compatibilism is examined through the writings and theology of G. C. Berkouwer, while non-compatibilism is appraised through the writings and thought of Ellen G. White.

This dissertation …

Twelfth Century Literal Bible Commentaries: Comparing Jewish And Christian, Devorah Schoenfeld

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

In the twelfth century, both Jewish and Christian Bible commentators began to emphasize literal, or historical, or contextual, approaches to interpreting scripture. These commentators wrote predominantly line‐by‐line commentaries that focused the reader's attention on linguistic questions in the biblical text. There was also a renewed interest in seeing the Bible in its own terms rather than exclusively through the lens of earlier midrashic or patristic commentaries, although those continued to play an important role. These developments happened at the same time for both Christian and Jewish scholars, who were often in conversation with each other about how to interpret the …

Review Of Judaism, Jewish Identities And The Gospel Tradition: Essays In Honour Of Maurice Casey, Matt A. Jackson-Mccabe

Philosophy and Religious Studies Department Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Plan For Developing An Effective Community Outreach Strategy For Churches In The Northeast, Roscoe Lilly

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Community outreach is an essential part of a church's mission to be "salt and light" to those around them. Community outreach creates the crucial platform for a church's evangelistic efforts. While many churches want to reach out to their community, few have a clear understanding of how or where to begin. The purpose of this project is to help churches in the Northeast better understand how to increase their community's receptivity to the gospel through a strategic community outreach plan. The project will use NorthStar Church as a case study. It is the aim of this project to demonstrate how …

Christ's Response To The Last, The Least, The Lost, The Left Out - Is The Church Living Up To Christ's Standard?, Jerry Staples

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a plethora of statistics concerning how many un-churched people there are in the United States and the socioeconomic ladder does not discriminate who fits this lost category. Yet, the concern of this project deals with the gang member, drug dealer, drug users, pimps and prostitutes. The intent is to take outreach to the street through cook outs, Holy block parties, street revivals and the like. The rationale of this project is to show how one can reach, teach and keep this group of people, the potential dangers, and positive consequences associated with it. The potential value of this …

Theology In Parish Life, Skip Bell

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Making Disciples Of Jesus Christ: Implementing An Effective Discipleship Strategy For Churches In America, Victor Ogundiran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Various research findings on spiritual formation in the America church reveal that the current state of making disciples of Jesus Christ who are observing all that Jesus has commanded is woefully grim. This author believes what we have in place for making disciples is inadequate, unimplemented, or both. The purpose of this thesis project is to explain the current state of spiritual formation in the American Church and the reasons why it falls short of God's desire and design. This effort will include and incorporate research from at least 20 churches to see what discipleship systems they are using, if …

Hermeneutics And Exegesis, Norm Mathers

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

La Sagesse Et L’Adversite – Wisdom And Adversity, Yann Opsitch

Language and Literature

What can we learn from the biblical text concerning the relationship between wisdom and adversity? How can we apply this to our lives in the 21^st century?

How do the life and teachings of Jesus connect with the biblical concept of wisdom? How does the story of Jesus help us reconstruct our broken lives and identities? Where is the wisdom in biblical hope?

These are some of the questions raised by this book written in French and addressing specifically a French audience.

Review Of Jewish Ways Of Following Jesus: Redrawing The Religious Map Of Antiquity, Matt A. Jackson-Mccabe

Philosophy and Religious Studies Department Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

"Review Of Mesopotamian Ritual-Prayers Of Hand-Lifting” (Akkadian Šuillas): An Investigation In Light Of The Idiomatic Meaning Of The Rubric", Dale Launderville Osb

School of Theology and Seminary Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cooperation: Churches Working Together Through The Local Baptist Association For Maximum Kingdom Ministry, John Frank

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cooperation is a concept which many churches hold to as a basic belief, yet few incorporate into their ministry plan. With the exception of giving money toward a denominational budget, many churches operate totally independently of other churches. Believers in Jesus Christ can do more in a community as a unified body rather than as splintered groups with individual, and often self-serving, agendas. This thesis project draws together several years of observations and experiences of churches as they have joined together in unity and cooperation. A survey and interview process is used to gain insight and vision from churches and …

Rethinking Discipleship In The Area Of High School Ministry: Key Strategies For Transforming Urban Youth, Michael Rackley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

According to a Barna Research Group study titled "Third Millennium Teens" 60% of young people will leave the church permanently or for an extended period. Decreasing the number of urban youth ages 14-18 from defecting from the church and to increase retention of church dropouts using Twenty-First Century transformational strategies is the goal of this project. Having served as a youth pastor the writer will analyze key strategies that will benefit high school ministry by raising the bar on expectations and by building future leaders in the church.

This project will include an anonymous survey of 125 participants aged 18-24 …