Digital Commons Network^™

Timothy Baptist Church Of Amherst, Virginia, And Technology, Christopher L. Groom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The contemporary local church faces a critical crossroads, challenged by a widening gap between traditional ministry approaches and today's digital-native world, resulting in decreased engagement and relevance. This research tackles the urgent issue of ecclesiastical stagnation in a highly connected society. When the local church and technology strategically unite, they can dramatically shift the church’s path from static tradition toward active, missional innovation. Embracing digital tools will transform preaching from a localized, one-dimensional event into a rich, multi-layered homiletic experience that enhances message impact and clarity. By intentionally using these tools, the church can reach a wider, more diverse audience …

A Christ-Centered Approach To Ai-Assisted Sermon Preparation For Cedar Grove Community Church, Andrew Michael Poe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping nearly every sector of society, presenting both opportunities and ethical challenges for Christian ministry. Amid this technological shift, many pastors, Bible teachers, and lay leaders experience ethical uncertainty about the appropriate use of AI in expository preaching and teaching. This Doctor of Ministry action research project developed and evaluated an eight-week training designed to equip the teaching team at Cedar Grove Community Church with a Christ-centered approach to AI-assisted sermon preparation. The purpose of this project was to provide biblical, theological, and practical guidance enabling communicators to leverage AI responsibly without compromising ministerial integrity …

The Influential Integration Of Emotional Intelligence And Discipleship: A Thesis For The Degree Of Doctor Of Ministry, Shawna R. Willis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The end goal of this research was to create a training guide manual that integrates discipleship and emotional intelligence to introduce and educate believers on how God made them through the collation of three well-known emotional intelligence tools: temperament, personality, and skill strengths. The three validated assessments were Arno Profile Assessment from the National Christian Counseling Association, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and Gallup StrengthsFinder©. Participants completed five steps of intervention design that aimed to increase emotional intelligence with a final step of training that taught biblical tools and Scripture resources to manage emotions, make godly relational choices, and apply towards discipleship. …

The Paradox Of Fear In Scripture: Humanity’S Fear Encounters The Fear Of The Lord, Denise K. Travanti

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research portrays a biblical theology of God’s presence in response to humanity’s natural fear when people are engaged in relationship with him. The Bible is framed with God dwelling with people and the absence of fear at the beginning of their existence and at the end of time in the new heaven and new earth. Fear arrives in the garden with Adam and Eve’s choice for autonomy and their relationship with God, and thus his presence, undergoes a change. From Moses through the Writings and the Prophets, then through the apostles’ experiences conveyed in the Epistles, the reality of …

The Word Of Faith Which We Preach: Perspectives On Core Doctrines Of Word Of Faith Theology, James Clifford Crew

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Primary Research Question:

What are the distinctive core doctrines that are officially recognized and universally taught within the Word of Faith movement - as distinguished from some common aberrant or excessive popular teachings - and are these core doctrines biblically and theologically defensible as orthodox teachings within the broader scope of the universal Christian Church? The research problem is a glaring gap in the literature characterized by the general absence of a clear delineation between official core doctrines and controversial popular teachings that are neither officially codified in its doctrinal statements nor universally accepted and taught within the Word of …

The Incarnational And Christological Link Of The Servant In Isaiah 52:13–53:12 And Philippians 2:5–11, Heather Green

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is much written about the Suffering Servant passage in Isaiah and the Christ Hymn in Philippians. This dissertation examines the incarnational and Christological relationship between the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 52:13–53:12 and the Christ Hymn of Philippians 2:5–11. The common themes in both passages are incarnation, humiliation, obedient suffering, substitutionary atonement, exaltation, and divine vindication. This study also evaluates major scholarly interpretations regarding the identity of the Servant in Isaiah and the extent to which Paul intentionally appropriates Isaianic servant imagery in Philippians 2. While acknowledging the influence of Isaiah 45:23 on Philippians 2:9–11, this dissertation argues that Isaiah …

The Doctrine Of Salvation In The Old Testament: Elective Grace Through Faith In The Triune God, Yoojeung Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The doctrine of salvation in the Old Testament (OT) remains a contested topic in biblical theology, particularly its coherence with New Testament (NT) soteriology. Much of this debate centers on the tension between distinct redemptive administrations across history and the specific means of salvation, such as the relationship between covenantal obedience and elective grace. This dissertation addresses whether OT believers were saved differently from NT believers or if a unified redemptive pattern spans both Testaments. The dissertation asserts that Old Testament believers were saved in the same manner as New Testament believers: by God’s elective grace through faith in YHWH, …

The Practical Application Of The Greatest Commandments In Mark 12:28–34: A Holistic Framework For Spiritual Formation, Mark R. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian spiritual formation is a field abundant in materials, resources, and programs to help people become fully devoted followers of God. Yet a disconnect appears to exist between the biblical concept of discipleship, which encompasses both a process and an event, and the lived reality of Christians in the United States today. A new model that lays the foundation for a new spiritual formation framework grounded in the practical application of the Greatest Commandments may be of benefit. This dissertation develops a model that includes orthodoxy and orthopraxy to apply the Greatest Commandments in an easy-to-understand framework in a practical, …

Sovereign Borders: John’S Deuteronomic Framework For Israel And The Nations In The Apokalypsis, Kevin W. Mullen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation concludes that John’s imagery of Israel and the nations in the Apokalypsis is distinctly shaped by his interpretation and incorporation of Deuteronomic theology. It employs a canonical and intertextual approach to inductively argue that Deuteronomy presents three pillars, or roles, for biblical nationhood: (1) objects of and instruments for divine judgment, (2) custodians to restrain evil, and (3) revelations of God’s sovereignty. These three Deuteronomic pillars establish the foundation for biblical nationhood and are expressed by John throughout his Apokalypsis. Moreover, this dissertation concludes that John’s imagery for the nations is due to his reliance upon the Deuteronomic …

The Revelation Of The Pre-Incarnate Christ: A Canonical Exposition Of The Gospel Of John And The Old Testament Witness In Fulfilling God’S Eschatological Promises, Robert R. Coon Sr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation researches how the Gospel of John presents Jesus Christ as the eternally pre-existent and ontologically divine Logos, fulfilling Israel’s scriptural patterns of divine presence, revelation, and glory. Employing a canonical-critical and prosopological approach, the study demonstrates that John’s Christology is best understood as the culmination of Old Testament theophanic witness rather than as a later theological innovation. Through focused exegesis of the Prologue, key theophanic texts, and the Gospel narrative, this work argues that the Logos is not merely a functional agent or literary symbol, but the personal subject in whom God’s self-disclosure reaches its historical and eschatological …

Church Revitalization In A Southwest United States Retirement Community Church: A Case Study, Donald L. Fraser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Eighty percent of churches in the United States are either plateaued or declining. Across all denominations, as many as 7700 churches permanently close their doors each year. Pastors of once-vibrant churches transition to survival mode rather than continuing to build their churches. However, there are bright spots where a declining church reverses the downward trend and begins a renewed cycle of growth. This case study examined church growth and revitalization of Southwest Community Church (the name has been changed to protect the identity of the participants), a revitalized church in a dedicated retirement community. For this research, revitalization has been …

Tracing God’S Plan To Restore Eden In Biblical Theology: The Edenic Restoration Of Man And The Land, Jared Crossno

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study is characterized by the assertion that the restoration of the earth is inextricably linked to the restoration of humanity and that the biblical narrative consistently portrays these realities as interdependent. By defining the restoration of Eden as both an eschatological hope and a present process, biblical theology is advanced in three ways. First, there will be a clarification of the canonical trajectory from Eden to the new creation. Second, soteriology will be reframed to a holistic perspective, rather than an anthropocentric one. Finally, there will be an emphasis on the ethical implications of God's mission to renew humanity …

A Qualitative Descriptive Study Of Secular And Christian-Based Correctional Operations: Exploring The Impact On Recidivism, Reintegration, And Spiritual Transformation, Cullen B. Burch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative descriptive study examines the effectiveness of secular versus Christian-based correctional programs in reducing recidivism among offenders and enhancing reintegration outcomes. The primary purpose is to explore perceived limitations of secular correctional methodologies, given observed challenges such as rising recidivism and limited offender transformation. In contrast, Christian-based programs, grounded in biblical principles and spiritual transformation, are posited to foster meaningful change among offenders. The study focuses on the perspectives of formerly incarcerated individuals who participated in secular and faith-based initiatives while incarcerated in Texas. Data collection is exclusively qualitative, involving semi-structured interviews with these formerly incarcerated individuals and a …

Mobilizing The Church For Whole-Person Transformation In Addiction And Mental Health Recovery, Jacqueline A. Gillespie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Individuals experiencing chronic addiction or mental health conditions are often separated from the broader church community and placed into isolated treatment programs, creating a disconnect between recovery efforts and long-term spiritual formation (Amos, 2023). Many churches that emphasize deliverance struggle to provide sustained discipleship, while congregations grounded in spiritual growth frequently lack the skills and structures needed to serve highly vulnerable populations. This mixed–methods study will explore how the local church can be mobilized to offer whole-person transformation for individuals affected by addiction and mental health challenges. Guided by the biblical vision of ongoing spiritual renewal—“being transformed into the same …

Agapē, Aretē, And The Arena: Exploring Sport Through Faith, Reason, And Olympism, Gary V. Meegan

Journal of Catholic Education

Young people have a passion for play, for competition and sport, a place where they feel fully alive. As a result, Catholic schools have introduced courses to explore sport and spirituality, delving into the working of God in their lives through athletics. However, the study of philosophy is integral to the understanding of the Catholic faith, therefore any education must also include the study of philosophy if it is to be authentically Catholic. The opportunity to create a course that incorporated both disciplines with sport resulted in a high school elective course titled, Philosophy and Theology of Sport. Its purpose …

Sporting Educational Pedagogy In Catholic Western Europe In The 19th And 20th Centuries: What We Can Learn From The Past, Dries Vanysacker

Journal of Catholic Education

This article presents a historiographical overview of the development of the role of sport within the Western European Catholic education in the 20th century. Since the late 19th century, combining gymnastics with new sport disciplines was a huge challenge for Catholic schools. Within the 20th century, changing political situations and educational policies by governments continuously influenced the Catholic education theories and practice. Catholic schools also depended on the Holy See’s policy concerning education and its attitude toward sport. As the Catholic pedagogy is part of a broader theological concept of the human being, and the latter changed in the 1950s/1960’s, …

Sport, Human Flourishing And The Common Good: A Jesuit Perspective, Patrick M. Kelly S.J.

Journal of Catholic Education

The author interprets humanist and early Jesuit education inspired by the Spiritual Exercises through the lens of the flow psychology theory of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to highlight that they bring about differentiation – the development of the different interests, skills, dimensions of the person – and integration – in a way that is connected to community and fosters the common good. The inclusion of physical education and sports in the humanist and early Jesuit schools – the first instance of it in Catholic schools – was influenced by longer traditions which emphasized the unity of the person and a “play ethic”, …

Review Essay: The Original Sin Of Humanity, John Sniegocki

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Theology Of The People As Modernity’S Alternative: A Review Essay, William J. Collinge

The Journal of Social Encounters

In Modernity’s Alternative, Rocco Buttiglione presents the Argentinian theology of the people as an alternative to modernity as it has developed in Europe and North America. After an introduction, the first main part of this review essay discusses Buttiglione’s account of the development of the theology of the people and the major figures in it and how the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe marks the beginning of an alternative modernity. The second section considers Buttiglione’s parallel between Christian Platonists’ inculturation of Christian faith into Greek culture and Guadalupe’s inculturation of Christian faith into Mesoamerican culture. The third section …

Review Essay: African Americans, Sudan, And The Politics Of Solidarity, Walter Hill

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

The Honored Children Of Adam: A Muslim Reading Of Magnifica Humanitas In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence, Iqbal Akhtar

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Magnifica Humanitas And The Obsolescence Of Just War, Noreen Herzfeld

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence And The Rediscovery Of The Human: An Islamic Reflection On Magnifica Humanitas, Mazhar Ali Bari, Biliana Popova

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Pax Christi International’S Representation Within International Governmental Organisations, Fr. Paul Lansu, Giulia Bordin

The Journal of Social Encounters

Pax Christi International (PCI) has used its consultative status at the United Nations since 1979 to connect grassroots peacebuilding with international policymaking. Initially focused on disarmament and human rights, PCI contributed to key international treaties and advocated against human rights violations worldwide. Over time, its advocacy expanded to include active nonviolence, ecological justice, sustainable development, and the accompaniment of local peacebuilders. By strengthening collaboration across its global network and enabling partners from conflict-affected regions to engage directly with international institutions, PCI continues to promote human dignity, international law, and a just and lasting peace through inclusive multilateral advocacy.

Un-African Union Cooperation In Darfur: Multilevel Governance In Action And The Future Of International-Regional Peace Operations, Philip Mutio

The Journal of Social Encounters

This paper will explore the changing dynamics between global and regional governance frameworks using the example of the UN partnership with regional and sub-regional organizations in the management of intricate peace and security issues. The analysis is anchored on the case of African Union–United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), an example of layered governance, to examine the effect of coordination problems, operational difficulties, and joint mission performance in the areas of peace talks, post-conflict reconstruction, and civilian protection. Along with persistent issues including scarce resources, political instability, and disjointed command structures, the report acknowledges significant advancements such as increased …

Moving Forward, Looking Back: How Mormon Women Sought To Carry Their Polygamous Past Into A Progressive Future Article, Evan Janis

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

The influence of woman is fully recognized.” These words, spoken by Emily S. Richards, echoed the shared mission of Utah women at the World’s Congress of Representative Women: to overturn the public perception of them as ignorant, crude, and barbaric. After decades of legal and social campaigns against the so-called “second barbarism” of polygamy, the reputation of Mormon women had been one of its greatest casualties. Cast as too homely to marry a respectable man, too naive to resist deception, and too submissive to think for themselves, the Utah delegation to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair sought to redefine their …

Narrating The Bucolic South: How Southern Living Reflected And Shaped The South In The 1990s, Krista C. Wright

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

In December 1995 at a company Christmas party, previous editor Gary McCalla spoke with Emory Cunningham, sitting president and chair who oversaw the transition from the practical Progressive Farmer to a lifestyle magazine for the “New South.” Looking around the room, Cunningham remarked, “These young people have no idea where we came from.” McCalla recalled a memo he and John Logue, creative director of the magazine, had written in the early days, outlining “what we believed had to be done to save Southern Living.” At that moment, the two noticed the song playing in the background— “History” by Michael …

Mystical Revelation And Knowledge Of God: Reclaiming Spirituality In Theology Through The Mystics, Elizabeth A. Merski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the scholastic era, the pursuit of God has occurred preeminently through reason, leading to an imbalanced theology of God that persists to the present day in the form of intellect-centered theology. As a resolution, this work proposes that the mobilization of private, mystical revelation as a source of legitimized theological knowledge of God has the potential to close the existent epistemological gap between reason/belief and theology/spirituality, demonstrating the integral unity between authentic knowledge of God and the receiver’s personal acceptance of God in faith. After examining the required methodological components for the discipline of theology and identifying criteria for …

"Dark And Loathsome": The Construction And Persistence Of Racial Theology In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Margaret Phillips

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints banned Black men from holding the priesthood until 1978, a policy many mistake for the whole of the faith's engagement with race. This thesis argues that the priesthood ban was only a symptom of a far deeper theology of race, one built into Mormonism's broader theology from its founding. Two intertwined beliefs anchor this theology: the default whiteness of the human body and soul, and twin curse narratives that mark Black and Indigenous peoples alike as bearers of a divine curse— dark skin read as the visible penalty for their ancestors' sin. …

My God Is My Mercy: A Philological And Exegetical Study Of The Use Of Hesed In The Old Testament And Its Echoes In The New Testament, Sister Mary Agatha Hester, O.P.

Theology Graduate Theses

One little word can have a mighty impact. This is the case with the Hebrew word hesed.  Having encountered hesed in Scripture scholarship, pursuit of its nature and nuance has become a quest that has resulted in this thesis. What follows is a philological and exegetical study of the meaning and use of hesed in the Old Testament, its intertextual echoes in the New Testament, and its implications for right living. First, the use of hesed is analyzed in the context of the Old Testament, focusing on Exodus 34:6-7, which serves as the exemplar text. Using the work of …