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Book Reviews, Larry Hart, Mark E Roberts, Sally Shelton, Jeffrey Voth, Monte Lee Rice, Robert D. Mcbain, Joji Mathew

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

C. Douglas Weaver. Baptists and the Holy Spirit: The Contested History with Holiness- Pentecostal-Charismatic Movements

Larry Hart ................................................................................................................151

Wolfgang Vondey. Pentecostal Theology: Living the Full Gospel Joji Mathew..............................................................................................................153

Lalsangkima Pachuau. World Christianity: A Historical and Theological Introduction Robert D. McBain....................................................................................................156

David Perry. Spirit Baptism: The Pentecostal Experience in Theological Focus Monte Lee Rice ........................................................................................................159

Craig S. Keener. Galatians and Galatians: A Commentary Mark E. Roberts and Philip R. Feist .........................................................................164

Vinson Synan. Where He Leads Me: The Vinson Synan Story Sally Jo Shelton.........................................................................................................168

Paul L. King. Is It of God? A Biblical Guidebook for Spiritual Discernment Jeffrey Voth ..............................................................................................................171

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

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A special ORU Student study directed by Dr. Jeff Lamp.

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. …

Pentecostalism And Social, Political, And Economic Development, Allan H. Anderson

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article traces the global impact of Pentecostalism with reference to its definition, varieties, and statistics. It also discusses the subject of development from a theological perspective, considering how development applies to Pentecostalism. The first part considers the ambivalence involved in Pentecostal sociopolitical engagement, and then in the second part, discusses how Pentecostalism and development relate to each other. It gives examples throughout the article of how Pentecostals are involved in development projects and sociopolitical activities worldwide.

Fundamentalism, Marginalization, And Eschatology: Historical, Socio-Economic, And Theological Factors Influencing Early Pentecostal Theological Education, Daniel Topf

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Pentecostalism is recognized and appreciated, for instance, for its fervent evangelism and vibrant worship but generally not well-known for its contributions to scholarship and formal theological education. Why is that the case? Rather than simply pointing to an anti-intellectual attitude within Pentecostalism, this article emphasizes there are complex historical, socioeconomic, and theological factors to be considered when describing the development of early Pentecostal theological education in the United States. From a historical perspective, early Pentecostalism had to come to terms with its nineteenth-century roots, which included the fundamentalist movement. Regarding socio-economic factors, many early Pentecostal leaders came from the margins …

The Holy Spirit And The Nineteenth-Century Mission To Hawaii, Paul Miller

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article explores the missionary successes and failures of nineteenth- century Hawaii. It then explores the Holy Spirit connection to these successes and the lack of such a connection regarding the failures. It suggests missionary failures in the area of supernaturalism and Holy Spirit listening, failures to which the missionaries were particularly prone given their almost mono-focus on “civilization” and “education.” It then suggests native Hawaiian failures in, first, addressing their depopulation problem and, second, in attaining their aspirations of economic progress. Finally, facing these failures, it probes certain Holy Spirit perspectives as their potential solution.

Pentecostal Collaboration: A Pragmatic Necessity Or A Spiritual Principle?, Arto Hamalainen

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

"We Have Seen His Glory": Pentecostal Spirit Christology In Conversation With Cyril Of Alexandria, Chris E. W. Green

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article proposes a constructive Pentecostal Spirit christology, primarily in conversation with a feature of Cyril of Alexandria’s thought. After considering key features of kenotic Pentecostal Spirit christologies, and showing their limitations, the article takes up the task of constructing an alternative account of kenosis via a re-reading of the Christ hymn in Philippians 2.

The Call Of Nathanael: A New Recruit For The Jesus Movement (John 1:45–51), J. Lyle Story

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The call of Nathanael narrated in John 1:45–51 not only depicts the call of this disciple of Jesus, but also functions paradigmatically as an invitation for future generations of disciples to personal relationship with Jesus and participation in his messianic mission. The article argues that the horticultural metaphors of the fig tree in the Nathanael narrative and the vine in Jesus’ discourse in John 15 illustrate complementary aspects of discipleship, with the former emphasizing personal relationship with Jesus and the latter a relationship of abiding. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that disciples, both original and future, …

"I Tried Poverty": Exploring The Psychological Impact Of Poverty And Prosperity In The Life Of Oral Roberts, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The origin of the prosperity gospel is most often linked to the influence of American Pentecostal Christianity, particularly to Oral Roberts and his concept of “seed faith.” In light of this, this study seeks to understand Oral Roberts’ concepts of poverty and prosperity by exploring the psychology of his own experience of poverty. It will suggest that the biology of inequality he experienced as a child shaped the development of his prosperity theology.

Editorial: Earthly Minded And Heavenly Good?, Jeffrey S. Lamp

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Spiritus 5.1 (Spring 2020)

Front Matter, Spiritus Editors

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Spiritus 5.1 (Spring, 2020)

Full Issue: Volume 5, Number 1 (2020), Spiritus Editors

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Family Fuel: The Church Partnering With Parents In The Spiritual Formation Of Children And Family, Vanessa A. Flores

Selected Honors Theses

American culture is shifting responsibilities away from parents and onto professionals, such as teachers and coaches for the informing and developing of their children. Is this applicable in the church setting, where parents drop off their kids to let the children’s ministry pastors spiritually influence their child? Through the corroboration of theology and social science, it is seen that the impact of children’s pastors is incomparable to the spiritual and emotional influence that parents give to their children. With the enjoin of Deuteronomy 6, churches today are equipping families to become the church so that there is a reciprocated relationship …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 55 No 1 - April 2020), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

From the Editor: Karin Maag - 9 / Articles: John Webster: A Reformed Theologian on Revelation by Richard Fraser Brash - 11 / Psalm 88: A Validation to Vent by William L. Harris III - 41 / The Loss and Renewal of Calvin’s Eucharistic Theology in Reformed Churches by Leonard J. Vander Zee - 67 / Sermon: “Created to Be Like God”—A Sermon on Ephesians 4:22–24 by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. - 95 / Short Studies: The Role of the Letter and the Lector in Early Christian Liturgy: A Few Examples from Ephesians 1 by David Seal - 101 / The …

The Pauline Concept Of Discipleship As A Model For Addressing The Youth Dropout In The Twenty-First Century United States Of America Church., Jacob Al Hassan

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The dropout rate of more than five million young adults from faith and church in the last decade, who were originally born and raised in Christian homes, has reached a critical point. The Christian community must rethink its discipleship methods in order to impact the youth of today.

The researcher explored the root causes of the problem and identified that the current discipleship assumptions and strategies, rooted in modern mechanistic mass production paradigm do not work. Therefore, these assumptions and strategies must give way to a personally crafted one-on-one relational fatherly mentorship interconnected approach for the faith formation of the …

Denominational Influence In Church Revitalization, Donald J. Immel

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Many churches and denominations in North America have been experiencing plateau or decline for the past sixty years. In recent years, the Assemblies of God has experienced trends of plateau or decline in a majority of their churches. The PennDel Ministry Network, one of sixty-four districts within the Assemblies of God USA, has also observed that a majority of its churches are also in a state of plateau or decline. The primary intent of this dissertation is to explore denominational influence in revitalizing churches. Specific attention is given to the church’s participation in the missio Dei as well as the …

A Study On The Evangelism Training Program For Church Growth: The Case Of Bethel Bible Baptist Church In Korea, Sung Hee Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to find an evangelism training program for church growth in Korea. The researcher will study the evangelism strategies for church growth and will suggest effective evangelism training program to churches in order to find effective ways for church growth. The reason for selecting the evangelism training program for this study is to use it at Bethel Bible Baptist Church because evangelism is essential ministry for church growth and lots of churches have been experiencing growth by evangelism. The researcher will take advantages and supplement disadvantages from old evangelism programs to suggest new evangelism …

George Phillip Holt, Sr. Papers, 1971-1972, G. P. Holt

Center for Restoration Studies Archives, Manuscripts and Personal Papers Finding Aids

Finding aid for the George Phillip Holt, Sr. Papers, 1971-1972.

Finding Aid For Elbert G. Lewis Papers, (1964-2003), Abilene Christian University Special Collections And Archives

Center for Restoration Studies Archives, Manuscripts and Personal Papers Finding Aids

Finding aid for the Elbert G. Lewis Papers, (1964-2003).

J W Roberts Papers, 1946-1972, J. W. Roberts

Center for Restoration Studies Archives, Manuscripts and Personal Papers Finding Aids

Finding aid for the J W Roberts Papers, 1966-1972.

Dudley Lynch Papers, 1950-2007, Dudley Lynch

Center for Restoration Studies Archives, Manuscripts and Personal Papers Finding Aids

Finding aid for the Dudley Lynch Papers, 1950-2007.

Andy Thomas Ritchie, Jr. Papers, 1930-1970, Andy Thomas Ritchie Jr.

Center for Restoration Studies Archives, Manuscripts and Personal Papers Finding Aids

Finding aid for the Andy Thomas Ritchie, Jr. Papers, 1930-1970.

Lemoine Gaunce Lewis Papers, 1936-1995, Abilene Christian University Special Collections And Archives

Center for Restoration Studies Archives, Manuscripts and Personal Papers Finding Aids

LeMoine Gaunce Lewis Papers, 1936-1995, finding aid.

Preaching The Law With The Gospel, Jonathan Saur

Doctor of Ministry Theses

Preaching tools like the Revised Common Lectionary infrequently draw preachers to the legal texts of the Pentateuch, even though the New Testament, and especially the four Gospels, are heavily influenced by the legal texts of the Pentateuch. Congregations are at a disadvantage in understanding the New Testament message when one of the primary sources that shaped the New Testament is ignored. This study addresses this problem by utilizing relevant scholarship focused on New Testament interpretation of the legal texts to develop suggestions for preaching these texts. The four gospels are surveyed to glean insights into how they interpret the legal …

There Is A Word: Using A Queer Hermeneutic Toward Liberative And Prophetic Biblical Preaching, Dewayne L. Davis

Doctor of Ministry Theses

Preaching to, for, and about LGBTQ people is too often characterized by ambivalence, homophobia, and microaggressions couched as speaking truth in love. And yet, the biblical text includes themes, images, and stories with liberating and prophetic messages for LGBTQ people that include and affirm them within the body of Christ. This thesis argues that preachers can proclaim a liberating, prophetic word for the LGBTQ people within their congregations by using a queer hermeneutic, the intentional and conscious interpretation of the biblical text using the experience, information, and knowledge about LGBTQ people as the lens through which to bridge the world …

Invisible Poverty: Awareness, Attitudes, And Action, Joseph W. Johnson

Doctor of Ministry Theses

In small-town rural America, we do not tend to see poverty. Poverty is relatively invisible, especially among our youth and children. Invisible Poverty explores the issues, challenges, stereotypes, and causes of small-town rural poverty while presenting possible solutions. Drawing from Alvin Luedke, Craig Van Gelder, Alan Roxburgh, Patrick Keifert, Cynthia Duncan, and Shannon Jung, Invisible Poverty presents a missional theology of accompaniment seeking justice and avoiding shame. In an effort to understand the complexity of rural poverty, Invisible Poverty asks; How might Action Research interventions affect awareness, attitudes, and actions of the congregation concerning the issues of poverty?

Proclaiming Jubilee: Preaching That Sets Women Free, Jennifer Michelle Benson Moran

Doctor of Ministry Theses

In Luke 4, Jesus outlines his mission: to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and free the oppressed. Yet the marginalization and oppression of women have been structurally normalized throughout history, both in secular society as well as Christian culture. Through historical, cultural, biblical, exegetical, hermeneutical, and homiletical analysis, this study posits that a jubilee homiletic is a crucial part of embodying liberation from textual interpretations that have prioritized those who are privileged, so that women may reclaim scripture as a source of freedom.

Do You Hear What I Hear? Discernment And Dialogue In A Secular Age, Andrew J. Schlecht

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This Participatory Action Research (PAR) utilized a mixed methods approach to address an adaptive challenge in a Lutheran church in a bedroom community in a small town and rural setting. The research involved implementing PAR interventions that cultivated four spiritual capacities: see, hear, know, and say within the realm of faith formation. Results suggest the Holy Spirit initiated a process of cultural adaptation as participants began reframing their world view, having their missional imagination transformed, discerning the triune God’s active presence, and engaging in dialogue.

Nurturing Emotional Intelligence To Encourage An Increase In Compassion Among The Members Of Ecclesia Baptist In Asheville, North Carolina, Aileen Mitchell Lawrimore

Doctor of Ministry Projects

God’s infinite chesed for humanity, embodied in Jesus, calls Christians to claim their inherent brokenness and their infinite beauty and to offer the same grace to others. This chesed, experienced as compassion, enables Christians to extend compassion to themselves and others. To encourage this behavior among members of Ecclesia Baptist, this project paired psychology with theology and biblical study to nurture emotional intelligence (EQ). Participants attended five two-hour sessions and spent time on reflection and practice outside of meetings. Results indicated that increased EQ boosts confidence in compassionate behavior and increases intentions to continue practices formed from the study.

Determining Textual Similarity: Ga 2936 As A Test Case For The Teststellen Method, Jonathan A. Campbell

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

An important task in the field of textual criticism is the determination of which manuscripts are more closely related to one another.1 This, in turn, allows the text critic to come to a better understanding of the history of the text. The Teststellen method is one of the most influential methods currently being used to determine similarity with the Byzantine text type. This method, as practiced by the Institut für Neutestamentliche Textforschung, is examined with regard to its use in the Editio Critica Maior (ECM).2 The brevity of the method is appealing, as it does not require the full collation …