Digital Commons Network^™

The Social And Theological Implications Of Postmodern Holism In Community, Robin J. Dewhitt

Doctor of Ministry

The modern world has created for us a dichotomy in which the secular and religious worlds are divided along Cartesian lines. These Cartesian lines exist between church, the workplace, political life, social life, and any other arena in which a philosophical distinction can be demonstrated. The result is that not only has society been divided, but also each individual person has been divided into multiple distinct areas of life. 1 With the onset of the postmodern era, we have begun to reformulate our worldview along the lines of holism. Holism has been defined in the American Heritage Dictionary as, "The …

"Eating" And "Drinking" In The Book Of Revelation: A Study Of New Testament Thought And Theolgy, Gerald Klingbeil

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Descendants Of Israel: Intimate Interactions Between The New Zealand Maori And The Mormon Missionaries

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Since the first Maori to be taught the gospel from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the early 1880's, countless have become converted. Most of which were baptized only within the span of a few years of receiving the gospel. It is evident that the early Mormon missionaries clearly demonstrated a dramatic impact upon the indigenous tribes of Maori of New Zealand. However, what were the differentiating factors about Latter Day-Saint missionaries that set them apart from other missionaries, whom of which had already been in the country for roughly sixty-five years!? The course of this research …

Trends In The Portrayal Of The Puritans Found In American History Textbooks From The 1870s Through The 1990s As Influenced By Secular Educational Philosophy, James A. Wicks

Faculty Dissertations

There has been a movement to exclude a Biblical worldview from high school American history textbooks exchanging it for a secular worldview through the use of historical revisionism. Available literature failed to adequately address the impact of revisionism within the pages of American history textbooks specifically concerning the portrayal of the American Puritans. Therefore, an analysis of American history textbooks beginning in the 1870s through the 1990s was necessary to demonstrate the existence of historical revisionism regarding the treatment of the American Puritans and whether a trend existed to revise their place in American history textbooks over the past two …

A Relational Hermeneutic Toward Connective Ecclesial Leadership, Dwight Jason Friesen

Doctor of Ministry

The modern western church is experiencing a crisis of hermeneutic. The pervasive hermeneutic or interpretive lens employed by modern Christ-followers has engendered a largely static view of church structure and leadership. Simply put, the Western church fails to see relationally. This problem of "visual impairment" will be addressed by crafting a relational hermeneutic composed of three distinct and overlapping lenses: a theological/biblical (God) lens, a sociological/ontological (humanity) lens and a scientific/network (the cosmos) lens. Lens 1: God is social. For orthodox Christ-followers a relational hermeneutic begins with a God who is social; a Tri-unity of Divine persons, each lovingly serving …

Lutheran Day School Operation: Financial Stewardship Implications, Thomas Radtke

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

In addressing this problem as it faces Trinity Lutheran Church, the writer will survey other schools and determine the method that each congregation uses to fund the operation of its day school. My premise from the outset is that some of these day schools use the traditional means of funding through congregational offerings while others use member tuition as a major factor in the funding of their day schools. The purpose of this exercise is to evaluate the methods used and make application to Trinity for the best method of funding their day school operation.

Before All Else Fails, Read The Directions (For Worship), Laurence C. Sibley

Pro Rege

Laurence C. Sibley, Jr., wrote this article in response to Keith C. Sewell’s “Some Thoughts on ‘The Reformation’ as a Contemporary Icon,” published in Pro Rege, 31.1 (September 2001): 14-25.

History Of Research On The Book Of Micah Chapters 4-5, Jun Kim

Master of Art Theology Thesis

The primary approach of this study is to examine the history of the applicable research and to analyze the various methods (approaches). We have divided selected scholars into two categories (diachronic and synchronic) according to their methods. As we examine each method, this thesis will investigate the authors' treatment of the Hebrew text. Rigorous comparison is difficult, because scholars read some verses as a group, usually following the biblical order of the text, but they do not all group texts in the same way.

As previously stated, synchronic approaches are relatively new; therefore, in this category, fewer scholars will be …

Program Book - 2005 Calvin Symposium On Worship: Word, Image, Music, Action, Calvin Institute Of Christian Worship

Symposium on Worship Archive

Program book for the 2005 Calvin Symposium on Worship, including a schedule, presenter bios, and practical information.

Building An Altar Prayer Ministry Team, Bob Moon

ATS Digital Resources

No abstract provided.

The Bible And Theological Education: A Report And Reflections On A Journey, Patrick R. Keifert

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Metanoic Adaptation: The Necessary Experience That Precedes Church Revitalization, Wayne Evans

Doctor of Ministry

A look at the church landscape shows that once vibrant and influential churches sometimes have stagnated or died. Without a remedy, some of the EFC-ER churches I superintend have already faced this. My contention is that such churches can be revitalized. When, how, and with what tools can they be transformed? I answer these questions in this document. Revitalization is not a formula to guarantee success; it is an experience that spiritually and strategically remakes the church from the inside out. I call the experience Metanoic Adaptation. By research and experience, I frame the conditions, components, and course for …

From Vision To System: Finishing The Task Of Adventist Biblical And Systematic Theologies - Part Ii, Fernando Canale

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

The Drama Of Scripture: Finding Your Place In The Biblical Story / Craig G. Bartholomew And Michael W. Goheen [Book Review], Cristian Dumitrescu

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews And Notes, Restoration Quarterly

Restoration Quarterly

Restoration Quarterly (2005) "Book Reviews and Notes," Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 47 : No. 1.

This repository hosts selected Restoration Quarterly articles in downloadable PDF format. For the benefit of users who would like to browse the contents of RQ, we have included all issue covers even when full-text articles from that issue are unavailable. All Restoration Quarterly articles are available in full text in the ATLA Religion Database, available through most university and theological libraries or through your local library’s inter-library loan service.

Western Theological Seminary Catalog: 2005-2007, Western Theological Seminary

Western Theological Seminary Catalogs

Western Theological Seminary catalogs 1869-[ongoing] (incomplete). Also published as Calendar and Bulletin.

Book Reviews, Bill T. Arnold, Mattie Greathouse, Greg Carey, Howard A. Snyder, Joel H. Hunt, Greg Carey, Ruth Anne Reese, Michael Harstad, James Holsinger, Victor H. Matthews, Steven Tsoukalas

The Asbury Journal

The Hebrew God: Portrait of an Ancient Deity

Lang, Bernhard

New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2002

Reviewed By Bill T. Arnold

A Marginal Jew, vol. 3, Companions and Competitors

Meier, John P

New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, 2001

Reviewed By Mattie Greathouse

The Gospel of Mark: A Soda-Rhetorical Commentary

Witherington, Ill, Ben

Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2001

Reviewed By Greg Carey

After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of the Trinity. Trans. Doug Scott

Voli, Miroslav

Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1998

Reviewed By Howard A. Snyder

The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary …

Missional Communities, Milton Adams

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

No abstract provided.

Desarrollo De Una Escuela De Discipulado En La Iglesia Del SéPtimo DíA De Chino, California, Misael De La Cruz

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The biblical concept of discipleship consists in training and equipping people so they can become responsible Christians. The idea of equipping church members for the ministry appears often in the New Testament. According to Paul, the work of equipping is a joint effort between the Deity and the Christian leader: “And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Eph 4:11, 12, NIV). The word “equipping” comes from the Greek katartizo, which means to prepare, equip, or perfect, as translated in other Bible …

A Model For Reaching African American Males In Southeast Atlanta With Seventh-Day Adventism, Ralph P. Peay

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Churches in America are on average 60-70 percent female. Attracting and integrating African American males into church life is a grave challenge. This study focuses on African American males in Southeast Atlanta and seeks to design a model for addressing their sociological and spiritual needs in anticipation of their accession into church membership.

Method

The setting for this study is the Atlanta Boulevard Seventh-day Adventist Church in Southeast Atlanta. The method employed in this project is an exploratory research approach that is designed to identify the social, economic, and other needs of African American males. In order to ascertain …

Equipping The Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors In Zimbabwe For Grief Ministry: A Culturally Sensitive Approach, Simbarashe Nyasha Musvosvi

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Problem

Zimbabwe faces a predicament in which the mortality rate is rising while support for grieving people is declining. At the same time the Zimbabwean culture is rapidly changing because o f the impact of Christianity, urbanization, Western influences, and HIV/AIDS. Church leaders are not always in agreement on what rites are appropriate for Christians. These factors often result in inadequate support from the extended family, the community, and the church.

Method

This dissertation discusses the challenges that confront the Seventh-day Adventist church in Zimbabwe in ministering to the bereaved. My purpose was to design a training program for …

Ministry To The Black Middle Class: Strategies For Churches In Transition, Dedrick L. Blue

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Between 1944 and 1997 over 1 million Black people in the United States rose from poverty to middle class status. Increased upward mobility has brought an increased social mobility. Middle class Blacks are moving into close proximity to predominantly White suburban Seventh-day Adventist churches. Simultaneously, the out-migration of the Black middle class from urban areas to suburbia has created not only an economic drain, but also has fostered class tensions within the Black urban church. If churches are to be successful in the recruitment and retention of the Black middle class, then ministry approaches must be developed to address …

Theology Of Judgment In Genesis 6-9, Chun Sik Park

Dissertations

The present dissertation seeks to develop a theology of judgment in Gen 6-9. Following an introductory chapter, the second chapter is devoted to analyzing the three main extrabiblical ANE flood stories (the Eridu Genesis, the Atra-Hasis Epic, and the Gilgamesh Epic) from the four aspects of judgment: date, cause and purpose, extent, and procedure. The analysis of those stories reveals that the ANE flood was a historical and local (global dimension is implied) event without moral cause, and that the judgment of the deities had a procedure of investigation, sentence, execution, and mitigation. The third chapter treats the theology of …

The Heavenly Sanctuary/Temple Motif In The Hebrew Bible : Function And Relationship To The Earthly Counterparts, Elias Brasil De Souza

Dissertations

The present dissertation investigates the function of the heavenly sanctuary/temple and its relationship to the earthly counterparts, as reflected in forty-three passages of Hebrew Bible.

Following an introductory chapter, the second chapter of this dissertation is devoted to a survey of the heavenly sanctuary/temple motif in the ANE literature, as represented by Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite, Ugaritic, and Egyptian texts. The investigation of these texts reveals that the heavenly sanctuary/temple motif was part of the worldview of the ANE, where the heavenly sanctuary was not only assumed as existing in heaven, but also as functioning in close relationship to the earthly …

A Critique Of The Urban Mission Of The Church In The Light Of An Emerging Postmodern Condition, Kleber De Oliveira Goncalves

Dissertations

The world is becoming an urban society. The urban expansion witnessed during the twentieth century and continuing into the twenty-first century is unprecedented in the history of the human civilization. Simultaneously, the Western world faces the paradigm shift from the modern era to a postmodern condition. Both movements have remarkable implications for the mission of the church in urbanized, postmodernizing societies. Shaped by the modern worldview, the church is now further ostracized by the postmodern condition.

While the literature of urban mission has grown in the past few years, very little consideration has been given to the particular issues and …

Vatican Opinion On Modern Communication, Paul A. Soukup

Communication

Of the world religions, Christianity has probably paid more attention than any other to communication. Evangelical churches cite the “Great Commission”—Jesus’ command to the disciples, “Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you” (Matt 28:19-20, CEV)— as a rationale. And as a “religion of the Book,” Christianity depends on the Bible; it therefore has an interest in copying and printing the Bible, making it available to as many people as possible. These …

The Need For A Biblical Theology Of Holistic Mission, Wagner Kuhn

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

"Not A Tame Lion": An Exposition Of The Wrath Of God As Exemplified In Deuteronomy 28:63, Eric Ellison

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

A Strategy For Revitalization And Growth Of The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Iceland, Jorgen Eric Gudmundsson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Topic

This dissertation analyzes the growth pattern of the Adventist church in Iceland from its inception about a hundred years ago to the present and presents an objective portrayal of the future possibilities of church growth on the island and develops a practical strategy of revitalization of the church.

The Purpose

The proposed strategy presented in this project aims at increasing the quality of life of the Icelandic Adventist churches, raising their self-identity and sense of mission, and strengthening their ability to reach the community and to grow.

The Sources

A Biblical theological rationale for this program is set …

Planting Adventist Communities Of Faith Among Muslims In Unentered Areas Of The Balkans, Milan Bajic

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The purpose of this research was to develop and equip the church for the implementation of a workable strategy for reaching a large population of about eight million secular Muslims in the Balkans who have never been systematically confronted with the gospel.

Method

This study describes the history, culture, and religion of the Balkans, analyzes socioeconomic and political developments of its Muslim population, examines methods of evangelism and suggests a strategy based on sound biblical and missiological principles for work among the Balkan Muslims.

Results

The outcome of this project will be the development of a contextualized method for …