Digital Commons Network^™

Looking For Black Religions In 20th Century Comics: 1931-1993, Yvonne Patricia Chireau

Religion Faculty Works

Relationships between religion and comics are generally unexplored in the academic literature. This article provides a brief history of Black religions in comic books, cartoons, animation, and newspaper strips, looking at African American Christianity, Islam, Africana (African diaspora) religions, and folk traditions such as Hoodoo and Conjure in the 20th century. Even though the treatment of Black religions in the comics was informed by stereotypical depictions of race and religion in United States (US) popular culture, African American comics creators contested these by offering alternatives in their treatment of Black religion themes.

Teaching Rape, Slavery, And Genocide In Bible And Culture, Gwynn Kessler

Religion Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Jesus: His Life—Perspectives Of Joseph And John The Baptist (Pt. 1), Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

As the calendar approaches Easter, made-for-television movies and documentaries appear on the History Channel, CNN, the National Geographic Channel, and other venues; and, why not? Christianity is the largest religion in the world, and there’s a great deal of interest within society at large, as well as among the believing faithful. As Robert Cargill points out in the introit to Jesus: His Life, “The Story of Jesus is the greatest story ever told.” Or, as Ben Witherington III notes, “If we want to understand western civilization at all, we must understand the story of Jesus.” In that sense, this eight-part …

Jesus: His Life From The Perspectives Of Judas And Pilate (Pt. 3), Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

As the trailer points out, the distinctive feature of the eight-episode History Channel series, “Jesus: His Life,” is that it looks at the life and ministry of Jesus from the perspective of key figures within the gospel narratives. The first four episodes assessed the life of Jesus from the perspectives of Joseph, John the Baptist, Mary, and Caiaphas; [1] Episodes Five and Six review the life of Jesus from the perspectives of Judas and Pilate. From the top, we are once again reminded of the 1965 epic film title that the story of Jesus is “the greatest story ever told,” …

Bodies And Heroes (Chapter In Heroic Bodies In Ancient Israel), Brian R. Doak

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Excerpt: "In this book I make three overarching arguments about what I am calling the “heroic body” in ancient Israel, particularly as it is represented in the Hebrew Bible but also including relevant iconography and with comparative gestures toward the Bible’s larger Mesopotamian context to the east and also the Greek Mediterranean context to the west."

Thus Sayeth The Matthean Lord: Exploring The Intersection Of The Quest For The Historical Jesus And The Proclaimation Of The Biblical Jesus, Edward T. Wright

The Asbury Journal

The themes of Biblical Studies and mission meet in a significant way at the intersection of the quest for the historical Jesus (an aspect of biblical studies) and the proclamation of the biblical Jesus (an aspect of the mission of the Church). This intersection undoubtedly occurs in the context we currently find ourselves, the evangelical seminary setting. This paper explores a passage, Matthew 4:-11, that has both significant theological content but also some rather difficult historical issues. When confronted with this type of problem, is it possible to navigate the passage in such a way that the historical Jesus and …

The Search For Microbial Martian Life And American Buddhist Ethics, Daniel S. Capper

Faculty Publications

Multiple searches hunt for extraterrestrial life, yet the ethics of such searches in terms of fossil and possible extant life on Mars have not been sufficiently delineated. In response, in this essay I propose a tripartite ethic for searches for microbial Martian life that consists of default nonharm toward potential living beings, default nonharm to the habitats of potential living beings, but also responsible, restrained scientific harvesting of some microbes in limited transgression of these default nonharm modes. Although this multifaceted ethic remains secular and hence adaptable to space research settings, it arises from both a qualitative analysis of authoritative …

Advent Devotional Guide 2019, Belmont University

Advent Devotional Guides

No abstract provided.

The Emergence Of A Lay Esprit De Corps: Inspirations, Tensions, Horizons, Christopher Pramuk

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Likening the Ignatian tradition as embodied at Jesuit universities to a family photo album with many pages yet to be added, the author locates the “heart” of the Ignatian sensibility in the movements of freedom and spirit (inspiration) in the life of the community. There are no fixed entry points or criteria of inclusion and exclusion for Ignatian lay educators save a desire to share in the questions proper to all the university disciplines that pull us toward a horizon beyond ourselves. Nevertheless a number of creative tensions endemic to Jesuit apostolic life from the beginning and also new challenges …

Evangelical Faith And Culture In The Lives Of Vietnam’S Upland Hmong - 1987-2017, Jim Lewis

Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Works

This paper centers on the contemporary conversion movement to Christianity among the Hmong of the Northern Mountainous Region (NMR). Taking place within the brief scope of only 30 years, religious change among the 1.2 million highland Hmong in Vietnam’s fourteen provinces has resulted in some 330,000 declaring they have exchanged many traditional beliefs for faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They have embraced substantially the same faith as the Tin Lanh Church, which first came to Vietnam in 1911, one of Vietnam’s six officially approved religions. It is reasonable to claim that a mass movement of this magnitude among a …

A Catholic Response To “ ‘Do Not Quench The Spirit’: Charisms In The Life And Mission Of The Church”, Joseph Mueller

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Scotosis And Structural Inequality: The Dangers Of Bias In A Globalized Age, Kate Ward

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

The Law Of Moses: An Overview, Dan Belnap

Faculty Publications

During the last week of his life, Christ was confronted by a group of Jewish authorities who asked him, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” (Matthew 22:36). Christ’s answer, that one should love God with all one’s heart, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6:5), as well as one’s neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19:18), was then followed by the assertion “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:40). Clearly, in Christ’s day the law of Moses was regarded as providing crucial instruction regarding one’s behavior both with one’s fellow man and with God, and …

In Objection To Error: A Wesleyan Reflection On The Regrettable State Of The United Methodist Church, Charles Stehlik

Masters Essays

No abstract provided.

“Me? An Addict?” Good News For Shame And Addiction, Rebecca Grisell

Doctor of Ministry

Addictions have penetrated all segments of society, including the Church. The problems addicts face is complicated, complex, and challenging for the church and ministry practitioners. Alongside the rising rate of addiction, society’s shame-awareness has also risen. This is not coincidental or unimportant. While addictive behavior seeks bonding, shame resists bonding. It is the contrary and paradoxical nature of this problem that makes it confusing, mysterious, and perplexing.

Yet there is hope. When shame is addressed with the good news of the Gospel, addiction will lose its grasp and new recovery solutions will arise. This dissertation suggests that the inability to …

Week 3: Resting, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 2: Ceasing, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Development And Implementation Of A Community-Based Health Evangelism Strategy At Fellowship Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Tallahassee, Florida, Daphnis Ricardo

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Fellowship Seventh-day Adventist church desired to reach its community but did not have a strategic plan on how to do so. The lack of a strategic plan hindered the effectiveness of the church in making an impact in its neighborhood and left the members with a sense that they were not making a difference in their community. Initial observations done through formal talks with church leaders suggested that health ministry was a focus where their church had a strength and was a means by which to reach the neighborhood.

Method

The methods used were to develop a team …

A Cosmopolitan Theology For Creating An Urban Missional Small Group To Reach Postmodern Generations In The City Of Lacombe, Alberta, Lyle Milton Notice

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Many youths within the Canadian city of Lacombe, Alberta, are having difficulty finding traditional church attractive, engaging, relevant, and meaningful. Because of the prevalent postmodern mindset of youth in the community, thoughts toward church, religious gatherings, and organized religion are pessimistic and skeptical. Research has pointed out that faith-based community initiatives have been either lacking or ineffective in addressing the disengagement and disillusionment being demonstrated by postmodern millennials.

Method

The purpose of this study was to see if an urban missional small group made up of 10 to 15 youth would have a positive social spiritual impact on their …

Improving Marital Satisfaction: An Enrichment Program For Couples In The Huntington, New York Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Eddly B. Benoit

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

One of the first and most sacred institutions established by God at creation was the institution of marriage. It is God who placed in man the desire to leave his father and mother, that he might be joined to his wife, with the objective of becoming one flesh. This perfect union ordained by God has proven elusive in many marriages. When I started my pastorate at the Huntington Seventh-day Adventist Church, I observed that many of the married couples were having difficulties communicating effectively and resolving conflict. I noticed that some of them lacked the behavioral skills and resources …

A Training Program For Members To Minister To Hiv/Aids Patients At The Nyagiki Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Kenya, Job Ogoti Getange

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

During my pastoral experience at Nyagiki, I observed that although HIV/AIDS was a big threat in the church and society, many of the church leaders were not involved in addressing this crisis. There were no intentional church training programs to warn the members about its danger. The church did not make a budget of time or money to address this pandemic. The root problem that caused this situation was lack of health information literacy on HIV/AIDS to equip these leaders with knowledge and skills to deal with this crisis.

Method

The Doctor of Ministry Research Project was conducted at …

Moral Ecology, Disabilities, And Human Agency, Kevin Timpe

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This paper argues that human agency is not simply a function of intrinsic properties about the agent, but that agency instead depends on the ecology that the agent is in. In particular, the paper examines ways that disabilities affect agency and shows how, by paying deliberate attention to structuring the social environment around people with disabilities, we can mitigate some of the agential impact of those disabilities. The paper then argues that the impact of one’s social environment on agency isn’t restricted only to those agents that have disabilities, but also characterizes all human agency. All of our agency is …

Christ-Centered Bhakti:A Literary And Ethnographic Study Of Worship, Nadya Pohran

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Bhakti (loving devotion) centered on and directed to Jesus Christ—or what I here call "Christ-centred bhakti"—is an increasingly popular religious practice in India and elsewhere. The first half of this paper seeks to explore some of the roots of the contemporary spiritual practice of bhakti poetry which has been written and/or is being sung in India. An overview of bhakti in a broader sense provides the necessary foundation so as to then explore and contextualise the emerging practice of Christ-centered bhakti poetry—often called ‘Yeshu’ (Jesus) or ‘Khrist’ (Christ) bhajans (devotional hymns)—within the broader theological and experiential frameworks of Hindu bhakti. …

Reach Out! Relevant Youth Evangelism, S. Joseph Kidder

All Books

No abstract provided.

Leaves Of The Bodhi Tree From East To West: The Symbol Of The Sacred Fig Tree In Ancient India, Southeast Asia And Contemporary Contexts, Amanda J. Spradling

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the depiction of the Bodhi Tree, a common Buddhist symbol. Bodhi tree simply means tree of enlightenment and Buddha Shakyamuni reached enlightenment while in meditation beneath the particular tree species of ficus religiosa, or sacred fig. Though the sacred fig tree, as a native tree to India, has historically held significance, today it is principally known for its association with the Buddha, particularly his single most important life event, his enlightenment.

Tree worship and its universal practice is well understood and many studies of the Bodhi Tree explore its associated pilgrimage site, Bodh Gaya, and monument, the …

Foreword Of Cow Care In Hindu Animal Ethics, Christopher Key Chapple

Theological Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Redemptive Penology Vs. Exclusive Retributive Justice, Samuel Chuks Japhets

Masters Theses

Grounded on long-standing penal notions of exclusive retributivism inherited from classical theorists, Ancient Near East lex talionis, and theonomist penology, the United States federal sentencing and corrections system aims to administer just desert sentences on offenders, to curtail crimes. This exclusively retributive model of criminal sanction is, presumably transformative and innately capable of dispensing holistic justice to society, victims, and criminals. However, the preponderance of high rates of recidivism raises the question of whether this exclusively retributive doctrinal framework that drives the federal penology empirically results in a redemptive administration of penal justice, especially to the offender. Given the traditional …

When Archaeology Interacted With The Bible: A Study Of The Search For The City Of Raamses Of Exodus 1:11 In The Searcher's Socio Political Context, Georg Filippou

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, I will research what a selected group of authors and scholars has stated regarding their search for the biblical city of Raamses. 3 This step will involve research of the motive of those researchers who attempted to match Raamses of Exod 1:11 with geographical locations in Egypt, to follow their search within the social and political context of these scholars. Second, based on these scholars’ research, I will attempt to discover what happened when Bible and archaeology interacted in the search for the city of Raamses.

The study begins with some pages …

A Narrative Analysis Of Genesis 3:1-7 And The Theological Significance Of The Serpent, Milton Gonzalez

Master's Theses

Problem

The Christian tradition of the Fall as it relates to Gen 3 is an interpretive construct that is foreign to the text and its immediate context. While scholars continue to view humanity and its fallen state as the central theme of the narrative, I suggest that such are but second to an even greater narrative—namely, a cosmic conflict between Elohim—the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the serpent.

Method

The first chapter of this study considers the traditional view of the temptation narrative (i.e. Gen 3:1-7) as the Fall of Man and suggests that the story of …

A Biblical Overview Of The Concept Of Fruit With An Emphasis On The "Fruit Of The Spirit" In Galatians 5, Timothy Selinger

Master's Theses

Problem

The topic of the Holy Spirit and especially the meaning of "being filled with the Spirit" is a relevant topic. Generally, it is thought to be related to miracles, healings, and explosive church growth among Adventists or to speaking in tongues and other manifestations, especially among Charismatic Christians. Few identify the fullness of the Spirit with holiness of character. In Paul, the presence of the Spirit in the life of the believer results in the presence of the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22). Just like an apple tree produces apples, a person filled with the Spirit will produce …