Digital Commons Network^™

Review Of Victor Fan, “Cinema Illuminating Reality: Media Philosophy Through Buddhism”, Teng-Kuan Ng

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This is a book review of Victor Fan, Cinema Illuminating Reality: Media Philosophy through Buddhism (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2022)

Discovering An Effective Disciple-Making Method For Men, Clifton J. Hefley

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This dissertation explores the development of an effective disciple-making method for men by integrating insights from early church discipleship practices and modern missional strategies such as Disciple Making Movements (DMM) and Church Planting Movements (CPM). Rooted in biblical theology and the teachings of the Patristic Fathers, the study evaluates how obediencebased, relational discipleship shaped early Christianity and compares it with contemporary missional frameworks promoted by leaders like David Garrison, Alan Hirsch, and Steve Addison. Against the backdrop of a sharp decline in church attendance and male engagement in Western Christianity, this research identifies the need for a reproducible, movement-oriented model …

The Pastor As Romantic Author: Ai, Preaching, And The Unacknowledged Inheritance Of Authenticity, Daniel Plate, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article interrogates contemporary reactions to sermons produced with generative technologies through a historical–conceptual lens, arguing that widespread judgments of such outputs as “soulless,” “generic,” or lacking a “beating heart” are best explained by an unacknowledged inheritance from nineteenth-century Romantic expressivism. Rather than treating resistance to machine authorship as a theological verdict on computational incapacity, the study reconstructs how Romanticism centered authorship in sincere self-expression and solitary genius, displacing earlier heraldic expectations that prized fidelity to a received message. Methodologically, the analysis combines intellectual history with discourse analysis of global Christian experiments in synthetic composition (2020–2025), denominational guidance, and media …

Book Review: Street Smarts: Using Questions To Answer Christianity’S Toughest Challenges By Gregory Koukal, Daniel Suter

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Church As Witness: The Relationship Between Identity, Action, And Metrics Of Success, Jonathan Husted

Great Commission Research Journal

The Church (especially in the West) has focused on different “metrics” used to measure success. These metrics have focused on quantitative measurements, oftentimes neglecting the “means” for the sake of the “ends.” Not to mention, “success” has been distorted and defined outside of Jesus’ witness. What if the Bible presented different metrics of success? Metrics that focus both on the “means” and the “ends” are equally important. This research presents the argument that “witness” is foundational to success, especially when focusing on the life of Jesus. Therefore, witness, as both an identity and an action, must be reclaimed by the …

The Leadership And Organizational Traits Of Healthy Church Cultures, Stephen Blandino

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The leadership and organizational cultures of local churches are crucial. Over the centuries, these cultures have been shaped by various factors, from the teachings of the Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter in the New Testament to the behaviors and practices of the Catholic Church, the influence of the Reformation, and insights from modern research. This dissertation identifies ten leadership and organizational traits that have influenced the culture of New Testament, historical, and modern-day churches. These traits were used in a quantitative survey to assess their presence in contemporary churches. Based on the research, eight strategies are presented to help pastors …

Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Redemption, Zoe E. Prince

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Sarah Sillin

An oft misunderstood classic of literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne’ Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester Prynne, her minister and lover Arthur Dimmesdale, and their ruthless enemy, Roger Chillingworth. In the Puritan colony of Boston Massachusetts, 1642, Hester’s child born out of wedlock earns her a scarlet letter, marking her forever as a flagrant sinner. In the midst of betrayal, shame, and superstition, Hester shines as an incredible testimony to fortitude. Though lauded as a beautiful romance, within the Scarlet Letter many readers miss the bitter musings of the author’s narration, which constantly reproves the religious community …

Poetry And Empowerment In Islam, Stephanie Kerr

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Katharine Whitcomb

In this collection I hope to express the abundance of empowerment my religion, Islam, has given me. Before my conversion I, like many, believed some misconceptions about women in Islam but now I have gained confidence and discovered I am capable of more than I ever thought. In this community I have also met many Muslim women who feel the same sense of empowerment. Presentation recording available in the SOURCE 2025 playlist: https://www.youtube.com/@cwusource5518

Women And Religion In The Mongol Empire, Karlie Barnett

The Ozark Historical Review

This article contributes toward the effort to uncover the impact of women on the making of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. It also considers how women among the Mongols interacted with religion in varied and distinct ways and how these relationships influenced the development of Eurasian religions and the Mongol Empire overall. These interactions, which took place in the personal realm, the political realm, and in the realm of patronage, had profound effects on the development of Eurasian religions and the Mongol Empire.

Carlisle Methodist Church Sunday School Register 1923, Carlisle Methodist Church

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Camden Station Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1839-1854, Camden Station Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Present Day Lyttleton Street UMC

Chesterfield Circuit Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1832-1844, Chesterfield Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Includes Society Hill, Mt. Zion, Damascus, Antioch, Sardis, Fork Creek, Smyrna, Zion, Shiloh, Bear Creek, Mt. Olivet

Carlisle Circuit Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1914-1918, Carlisle Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Includes Carlisle, Gilliam's Chapel, Kelly, and Santuc.

Buck Swamp Quarterly Conference Records 1879-1882, Buck Swamp Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Includes around 11 churches in Marion County, including Macedonia, Mt. Andrew, Ebenezer, Hopewell, Tranquil, Tabernacle, Little River, Millers, Corinth, Spring Branch, and Union.

Carlisle Circuit Membership Records, 1909-1920, Carlisle Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Includes Carlisle, Gilliam's Chapel, Kelly, and Santuc. Also includes minister list and deed

El Bethel Church, East Chester Circuit, Church Register And Church Conferene Minutes, 1870-1893, El Bethel Methodist Church, East Chester Circuit

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

El Bethel Church, East Chester Circuit, Church Register, 1882-1893, El Bethel Methodist Church, East Chester Circuit

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Chesterfield Circuit Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1844-1860, Chesterfield Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Includes Bethel, Friendship, Prospect, Society Hill, Mt. Olivet, Shiloh, P. Hill, Zion, Fork Creek,

Historical Sketch Of Methodism In Chester, Sc, Chester Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Carlisle Circuit Quarterly Conference Minutes, 1919-1922, Carlisle Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Includes Carlisle, Gilliam's Chapel, Kelly, and Santuc.

From Belief To Action: An Exploratory Study Of Theological Perspectives In Influencing Credibility-Enhancing Displays, John Chambers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this two-phase qualitative research design was to explore the relationship between faith and works, as evidenced by manifest Credibility Enhancing Displays (CREDs), for electronic survey participants in the orthodox Christian community. Exploring the potential links between specific aspects of the theological narratives and the intentions that precede behavior was the central focus of the study. An expert panel was used to develop the Phase One survey. Phase Two retained the same expert panel members but presented them with the Phase One survey analysis to expand the interpretation of the results. At this stage in the research, CREDs …

Engaging The Hindu Community Of Loudoun County, Va With The Gospel Of Jesus Christ: An Evangelism Course For Telugu Christian Fellowship Church, Ravinder Rufus Bhimanpalli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctor of Ministry project addressed the lack of effective evangelism toward the Hindu community by the Telugu Christian Fellowship Church (TCFC) in Ashburn, Virginia. Located 35 miles from Washington, D.C., TCFC serves a suburban congregation of approximately 300 members, with an average weekly attendance of 250. The church is located in Loudoun County, one of America’s most diverse and affluent regions, home to over 44,000 Asian Indians and an estimated 18,000 Hindus. Despite this, the church’s outreach efforts had remained scattered and underdeveloped. Most church members lacked cultural sensitivity, feared offending them, or simply lacked the confidence to engage …

Church Engagement With Generation Z In A Post Christian Culture, Caleb W. Saunders

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research was to apprehend what has kept Generation Z individuals to continue attending church in a post Christian culture. Understanding what keeps this demographic committed to their faith communities is essential for the FWB church. Focusing on Gen Z individuals that have stayed faithful to their local FWB church gives insight on why Gen Z individuals that have grown up attending church have abandoned their faith. The data collected through in-depth, semi structured interviews with Gen Z participants who met the criteria of sustained attendance and involvement in their local FWB church was practiced. …

Darlington Church Membership Records, 1832-1843, Darlington Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Includes membership list of the "colored class" of the church

Center Church Townville Circuit Membership Records 1896-1927, Townville Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Chester Circuit Membership Records, 1890-1894, Chester Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Ebenezer, Mt. Prospect, Heath Chapel, Bethesda

Center Church Pickens Circuit Class Book, 1865-1881, Townville Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Includes list of members of the class

Center Church Pickens Circuit Class Book, 1857-1867, Pickens Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Includes list of members of the class

Center Church Mullins Membership Records, 1886-1931, Mullins Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

No abstract provided.

Center Church Townville Circuit Membership Records 1883-1900, Townville Circuit Quarterly Conference

Methodist Local Church Records

Also includes minutes of church conferences