Digital Commons Network^™

Strengthening The Flock: A Survey On Member Recruitment And Retention, Nannette V. Walston-Moore

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This dissertation examines the dynamics of membership at Bryant Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (BCAMEZ), focusing on the significant issues of recruitment and retention that many religious organizations encounter. Utilizing appreciative inquiry as its theoretical lens, the study sought to identify methods for attracting new members while reinforcing connections with current members. Data were collected through an online survey and comprehensive interviews with existing members to reveal effective practices. The analysis indicates that although BCAMEZ effectively leverages social media and community service, there is a pressing need for more focused and inclusive engagement strategies. The findings underscore the importance …

Rejected From Pastoral Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of The Voice And Lived Experiences Of African American Pentecostal Women In Clergy, Cynthia Ann Hurns

Dissertations

The study explored the lived experiences of 10 African American Holiness-Pentecostal clergywomen who faced rejection in a predominantly male-led church system. These women shared detailed stories of their experiences in leadership as pastors, apostles, and co-pastors. A qualitative phenomenological methodology was employed, using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) because it allows for in-depth exploration of how people make sense of their experiences, aligning with the study’s focus on leadership journeys. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through descriptive and iterative coding. Codes were grouped into broader categories, resulting in five emerging themes: voiceless calling, bound to tradition, call from …

Post Opera, Suzy Lykins

Theses and Dissertations

Post Opera is a spell and work of embodied research which explores medicalization, desire, labor, and belief. Through methods of performance, sound, text and installation, I facilitate encounters of trans-femininity, spiritual power and connectivity. An opening wound, a set of psychic scalpels, sutures and bandages prepare this text for your consumption, take care to digest her well.

Towards A Missiological Model For Reaching East Indian Muslims For Christ In Kwatta Of Suriname, Kenneth Rigobert

Dissertations DIS

The presence of Seventh-day Adventists in Suriname dates to 1894, but there is no evidence, either in literature or field research, of any specific plan or missional thinking focused on the Adventist mission among East Indian Muslims in Suriname. The field research highlights some significant missiological challenges faced by the Seventh-day Adventist mission in Suriname that account for its slow numerical growth. These missiological challenges include: (1) a lack of committed and dedicated indigenous leaders; (2) inappropriate training given to the indigenous people for the mission in Suriname's multicultural and multilingual dynamics; (3) unsuitable missional methods for Suriname’s multicultural and …

Hungarian Ruling Political Party Fidesz’S ‘Soft Power’ Use Of Religion: Themes, Networks, Partnerships, Alexander Faludy

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article aims to stimulate better understanding of Fidesz’s use of religion as a ‘soft power’ tool. Exploring the Hungarian government’s ‘soft power’ has lately engaged the attention of professional researchers. The use of religious messaging, networks, and opinion formers to propagate positive images of Fidesz abroad has, however, largely been overlooked. This essay argues that such use has been both substantial and successful. The article’s primary focus will be on the use made of Christianity in government aligned communications and network building. Attention will, however, also be paid to the subsidiary roles played by Fidesz’s outreach to both Jewish …

The Massai People And Wealth: A Stewardship Of Totality, Youssry Guirguis

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

The concept of wealth among the Massai people differs significantly from the traditional understanding in contemporary societies. To the Massai people wealth is not measured by money as commonly perceived by people today, but rather exhibits itself by land, social status, and livestock. This article examines a few terms used by the Massai people to define the idea of wealth in order to comprehend their unique cultural dimensions. Terms that are related to wealth will be investigated, such as “land” (enkop), “red God” (enkai Nanyokie), “black God” (enkai Narok), “cattle” (inkishu), “goats and sheep,” “wealth” (emali), and “dowry” (Inkishu/ Olpisiai). …

From Consumers Of Mission To Contributors To Mission, Silvano Barbosa

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Seventh-day Adventists in many parts of the Global South have been able to plant self-governing, self-sustaining, and self-propagating churches. One of the immediate results of this successful missionary and evangelistic work has been an explosive growth in membership and financial resources. More importantly, they have given evidence of intense passion, growing qualifications, and remarkable capabilities for international missions. For this reason, leaders of the church in those regions should continuously work on expanding their mission-sending structure to allow young people, professionals, and pastors to fulfill the cross-cultural missionary call the Holy Spirit places on their hearts.

Spiritual And Theological Foundations For A Contextual Ministry For Muslims, Andrews Mondal

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This article explored a contextual ministry’s spiritual and theological foundation by referencing Old and New Testament passages. It emphasized the importance of faith, obedience, forgiveness, inclusivity, and spreading God’s love universally. The article discussed influential figures such as Paul, Peter, and Ellen White and their contributions to sharing the gospel and incorporating faith into everyday life. It also touched on the importance of interacting with Muslims, the transformative impact of encountering Jesus and the significance of medical ministry work in demonstrating Christ’s love.

Week 3: Learning To Walk, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Barriers To Churches Understanding How They Are Impacted By White Supremacy Culture, Pamela R. Ngunjiri

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem this project addressed was the barriers to Christian churches' understanding how they are impacted by white supremacy culture. The research identified themes that hinder racial equity and arrived at recommendations on how to disentangle white supremacy culture and the Christian Church. Biblical and theological resources were utilized to provide support for the scriptural foundation of the Christian faith, and current literature provided scholarly backing to identify the barriers to understanding the possibility of the entanglement of Christian churches and white supremacy culture. Conclusions reached included that the same foundational faith among folks of different races/color, results in a …

Art As Witness: Carrying Christian Iconographies In The Works Of Henry Ossawa Tanner During The Gilded Age To Contemporary Autobiographical Testimonial Art, Ziona King

Pomona Senior Theses

Culminated in a solo exhibition of three works titled the prodigal daughter and The Great High Priest, Baptism, and The Lord of Hosts, this research explores the implications of the Christian methodologies and iconographies in the works of Henry Ossawa Tanner to influence testimonial artwork containing personal Christian iconographies of water baptism, spiritual encounter in everyday life, the lion of Judah, bowls, and more interpretive motifs.

Disrupting The Timeline: Challenging Notions Of A Singular, Linear Early Muslim Historiography, Grayson D. Shaw

Pomona Senior Theses

Few historical events have received the same attention in the formative years of Islam as the so-called “‘Abbāsid Revolution” in 132 AH/750 CE. In both the medieval and modern contexts, this event has been recognized as a monumental formation from which the rest of Islamic history comes downstream from. Problematically, there are no cohesive historical sources from the losers of this conflict; the Umayyads. Utilizing numismatic and architectural evidence, I argue that the alleged rupture between the Umayyads and their ‘Abbāsid successors is overblown by historiography two centuries after the fact. Then, I further analyze what this continuity means for …

Volume 12 Issue 4 (Jan 1912)

The Soul Winner

No abstract provided.

Ai And Higher Education, Chris A. Kiesling

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

'God Loves The World' Documentary, Ilona Kitchen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The internet is a powerful place. People feel that they can share how they feel with no consequences. Hedviga Tkáčová (2021) argues that negative media portrayals of Christianity contribute to prejudice against Christian university students in Slovakia, which undermines social cohesion and highlights the need for greater support of religious diversity. From memes to viral videos, these digital interactions can feel like a personal attack, exposing how online spaces can betray the trust and faith of the Roman Catholic Church. As a Roman Catholic, I frequently encounter such issues when engaging with content in the media. In public settings, it …

Records Of The American Society Of Missiology Arc2017-003 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Author Biographies

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Can We Ever Arrive At A Conclusive Interpretation Of Scripture?, Jarrod Julian Lee

Obsculta

The Church today is highly fragmented, with thousands of denominations. Unsurprisingly, there is much disagreement on how to interpret Scripture, even within the Catholic Church. This piece examines if an objectively right answer on how to interpret Scripture is possible, focusing on the Gospels, especially Luke’s, and three candidates that can play such an arbitration role between competing interpretations – historical truth, experts and the author’s intention. While no conclusive answer can be obtained, radical skepticism is not an inevitability; the broad parameter that is our community’s intuitions can play a ‘loose’ arbitration role.

Not Forgotten: Mission To Women Amid Global Crisis, Sue Russell, Rochelle Scheuermann, Amanda L. Allen

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

A Jesus Seminary: More Than A Classroom, Jeff Thorp

Doctor of Ministry

Ember Discipleship College (EDC) reimagines church internships for young adult Christians in the Northwest U.S., revitalizing spiritual formation and equipping them with practical ministry experience. This opportunity helps deepen their faith and engage in ministry within a rapidly changing culture. Unlike traditional programs that focus on students serving the church, EDC combines theological education, hands-on ministry, and immersive experiences to cultivate well-rounded disciples of Jesus. Research indicates that immersive learning, referred to as “experiential learning,” “action learning,” or “orchestrated immersion,” is among the most effective learning methods. This approach emphasizes formation over mere information, creating environments where context serves as …

A.R.C.Hitecture For Mission: Prototyping Pathways To Renew The Heart Of The Church, David Sunde

Doctor of Ministry

Despite churches’ commitment to making disciples, many earnest Christians—active in church teaching, volunteering, and community life—feel ill-equipped to disciple others. While biblical instruction and resources abound, spiritual formation weighted toward cognitive learning relies on willpower and falls short in shaping identity and desires. The focus on personal salvation often reduces faith to sin management, leaving many underwhelmed and uncertain about how to live meaningfully as citizens of the kingdom. Without qualitative, relational, and reproductive disciple-making, faith lacks transformative power. A.R.C.hitecture for Mission: Prototyping Pathways to Renew the Heart of the Church is a pracademic manuscript that explores disciple-shaping movements from …

Canine-Assisted Spiritual Care Handbook: Integrating Facility Dogs Into Professional Chaplaincy Practice, Ann M. Snowberger

Doctor of Ministry

This project's researcher finds that Spiritual Care Facility Dog Teams (dog handlers and their dogs) lack resources and practical guides to advance Canine-Assisted Spiritual Care (CA-SC) in healthcare and facility settings. The Canine-Assisted Spiritual Care Handbook offers a comprehensive guide for establishing and sustaining CA-SC programs. It promotes standardized terminology, ethical practices, and interdisciplinary collaboration. By featuring practical tools, case studies, and training plans, the handbook supports the professional development of chaplains. Its holistic framework enhances spiritual, emotional, and physical wellness, while emphasizing the well-being of both handlers and their working dogs. The handbook’s focus on program sustainability and real-world …

Forming The Blessed Alliance: Spiritual Formation For Mutual Leadership In The Church, Erin Richer

Doctor of Ministry

This project is an on-ramp to a spiritual formation pipeline to address the unique formational needs of men and women for effective, cross-gender mutuality in church leadership. The most critical need which female stakeholders identified for leadership in these church spaces is male allies. Therefore, this project provides a practical and concrete formational on-ramp for male leaders to develop as allies for cross-gender mutuality in ministry leadership. This workshop—Forming the Blessed Alliance—will use evangelical language to frame allyship. The workshop launches by laying the biblical groundwork and by teaching 3-Way Listening with a focus on self and spiritual reflection. The …

Elder As Disciplemaker: God’S Strategy For World Change, Dan Turis

Doctor of Ministry

This research examines Christian discipleship’s theological, historical, and structural dynamics, emphasizing its central role in addressing the decline of church attendance in the Western church. Recent data, such as Barna’s 2020 report indicating a 50% drop in regular church attendance, underscores a more profound issue beyond numerical decline—namely, a crisis of commitment and spiritual formation. The church’s inability to cultivate a community of believers who follow Jesus as disciples highlights a shift from relational, life-on-life mentorship to programmatic, clergy-centered approaches. Historically, discipleship was characterized by a personal mentoring relationship where elders or spiritual leaders walked alongside believers to guide their …

The Mystery Of Faith In Dialogue With The History Of God And Human Beings, Melissa Tovar-Guerrero

Obsculta

The mysteries of God are unfathomable, and for this reason theology uses analogies to express its meanings. The purpose of this paper is to develop some reflections on how I understand theology. To begin, I would like to make an analogy to highlight the importance of dialogue, stories, and their contexts in theology: we are made of stories, we are the stories we build with words, our contexts are determined by the way we dialogue, and stories shape the cosmogony that gives meaning to our lives. In the construction of stories, dialogues and contexts are fundamental because they connect the …

Icons, Theology, And Culture, Patrick Russell

Obsculta

This article presents an overview of Eastern Orthodox understandings of the theology of icons and how icons are used in liturgical spaces to communicate important theological truths. Specifically, as it relates to eschatology and liturgical practices around icons and the cultural importance of saints who come from different continents and times and how that helps us see a bigger picture of a truly cosmic future reality embodied in the Church in the present.

The Liberation Of The Disabled Christ And What That Shows Us About Our Human Sacredness In Healthcare, Hannah Miers

Obsculta

This paper explores the significance of Christ’s identity in relation to disability, emphasizing the need for a liberating theology that acknowledges and affirms the dignity of disabled individuals in healthcare settings. It advocates for a Christological perspective that integrates the image of a disabled Christ, calling for awareness and equitable treatment for the disabled within a healthcare framework. By recognizing the connections between disability theology and the holistic needs of human beings, this paper aims to inspire a shift towards greater respect, grace, and compassion in caring for vulnerable populations, thereby addressing systemic inequities inherent in medical practices.

The Rise And Fall Of Religion: An Agent-Based Model Of Secularisation, Security And Prosociality, Ivan Puga-Gonzalez, F. Leron Shults, Ross Gore, Konrad Talmont-Kaminski

Center for Secure and Intelligent Critical Systems (CSICS) Publications

The relationship between religion, society, and individual behaviour has been a subject of extensive inquiry, drawing upon a rich collection of historical and contemporary perspectives. The scientific study of religion at the social level has often found its roots in the foundational work of Durkheim (Durkheim, 1912), who posited that religion serves as a catalyst for social order and the promotion of prosocial behaviour. At the same time, Malinowski’s observations regarding the connection between ritual and anxiety have led to a number of lines of inquiry that have come to extend to other aspects of religion. Yet, taken together, these …

Full Issue

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This issue of the Journal of Adventist Mission Studies marks a high point in Adventist missiological literature, for all the authors of the articles reside outside of North America.

Steering Towards A Permanent Schism? The Establishment Of The Russian Orthodox Exarchate In Africa, Pål Kolstø

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

When the Ecumenical Patriarch granted the Orthodox Church of Ukraine autocephalous status in 2019, in what was hitherto recognized as the the canonical territory the Moscow patriarchate (MP), the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) retaliated two years later by establishing an Exarchate in the territory of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, one of the churches which sided with the Ecumenical Patriarch. In a few years’ time ROC had recruited more than 200 clerics in Africa who formerly served in the Patriarchate of Alexandria.

By moving from verbal protests to confrontational action, Moscow has drastically reduced the possibility of finding a compromise solution. …