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The Word In The World, Sandra Marie Schneiders

Jesuit School of Theology

This article addresses the topic “the Word in the World” by seeking to clarify both concepts in the light of biblical usage and the present situation of believers. While “the world” features quite prominently in the New Testament, the understanding of the motif throughout Christian history has reflected more the Church's experience with its socio-cultural and religious context rather than the New Testament usage. The largely defensive attitude to the world that was the stance of the Roman church in reaction to the Reformation and Enlightenment was radically challenged at the Second Vatican Council, offering the chance to re-orientate the …

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: October 2010, Mariano Avila, Lyle D. Bierma, John Bolt, John W. Cooper

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Reflections on Belhar Confession
3 - Confession of Belhar
5 - Making Shalom: The Belhar Confession by Mariano Avila
6 - Adopting the Belhar: Confession or Testimony? by Lyle D. Bierma
8 - Necessary Testimony—Flawed Confession? by John Bolt
10 - Context and Confusion: What Does the Belhar Confess? by John Cooper
12 - The Belhar Speaks Today by Ronald J. Feenstra

Departments
14 - Formation for Ministry

Christ's Heavenly Sanctuary Ministry, Roy Gane

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Evangelism Handbook: Biblical, Spiritual, Intentional, Missional By Alvin Reid, Chuck Lawless

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Innovation In The Early Church: Strengthening The Thesis, Michael E. Cafferky

Faculty Works

In his response to Oster’s article, Cafferky offers commendations for the points that Oster presents when considering the events described in Acts 10-11. Cafferky also explores what he believes is an implicit assumption in Oster’s article regarding applying organizational theory from the for-profit sector straight across into the nonprofit sector. Oster’s thesis might be strengthened if the literature from the world of organization theory applicable to nonprofits is considered. Finally, Cafferky attempts to strengthen Oster’s thesis by exploring the complexity of the identity and purpose that he believes the first century Jewish Christians carried with them as they evaluated the …

Beyond Justice: Death And The Retribution Principle In The Book Of Job, Varunaj Churnai

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Churnai, Varunaj., “Beyond Justice: Death and the Retribution Principle in the Book of Job.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2010. 232 pp.

In recent decades, scholars have tended to interpret what Job says about death either as part of the broader reading of the Old Testament about death, or by imposing ancient Near Eastern mythological concepts upon the text of Job, read apart from the Old Testament’s wisdom tradition. This dissertation attempts to redress the latter trend of interpretation by articulating that what Job says about death is related to Job’s struggle to understand his relationship to God in relation to …

The Banner - V. 145, No. 5 - (May 2010), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Language Matters by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Clinging to the Covenant by Bonnie Mulder-Behnia / 8 - IMHO: Settling for Religion? by Trevor Payton / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Board responds to synod's request concerning CRC structure changes / 20 - Wonders from My Vegetable Garden by Ron Klok / 22 - Hope Rising / 26 - Dear Reader: Family Gatherings by Jerry Dykstra / 30 - Just for Kids: The Sheep of God’s Pasture by Sandy Swartzentruber / 32 - Parenting: Teens, Sexting, and the …

A Study Of The Conflicts Within Churches That Lead To The Termination Of Pastors Within The Southern Baptist Convention, Accompanied By A Proposal Of Preventive And Interventional Solutions, Donald Quentin Hicks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Since 1984, LifeWay of the Southern Baptist Convention has collected data through the Pastoral Ministries division of LifeWay from state conventions to determine how many pastors were being fired each year from their churches. They discovered that approximately two hundred pastors were being fired from their churches each month. Leader Care was formed in 1996 in order to find solutions to this problem. Throughout the last decade some progress has been made educating and helping churches and ministers in conflict, as well as ministers and their families who were terminated from the churches they served. In 2008, LifeWay disbanded LeaderCare, …

Biblical Strategy And Shift To Spiritual Driven Church Growth, Chang Kyu Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to present the biblical standards, principles, components, and methods of spiritual discipline for 21st century churches' conversion from human efforts and programs oriented church growth to spiritual driven church growth like an early church. The early church is a best model as a spiritual driven church. Modern churches are trying to build like the early church. The biblical study of the early churches in Bible and the results of survey of growing churches in Washington area will give biblical concepts and methods to make the spiritual driven church.

The Lord's Anointed: Covenantal Kingship In Psalm 2 And Acts 4, Alexander C. Stewart

Senior Honors Theses

This study examines the title “Christ” as applied to Jesus in Acts 4:25-27. “Christ” or “Anointed One” here is directly connected to Psalm 2:1-2, and ultimately derives from the royal anointing ceremony of Israel. That ceremony symbolizes a commitment by God to the monarch which is made most specific in the Davidic covenant. The Gospel of Luke uses the title “Christ” to connect these Davidic themes to Jesus. In Acts 4:25-27, “Christ” continues to signify Israel’s king backed by the Davidic covenant. The apostles’ reading of Psalm 2 provides a foundation for understanding their own recent persecution and for their …

"The Harmony Way:" Integrating Indigenous Values Within Native North American Theology And Mission, Randy Woodley

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

Given that Western models of mission have failed among Native Americans and that colonial practices have devastated native communities, this research sought a better way of pursuing Christian mission among Native Americans by asking two questions: (1) Do Native Americans have a generally shared set of values that could guide the construction of new models for mission in North American Native communities, and, if so, to what degree are these values shared among Native American communities? and, (2). What resources (particularly values) are available within the Native American communities themselves for developing appropriate models of mission and could such resources …

The Noetic Paschal Anthropos: Genesis 1:27 And The Theology Of The Divine Image In Early Paschal Literature, Dragos Andrei Giulea

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study examines the theme of the heavenly Anthropos in the earliest extant paschal writings: Melito's Peri Pascha, Origen's Peri Pascha, and Pseudo-Hippolytus's In sanctum Pascha. Instead of analyzing these materials through the prism of such classical images as sacrifice and divine Lamb, the study investigates them through the perspective of the categories of heavenly Man and divine Image. The particular method of the study will be tradition criticism and will envision the paschal tradition of the heavenly luminous Anthropos as a development of the theophanic traditions of the Jewish Second Temple. Echoing such ancient passages as Genesis 1:27, Ezekiel …

Learning, Changing, And Doing: A Model For Transformational Leadership Development In Religious And Non-Profit Organizations, Skip Bell

Faculty Publications

Religious and non-profit organizations seek people who continually experience learning and growth within their work. Such persons will not stop at doing their jobs well; they develop as leaders who in turn create positive transformation within their group. The purpose of this article is to define a transformational leadership development process integrating learning, changing, and doing as the preferred model in the life of a religious or non-profit organization. The outcome will be persons who grow as leaders, experience meaning in their service, and contribute significant organizational change.

Word And Faith In The Formation Of Christian Existence: A Study In Gerhard Ebeling's Rejection Of The Joint Declaration, Scott A. Celsor

Dissertations (1934 -)

In 1998, the theologian Gerhard Ebeling helped to initiate a rancorous, public debate among theologians in Germany over whether the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification presents "a consensus in the basic truths of the doctrine of justification" by co-editing the famous letter of protest. Why would he want to do this? The fact that some argue he held a distinguished position in ecumenical circles during the 1950s and 1960s makes this question somewhat intriguing. Moreover, how will this opposition impact the continuation of ecumenical discussions between Lutherans and Catholics?

Through a comparison of the Joint Declaration and the …

The Enochic Watchers' Template And The Gospel Of Matthew, Amy Elizabeth Richter

Dissertations (1934 -)

The writer of the Gospel according to Matthew was familiar with themes and traditions about the antediluvian patriarch Enoch, including the story of the fall of the watchers, and shows that Jesus brings about the eschatological repair of the consequences of the watchers' fall. In Matthew's Gospel, the foreshadowing of repair and then the repair itself are seen in the evangelist's genealogy and infancy narrative, the focus of this dissertation.

According to the Enochic watchers' template, evil came into the world when the watchers transgressed their heavenly boundary to engage in illicit sexual contact with women and teach them illicit …

Forgiveness As New Creation: Christ And The Moral Life Revisited, Lois E. Malcolm

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

God And Time: Relative Timelessness Reconsidered, Alan G. Padgett

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Complexities Of Pastoral Change And Transition In The Megachurches Of The Baptist General Conference, Evangelical Lutheran Church In America, And Presbyterian Church (Usa), Sheila Strobel Smith

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

The emergence of the megachurch in the United States represents a unique phenomenon which was shaped by a variety of cultural, political, economic, and religious forces. Megachurches have grown exponentially in recent years and now exercise unprecedented influence on the religious landscape in this country. Accompanying this phenomenon is a new and unique group of leaders who have guided these congregations through periods of rapid growth and substantial organizational change.

It is anticipated that many megachurches will encounter significant challenges in the future as the current senior pastors retire. Since existing research on megachurches has focused primarily on the congregations, …

Mission Continues: Global Impulses For The 21st Century, Claudia Wahrisch-Oblau, Fidon Mwombeki

Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series

In May 2009, 35 theologians from Asia, Africa and Europe met in Wuppertal, Germany, for a consultation on mission theology organized by the United Evangelical Mission: Communion of 35 Churches in Three Continents. The collection of papers in this book has been taken from papers delivered at the Wuppertal consultation. In some cases, short responses by one or two of the consultation participants were added to highlight the discussions that followed.

The very varied voices collected in this anthology nevertheless have much in common: Even where they are most theoretical it is obvious that all contributors come from missionary practice …

Holistic Mission: God’S Plan For God’S People, Brian Woolnough, Wonsuk Ma

Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series

This book reaffirms that to be true to the bible, to follow the example of Jesus, the church must address the whole person in all their needs. It considers the meaning of the holistic gospel, how it has developed, and implications for the individual Christian, for the local church, for denominations and church groups, for missionary societies, for Christian NGOs, and for theological training. It takes a global, eclectic approach, with 19 writers, church leaders, academics and practitioners and addresses critically and honestly one of the most exciting, challenging, and important issues facing the church today. To be part of …

Towards An African Inculturation Biblical Pneumatology: A Response To The Rise Of Neo-Pentecostalism In Tanzanian Christianity, Faith Lugazia

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

In this dissertation, 1 seek to lay the groundwork for developing an African inculturation of biblical pneumatology relevant to the Tanzanian context. The Neo- Pentecostal phenomenon is a strong reality in Tanzania today. Neo-Pentecostal churches and groups are mushrooming, emphasizing the work of the Holy Spirit and drawing on the heritage of African spirituality and worldview. Many mainline Protestants, including Lutherans, participate and worship in these churches and groups, yet they maintain their formal membership in their mother churches. This could be due, in part, to the fact that Lutheran theology and teaching in Tanzania has tended to pay little …

Holistic Discipleship In The Shadow Of The Cross: An Interdisciplinary Investigation Of The Anthropological Foundations Of Western Theology And Praxis, Jeddediah Maclaurin

Seminary Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Missions: A Pathway For Helping The Next Generation To Fulfill Christ's Great Commission, Jon Olson

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

To Whom Was Christ A Slave (Phil 2:7)? Double Agency And The Specters Of Sin And Death In Philippians, Nijay Gupta

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

Paul’s so-called “Christ-hymn” in Philippians 2:6-11 is one of the most scrutinized passages in the Pauline corpus as questions abound regarding its origins, purpose, format, and the theological components of its Christology. One factor in the determination of this Christology is the interpretation of doulos in 2:7 focusing on the question to whom was Christ a slave? While a number of answers have been put forward, it will be argued that the best explanation involves “double agency.” That is, when the hymn is closely examined, as well as the theological character of the whole letter, Christ appears to be a …

The Stromata Vol. 51, No. 1, Calvin Theological Seminary

Stromata (1956-2020)

Inside This Issue

1- The Guys by Walter Miedema

3- A Fool’s Race by Jennifer Holmes

9- Irresponsible Grace by Ruth Lemmen

17- Via Media or Tertium Quid?: A Critical Examination of Meredith G. Kline’s Interpretation of rûaḥ elōhîm in Genesis 1:2 by Laurence R. O'Donnell III

37- History and Theology: A Reflection on Ernst Troeltsch’s Historical Critical by Method Reita Yazawa

46- Finding Freedom in Forgiveness: Exploring the Cost of Miroslav Volf’s Free of Charge by Heather Stroobosscher

54- John Calvin’s Commentary on Seneca’s De Clementia: A Reception Study by Kory Plockmeyer

70- The Meaning of “A Kingdom of …

A Forgotten Word And A Forgotten Woman: A Lutheran Attempt At Regaining The Sacramentality Of Scripture By Way Of The Annunciation To Mary, Joshua D. Genig

Marian Studies

No abstract provided.

The Interpretation Of The Lord's Prayer, Q 11:2b-4, In The Formative Stratum Of Q According To The Literary And Cultural Perspectives Afforded By The Affixed Aphorisms, Q 11:9-10, 11-13, Richard Wendel

Dissertations

The Lord's Prayer is one of the most discussed texts within the Christian scriptures (Matt 6:9-13/Luke 11:2b-4). Most commentators have focused on the Matthean version of the prayer and have overlooked the source from which it comes: Q and its context. Both canonical versions of the prayer alter it and place it in different literary settings. This re-contextualizing of the original prayer has produced interpretations that either obscure or reinterpret the message from Q. These efforts have been overly influenced by extraneous source material, often subject to certain interpretative tendencies involving Jewish prophetic, Jewish intertestamental apocalyptic literature, and/or Christian eschatological …

Identity Formation For Conciliatory Existence: How We Perceive The Other, Chris Kiesling, Lalsangkima Pachuau

The Asbury Journal

In this article we interface mission, theology and psychology in an exploration of what hinders and what enables conciliatory existence. Whereas common approaches to reconciliation focus on redressing past wrongs, we propose identity formation that would prevent such wrongs. We consider how people integrate elements of their social context into a social identity that influences how they perceive "the other."

Understanding this to be divine action that transforms psychological processes, we draw from all three disciplines to understand the dynamics of how we come to see the other.

Biblical theology provides penetrating narratives into the nature of fallen humanity and …

Christ's Heavenly Sanctuary Ministry, Roy Gane

Perspective Digest

No abstract provided.

The Decalogue Before Mount Sinai, Jo Ann Davidson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.