Digital Commons Network^™

Joonhyun, Joonhyun Bae

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

During the last decade, most new church plants in South Korea remained as small churches of less than one hundred members that are not self-sustaining or growing, because their leaders are heavily dependent upon limited discipleship models of few megachurches that rarely reflect the characteristics of small churches. Since newly planted churches rarely grow in the absence of effective discipleship models that suit their given cultures and geographical locations, their leaders need to be equipped with a biblical framework and applications for establishing discipleship models that aptly respond to the needs of their churches. The purpose of this thesis project …

The Worship Experience: Five Essential Ways A Pastor Leads A Congregation To Respond To God, Changhwan Choi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Today many churches do not take time in worship service for their congregations to respond to God’s Word proclaimed through sermons. They also may be unaware of biblical reasons for the response. This project will suggest five essential ways that a pastor can lead a congregation to respond to God’s Word at the end of each sermon. This project will lay a foundation for the understanding and development of the congregational response through examination of biblical and theological backgrounds. Furthermore, an approach utilizing these five strategies will be developed specifically for worship services in Korean churches by surveying 30 or …

Pietism On The American Landscape, Martin Conkling

Concordia Journal

Pietism on the American Landscape from its beginnings to present.

Christian Counseling The Past Generation And The State Of The Field, Richard Marrs

Concordia Journal

Gary Moon, vice president of Richmont Graduate University, says that Christian counseling, pastoral counseling, biblical counseling, and spiritual direction are all “sibling soul care disciplines.”

Proper 20 • Ezekiel 34:11–16; 20–24 • November 23, 2014, Timothy Dost

Concordia Journal

God Protects and Heals His Flock When faced with the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel describes the judgment on those shepherds responsible and the reasons for the fall.

Proper 28 • Zephaniah 1:7–16 • November 16, 2014, Andrew Bartelt

Concordia Journal

In sum, this is the basic biblical narrative in a nutshell, with the new creation brought about in the presence of King Yahweh incarnate in Jesus, who establishes the new Zion wherever he is present, no longer in the “land” of Judah.

Breaking Barriers That Divide Christians And Muslims In Nigeria And Building A Redemptive Relationship, Frederick Chukwuma Obodoagha

Doctor of Ministry

Although Nigeria is a secular state, religion functions there as an expression of political identity and figures prominently in conflicts over resources, land, and political offices. Increasing clashes between religious groups, predominantly Muslim and Christian, have taken the nation from what used to be peaceful coexistence to violent disharmony. In this atmosphere of fear and hate, Christians are called to be peacemakers, building redemptive relationships with Muslims. This dissertation explores practical ways of forging peaceful Christian-Muslim relations. The introductory chapter describes the religious conflict in Nigeria, demonstrating how religious, communal, ethnic, and social divisions degenerated into violence as a result …

Servant, Leader, Or Both?: A Fresh Look At Mark 10:35-45, Bill Thompson

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

How can Christian leaders find a balance between serving and leading? Part of the confusion lies in Jesus’ striking paradox itself. Following an exegetical study of Mark 10:35-45, i use John Stott’s categories of the choices between selfish ambition and sacrifice and between power and service to explore two key areas of application for pastoral leaders. if competent Christian leaders constantly seek to put Christ’s mission ahead of their own glory and to put the good of the group before their own desires, then their followers will be more likely to accept their influence.

Our Stories, His Story : Unveiling The Sociolcultural Barriers Of Singapore Chinese Elderly When They Follow Jesus, Nam Seng Koh

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Flight Lead: The Mission Of A Father And Husband, John Marselus

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Similar to fighter pilot flight leads, the Lord created multiple roles and responsibilities for husbands and fathers to lead their families. Millions of dollars are invested into the training and readiness of a fighter pilot to lead a flight into combat. Flight leads must perform multiple missions to ensure the success of friendly armed forces against their enemy. The multiple roles and responsibilities for husbands and fathers are remarkably similar to the functions a flight lead must execute to successfully complete a mission. This study compares the author’s military experience with scholarly research, Scriptural analysis, quantitative survey, and case study …

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 …

Implications Of Theological Anthropology For Online Pedagogy In Graduate-Level Ministerial Training, Gabriel Benjamin Etzel

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The thesis of this dissertation is that by utilizing a biblical-theological framework, best practices of online graduate-level ministerial training can be presented in such a way that the role of the faculty, the objectives of the classroom, and the purpose of the institution are focused more effectively on the formation of students as ministers of the gospel. It is argued the role of the faculty member should be a model for students to follow, which necessitates institutions prioritize theological competencies ahead of technological and pedagogical competencies when hiring faculty, and institutions prioritize the faculty member's ongoing spiritual formation in the …

Developing An Embedded Process Of Spiritual Healing/Growth For South Korean Presbyterian Churches, Sung In Chang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to provide a biblical discipleship manual that restores believers to an intimate and obedient relationship with God through an embedded process of spiritual healing. Many disciples within South Korean Presbyterian churches are hindered from leading biblical lives of obedience by unresolved pain and scars that stem from their sins and misunderstandings about God. This is a direct result of dysfunctional discipleship processes within churches that do not empower the disciples to fully trust and obey Jesus Christ. The research will be conducted by surveying 100 Korean Presbyterian Church members. This thesis project will attempt …

Would You Impugn My Justice? A Nuanced Approach To The Hebrew Bible's Theology Of Divine Recompense, Joel Kaminsky

Religion: Faculty Publications

Recent scholarship has tended to see the book of Job as sweeping away an earlier, mechanistic theology of divine recompense. This essay argues that the widespread biblical notion that God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked is more complex than generally recognized and that recovering its nuances not only helps one better understand the theological outlook of books like Deuteronomy, Proverbs, and Psalms, but also helps one better grasp the debates within Job. The essay is framed by some reflections on why our contemporary culture regularly misreads the Bible's language of divine retribution in spite of the fact that …

Launching A New Journal: Problems, Questions, Answers, And Hopes, Ron Bruner

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

In the initial pages of this journal, we provide an explanation of its mission—rigorous and accessible conversation among those working at the intersection of theology and ministerial practice. We list the obstacles to that conversation, and the means by which this journal overcomes them. This essay also imagines and describes various settings in which an e‐journal containing the work of scholar‐practitioners might usefully serve the academy and the church.

Scholarship In The Seminary, Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary

Current: Faith Meets Life and Culture

No abstract provided.

The Strategic Nature Of Urban Ministry, Alan Mcmahan

Great Commission Research Journal

The explosive growth of cities around the world provides an unprecedented and strategic opportunity for the advancement of the gospel and the expansion of the church. Ten overlapping realities found in urban contexts are explored in this article to show how the world is dramatically changing the context in which most people live. The enormous advantages offered by urban ministry are then examined to show how the church can extend its reach, identify and reach receptive people and influence the culture of a region or a nation.

Farming In The City!, Skip Bell

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Unified Vision: Hermeneutics Of Hunger And Feminist Ethics Of Care As Means For Approaching International Relations, With An Examination Of U.S. Political Involvement In Liberia, Joy Parker

Masters Essays

No abstract provided.

La Validez De Las Leyes Levíticas Alimentarias—Parte I, Jiří Moskala

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Revisiting The Merits Of A Contested Discipline: Reflections On The Study Of Old Testament Theology, Benjamin J. Lappenga

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

An Examination Of The Doctrine Of Death And The Afterlife From A Biblical And Historical Theology Perspective Compared To The Level Of Sophistication Among The Laity, Wayne Allen Patton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Several key aspects of eschatology and their treatment appear to be under-explored in contemporary preaching. Within the context of individual eschatology, notions of death, the intermediate state, and the eternal state vary widely. A clearer understanding of these facets of the faith are necessary to fully understand the full measure of the work of Christ, the hope Christians have in Him, and the ability to convey these essentials to the lost. In this project, the writer will seek to discover and examine the key aspects of this doctrine and measure the level of sophistication among a sample of the laity. …

The Challenges Of Missionary Training In The 21st Century: A Manual For Training Of Missionaries, Kola Aiyedogbon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The thesis project is a case study of the Redeemed Christian Church of God that has more than 600 parishes in the United States and mission work in over 130 countries of the world. The study will involve the local mission Board members; trainers in the mission school, missionaries on the mission field in more than 400 parishes, and a sample of two mission churches. It will explore the global reverse mission enterprise and the gap in the training of missionaries from Africa in reaching the nationals of the mission field. This project will be action based and inter-disciplinary. It …

Strengthening Biblical Historicity Vis-A`-Vis Minimalism, 1992–2008 And Beyond. Part 2.3: Some Commonalities In Approaches To Writing Ancient Israel’S History, Lawrence J. Mykytiuk

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

This series of articles covers scholarly works in English which can, at least potentially, be associated with a generally positive view of biblical historicity regarding periods preceding the Israelites’ return from exile. Part 2 covers works that treat the methodological issues at the center of the maximalist–minimalist debate. Parts 2.1 and 2.2 selectively survey the works of 24 non-minimalist scholars during two decades. In the absence of consensus, this article analyzes the works in Parts 2.1 and 2.2, tracing elements of approach that are held in common, at least among pluralities of non-minimalists (possible majorities are not noted). The first …

Return To Political Theology, Joshua D. Hawley

Notre Dame Law Review

My aim in what follows is to employ N.T. Wright’s powerful and provocative analysis of Paul’s political gospel as a critical perspective on the foundational claims of the Great Separation. Because the very possibility of political theology is disputed in many quarters, I begin in Part I with a defense of political theology as critical theory. In Part II, I turn to Paul’s political gospel, tracing Wright’s reconstruction of its central terms, including the Pauline critique of empire. In Part III, I explore—briefly—the affirmative political vision Pauline theology makes possible, with particular focus on that theology’s unique form of political …

Mary And The Domestic Church, M. Danielle Peters

Marian Studies

Lumen Gentium (LG) 11 acknowledges: “The family is, so to speak, the domestic Church.” The Instrumentum Laboris (IL) of the Synod of Bishops, dealing with “The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization,” refers five times to the family as domestic Church. The concluding prayer of the IL asks the Holy Family of Nazareth to “grant that our families, too, may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic Churches.” This paper seeks:

• To explore the notion of the family as domestic church or Church in miniature;
• To make a contribution …

Christian Identity Development Of Adolescents In A Hindu Religio-Cultural Dominant Context, Yeonjeong Kim

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Assessing Changes In Beliefs And Practices Of Christlike Living At The Southwest Campus Of The Darby Creek Church Of The Nazarene, Steven Charles Suttles Sr.

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Jesus And Tiberius: An Examination Of Source Reliability, Timothy B. Chrisman

Liberty Theological Review

Since the introduction to the critical method of studying the Old and New Testament in the nineteenth century, doubt has been thrown on the historical reliability of the biblical narrative accounts, especially the four Gospels. Yet, far less scrutiny and denigration have been applied to historical sources written during the time of the Roman Empire. A comparison, then, is proposed. It would be beneficial to compare the sources that detailed the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, namely, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the four sources which chronicled the life of Tiberius, emperor of the Roman Empire during …

Planting, Transitioning, And Growing Multiethnic Churches, Gloria Young-Eun Kim Fowler

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.