Digital Commons Network^™

Rising Sun And Morning Calm : A Comparative Historical Study On The Response To Christianity In Korea And Japan, Gregory S. Whyte

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Inductive Bible Study : Equipping Independent Pastors In Tamil Nadu, Samuel Joshua

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Growing In The Word : A Homiletical Process To Foster Spiritual Maturation In A Congregation, Jonathan William Beckum

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Supportive Leadership In The Providence-Delta Baptist Conference (Pdbc), Nathan Doutimiwei Duinbainimibofa Thikan

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Six-Week Missional Discipleship Training Program For Youth At Ipc Prayer Centre Thiruvalla, Jibbin Raju Poovakala

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Nurturing A Holistic Pentecostal Spirituality Among Second And Third-Generation Latinos In The U.S., Carmelo Oquendo

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Planting With A Limp : Recovering Lament In Growing New Churches, Robin P. Ham

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Descriptive Study Exploring The Role Church Leaders Have In Maintaining Liberty Within A Free Republic, Rashad R. Gibson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study explored the assumptions, perceptions, and understood responsibility of church leaders in New England to maintain liberty and virtue in a free republic. The theory that guided this study is transformational leadership, as it emphasizes morality in both the leader and the follower (Burns, 1978; Northouse, 2015). Within the last six decades, the United States Supreme Court has made rulings to remove from public schools, prayer, general Bible reading, and the Ten Commandments (Abington School District V. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963); Facts and Case Summary - Engel V. Vitale, 1962; Stone V. Graham, …

Using Technology Responsibly To Align Church Ministry With God's Plan, Sandra Rolon-Rodriguez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The proliferation of digital technologies, including live-streaming services, online community platforms, and virtual events, is revolutionizing the operational dynamics of church ministries. Churches of all sizes are embracing these changes to expand their influence, engage with members in new ways, and enhance the impact of digital technology on their ministry. Implementing digital transformation has led to innovative approaches in worship services, outreach programs, and community engagement, enabling churches to meet the evolving needs of their congregation and the broader community.

This dissertation-in-praxis explores the broader biblical and theological significance to gain a deeper understanding and demonstrate the practical application of …

A Descriptive, Comparative Study Of Preexisting Leadership Qualities And Leadership Effectiveness Of Theologically Conservative United States Army Battalion-Level Chaplains, Aaron Jonathan Fabian

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This immediate demand for spiritual and professional leadership can be overwhelming for a new battalion-level chaplain (Blackaby 2001; Howell 2003). They perform or provide religious service for Soldiers who have volunteered to serve their country. By going through the same military training in conjunction with their religious education and experience, chaplains are able to integrate with Soldiers where traditional clergy cannot. There is additional pressure to perform because chaplains, as commissioned officers, are evaluated immediately through an annual Officer Evaluation Report (OER hereafter, DA Form 67-9). With no time to acquire new skills, battalion-level chaplains are forced to rely on …

A Weapon In One Hand And A Bible In The Other: Places Of Worship Are Under Attack, Edmond J. Bergeron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative descriptive study aims to ascertain the degree of preparedness for reducing and preventing extreme violence and the countermeasures that are in place (or lack thereof) at houses of worship. All places of worship in this study are considered soft targets and not “holy ground” as traditionally referenced. The terms “places of worship” and “church” will be used interchangeably in this study. A place of refuge for both the physical and spiritual is now considered vulnerable as the congregants are focused on worship rather than protection from an attack. Violence against places of worship will be described at this …

The Challenges Small And Medium-Sized Businesses Face Adopting Digital Supply Chain Technologies: A Case Study Of Firms In Traditional Industries In The United States, Michael S. Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research examined the digital transformation of supply chains within small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), focusing on the challenges firms in traditional industries in the United States face in adopting these technologies to improve performance. Through a single case study qualitative approach, the study examined why some SMBs face these challenges, digital supply chain technologies affect business performance, and which technologies they contemplate to achieve their desired outcomes. Key findings indicate that most SMBs are between the digitization and digitalization phases of the digital transformation journey and are driven to adopt digital technologies that enable operational performance for scalable profitability. …

A Phenomenological Study: African American Female Millennial Church Attendance And The Implications Of Spiritual Formation, Licia Williams-Hawthorne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a quiet exodus from the church amongst African American female millennials. In church, Christians gather for corporate worship, a renewal of faith through sermons and songs, and to strengthen spiritual formation. This study aimed to highlight the lived experiences to connect church leadership with raw data from a subpopulation that the church cannot leave behind. The theory guiding this study is the Phenomenological Theory as defined by Husserl (1859-1938) and supported by Peoples (2021) as it allows the researcher to uncover the experiences that shaped this population's decision to no longer regularly attend church. Three research questions defined …

Identity Restored: High School Students Overcoming Social Media’S Influence To Embrace Their Identity As Sons And Servants Of God, Daniel M. Christiaans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The research question for this action research project relates to the impact of social media on the identity formation of believers through their high school years. As a youth pastor of 20 years and father of four teenagers, I’ve noticed that high school students maintain many of the social media habits and addictions seen in the secular world. This regular interaction with social media is detrimental to their identity formation; they are not adopting the identity provided for them in Christ as communicated by the Word of God. This project will discuss the roles and responsibilities of the believer's identity …

Developing Divine Love Into Christoform Obedience: Understanding And Applying The Theological Framework Of Divine Love In A Measurable Growth Praxis, Jayson Pengra Derowitsch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to analyze the growth outcomes of participants from a curriculum intervention on divine love with the goal of Christoform obedience. The point of the curriculum was to define divine love properly by using synthesized vantage points derived from precedent literature. These vantage points were developed into a four-step praxis of transformation in divine love. This praxis was the capstone of the curriculum. Three methods of data retrieval were used throughout the intervention process to target intellectual concept improvement, self-assessment improvement, and praxis improvement. As a result of the data, it was determined that fifty …

Ua12/2/2 Talisman: Connection, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Spring 2025 Talisman:

• Alali, Cecilia & Ragan Harrington. Connection
• Hardesty, Emma. On a Roll – Dungeons & Dragons
• Muscutt, Carson. Grinding Through Life – Molotov Skateshop
• Cox, Kate. Stopwatch
• Harrington, Ragan. 1 Campus, 7 Strangers – Logan Hesse, Nicholas Basile, Spencer Winterbottom, Alliyah Jones, Alex Gehring, Annie McClurg, Rowan Finley
• Vickers, Abigail. Forged in Combat – Mixed Martial Arts
• Wood-Morris, Oli. Survivors to Neighbors – Bosnian Refugees
• Jordan, Shylin. Severed Roots
• Bivens, Emily. Behind the Screen – Social Media
• Dean, Clarissa. Shear Talent – Shake Rag Barbershop
• Sutton, Avery. For the Love of the Old – Thrift Shopping
• Phelps, Maggie. …

The Golem, Sayanti Ganguly Puckett Dr.

Sabbatical Projects

My research explores the Jewish mythical figure of the golem and the symbolism behind it from contradictory angles that juxtapose the figure as a subservient defender of the oppressed Jews and as a monster over whom his creator has lost control and who then runs amok slaughtering those it is created to protect. My research attempts to make sense of these clashing propensities to understand how this figure can become such a bewildering yet ominous figure to Christians and Jews alike. Additionally, in the ultimate destruction of the golem, I would like to explore societal anxieties, fears, and securities about …

The Icarian Dilemma: The Battle Of Faith Versus Identity Addressed With Scenic Design, Allistar G. Barrett

Senior Honors Theses

American Christians and the LGBTQ+ community have long been in a cultural war with one another. However, queer Christians – individuals who are both LGBTQ+ and Christian – have rarely found solace in either community, instead being shunned and ostracized for their beliefs and identities. Using the transformative art of theatre to address cultural divides, a theatrical scenic design was developed for Joe Calarco’s Shakespeare’s R & J, a retelling of the traditional Romeo and Juliet script through the lives of four Catholic school girls. This design uses the Greek mythology of Icarus, Catholic culture, the original Romeo and Juliet, …

A Focus On Face-To-Face Communication As A Source Of Relational Life And Renewal Of Community Within The Church, Ronald Edwin Hammer

DMin Project Theses

Increased digital engagement at the cost of in-person interactions has negatively impacted communal life in the Gateway City Church — St. Charles Ministry. Amid an increase in online connectivity, relational connections have suffered as church members add more and more to their already busy schedules. Research has noted multiple ways in which this significant drift from inperson engagement has brought harm to people’s overall health. The literature demonstrates a key root of this phenomenon to be widespread efforts to incorporate digital church engagement in an attempt to supply convenient access to spiritual resources. This tension between convenience and suffering relational …

Why Are The "Dones" Done? How Can Faith-Based Institutions Provide Spiritual Care For Them? A Qualitative Analysis Of Group Interviews Conducted With Disaffiliated College Students, Falon Opsahl Barton, Rachel Collins

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This research study explores how emerging adults who have disaffiliated from a Christian tradition understand faith, articulate why they are “done” with the church, and want to receive spiritual care. Part one of this article overviewed the existing research on emerging adult spirituality and explored the results of a quantitative survey with college students at a Protestant Christian university. This article explains the qualitative portion of the study, in which the researchers conducted group interviews with college students who identify as being “done” with church. This article then provides an analysis and suggested application of the results of this study. …

Who Are The "Dones" And Why Does It Matter? An Overview Of The Research And A Quantitative Study Of Disaffiliated College Students, Falon Opsahl Barton, Rachel Collins

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Based on the personal and professional experience with college students at a Protestant Christian university, the researchers designed a research study that explores how emerging adults who have disaffiliated from a Christian tradition understand faith, articulate why they are “done” with the church, and want to receive spiritual care. This article is part one of a two-part exploration of the results of this study, which triangulates data points for a deep understanding of emerging adults who are “done” with church. Part one overviews the research on emerging adult spirituality and specifically the trend of religious disaffiliation among 18-29 year olds. …

An Inclusive Framework For Ministry: Fostering The Spiritual Formation Of Children In A Multicultural Church, Jennifer Reinsch Schroeder

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Children’s ministry at a diverse church requires intentional pursuit of a multicultural and inclusive perspective. Without it, the gospel message is portrayed through a White, Eurocentric lens which, unintentionally, creates a barrier in the spiritual formation of children. This paper discusses the theological and sociological constructs that served as the catalyst for this project intervention, developed in the context of North Atlanta Church of Christ. Additionally, this project intervention produced a curriculum to be used with children’s ministry volunteers as they seek to embody an ethnorelative lens. The resulting curriculum is intended to be the start of a continuing conversation …

Embracing Unified Diversity: The Church’S Life-Giving Witness In A Divided World, Laura Callarman

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This article contends that the church’s call to embrace diversity and creative contextualization are essential to its faithfulness to the gospel. The church flourishes through varied expressions of Christian discipleship shaped by cultural contexts, and rather than striving for uniformity, it should embrace this multiplicity as a reflection of God’s nature and mission. By engaging different ecclesial traditions with appreciation, Christian communities can foster unity amid diversity, engage opportunities for growth, and enrich their witness. Ultimately, the article invites a renewed commitment to love, humility, and mutual learning, calling the church to embody an alternative story of reconciliation and hope …

“Every Mother A Missionary”?: The Vlogs Of Mormon Mothers, Celia Golden

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) places high expectations on mothers because their role in the church is to rear children into godly adults. When their lives are made public through social media, Mormon mothers online avoid religious expectations by withholding information about their Mormon faith and scarcely showing their husbands on-camera. Mormon husbands are expected to be the providers for the family, but as demonstrated through mothers’ vlogs on Instagram, husbands’ erasure allows for mothers to market their expertise to others as a paid product to earn their own revenue. Through descriptive coding, this study …

A Sacramental Model For Digital Ecclesiology: Theological Retrieval For A Mediated Church, Caleb J. Atha

Senior Honors Theses

The widespread proliferation of digital technologies has opened the door to new ecclesiological questions and challenges for the Christian denominations that have integrated these technologies into their community life and liturgical practices. American evangelicalism is proposed to be especially susceptible to the aforementioned challenges due to its ecclesiological emphases and general posture towards digital media. Using Marshall McLuhan’s seminal insights in media theory, this work argues that the role of digital media in the church shows a significant congruence with Christian sacramental theology. The concept of the digital church is analyzed through McLuhan’s tetrad framework and its weaknesses are highlighted. …

Examining The Economic Impact Of Jesus, Carter F. Slyker

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the economic impact of the person of Jesus and applies economic theory to the historical and biblical accounts of his ministry on earth. The study will consider the social and economic conditions of the first century Roman Empire within the context of Judea and Galilee, while focusing on key issues including poverty, social hierarchy, and taxation. It will explore three primary aspects of Jesus’ ministry to assign economic impact: the crowds he drew, the miracles he performed, and the principles he taught. These acts challenged the societal and economic norms of that culture and positively impacted communities …

Rituals In The Rubble: Early Christian Meeting Spaces And Worship Practices, Katie Harkness

Religious Studies Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of John’S Use Of Jewish Language In The Book Of Revelation To Argue For Israel’S Distinct Role In The Millennial Kingdom, Carolyn Nethercutt

Senior Honors Theses

A number of theological topicshave been of great interest to the universal church for generations. One of these is the relationship between Israel and the church, and whether or not there are distinct promises for Israel alone. There are many ways to combat this question. One is Israel's role in the millennial kingdom as laid out in the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is rich with Jewish imagery and references to Old Testament ways of living. An analysis of the Jewish emphasis in the book of Revelation will be helpful in the effort to determine Israel's distinctive role …

Recovering The Lost Art Of Medicine: A Role For Ignatian Spirituality, Cecilia Motherway

College Honors Program

Throughout history, medicine or healing has been deeply associated with religion and spirituality, from the ancient Greek healing god Asclepius to the medieval monastic medical tradition and beyond. This lies in their common cause: addressing the vulnerability of our human existence. Humanity has long recognized that our suffering and death raise existential questions concerning our mortality that may require perspectives greater than biology and rationality can provide. However, at the turn of the 20th century, as medical technology rapidly advanced, raising the average global life expectancy by decades, the medical field removed all non-scientific, non-secular influences to position itself as …

Content Worth Consuming, Mark Volkers

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Could it be that a workplace (or film set) that actively pursues shalom in the way people and creation are treated, is honoring to God who seeks the restoration of all things?"

Posting about ­­­­­­­­defining Christian film from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Content Worth Consuming