Digital Commons Network^™

Gallagher And Herberts' "Faith And Ethics In Health And Social Care: Improving Practice Through Understanding Diverse Perspectives" (Book Review), Bethany A. Herrod

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Behers' "Spiritual Care For People Living With Dementia Using Multisensory Interventions: A Practical Guide For Chaplains" (Book Review), Craighton Hippenhammer

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Managing The Wear Of Heavy Construction Equipment Steel Track Undercarriage By Soil Sand Content, Frederick Ashburn Rich

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Heavy construction equipment owners and managers have few predictive tools that can estimate wear rate of undercarriage track propulsion systems working in various soil types and changing operational conditions. Managing the timely maintenance of these track systems is critical for they represent over half of the non-fuel operating cost of the equipment fleet. Understanding the major influencing factors that impact undercarriage system wear rate can help determine the most economical time to stop a machine for track maintenance thus positively impacting the equipment’s return on investment (ROI). This research analyzed the population of track type dozers in the eastern half …

"Theology That Actually Works" : An Analysis Of Those Aspects Of Theological Formation Which Best Equip Church Planters For Their Work, John H. Valentine

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Leadership Development: Creating A Culture Of Developing Leaders In The Church, Vincent John Charron

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Addressing the issue concerning churches needing an effective leadership development process that encompasses everyone from the new convert to the church leadership team is the focus of this thesis. The purpose of this DMIN thesis is to address the problem of the leadership development deficit by implementing a process that will engage more than 30 percent of the average attendance. For this research, the main focus is primarily engaging people who are already Christians and are on board with the vision and mission of the church to assume a leadership role and responsibility. The focus of the project is to …

Four Scriptural Principles: Creating A Discipleship Culture In A Caribbean Church Context, Reynold Decourcey Price

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastors and church leaders have critical roles to play in the spiritual development of their members. In this study, this student proposes to present a practical solution to a perennial issue that plagues his church and many others in Trinidad and Tobago. Presently, many church members are spiritual consumers of the ministry of a few, while they remain spiritual infants who do not contribute to the local church or to fulfilling the Great Commission. The churches are faced with the problem of determining how to teach, train, and disciple its members effectively to become spiritually mature disciples who know their …

Leadership Dynamics And Factors Of Fast-Growing Church Plants And Revitalized Established Churches In The Christian And Missionary Alliance, Kedrick L. Hirschy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The pursuit of this action research project is to construct a leadership growth plan for Christian and Missionary Alliance churches experiencing a decline in their local church or slow church plant growth for the sustainability of the local church in the Alliance movement.

Shared-Traumatic Experience And The Role Of The Minister Of Music: A Case Study Of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Wayne Singleton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The ministry of the minister of music is essential when the local church has experienced a shared-traumatic event. Since many churches have never experienced a shared-traumatic event, there is little research to aid worship leaders in leading their congregation through loss and grief. There is a need to study the significant role of the minister of music when confronted with a life-changing event that has affected the local church ministry. Mother Emanuel AME Church, located in Charleston, SC, experienced a tragic event that significantly influenced the worship leader’s role in leading the congregation through a shared-traumatic event. This phenomenological study …

“Give Me A Clean Heart”: The Life And Music Of Margaret Pleasant Douroux, Damian Demond Price

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Margaret Pleasant Douroux (b. 1941) of Los Angeles, California is one of the most influential African American female gospel music composers of the twentieth century. She has penned classic hymns and gospel songs such as "I'm Glad," "We're Blest," "God is Not Dead," and "Rivers of Joy". Her compositions "Give Me a Clean Heart," “He Decided to Die," and "If It Had Not Been for the Lord on My Side" have become standards in the African American Church and have been sung by congregations and choirs for decades. However, in the roster of composers who have contributed to the genre …

Army Retirees At The Hunter Army Airfield Chapel In Savannah, Georgia, Will Gain The Confidence And The Basic Skills Necessary To Form Spiritual Mentoring Relationships With Young Soldiers Through A Constructivist Interview And Back-Brief Process, Derek William Murray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Army retirees choose to live in close proximity to a military installation, because living close provides many benefits, such as: continuing to shop in the discounted commissary, remaining in the military medical system, enjoying many other recreational benefits offered at military installations, and remaining as close as possible to the world they love. Thus, most Army garrisons across the entire Army enterprise have retirees who have chosen to permanently remain close to the Army posts at which they honorably served. Homesteading near a military installation gives a retiree the opportunity to live among those with whom they existentially identify. Some …

Evaluating Deafness In The Hebrew Bible: A Semantic Analysis Of Iiחרשׁ, Tyler Harris

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

“This Is How You Navigate The World”: Impacts Of Mormon Rhetoric On White Queer Members' Identity Performances, Ben Brandley

Communication ETDs

The Mormon Church is one of the fastest growing and most conservative religious organizations in the world. The Church’s conservatism has meant that its rhetorics, doctrines, and discourses have cultivated a culture of queerphobia and anti-queer sentiments. By interviewing 15 transgender, bisexual, and gay Mormons who are active in the Church, I conducted a critical thematic analysis that yields insights and critiques into how Mormon rhetoric impacts the identity performances and relationships of queer members. Using queer theory and Whiteness as conceptual and theoretical lenses, the analysis revealed four major themes: 1) queerness as non-identity, 2) the primacy of divine …

Full Issue

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Friends, Foes, And Trading Partners: The Exchange Of Architectural Styles Between Herodian Judaea And Nabataean Petra, Rachel Huntsman

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Comparing Greco-Roman Uterus Votives And Byzantine Uterus Amulets, Heta Björklund

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Why Practice Philosophy As A Way Of Life?, Javier S. Hidalgo

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

This essay explains why there are good reasons to practice philosophy as a way of life. The argument begins with the assumption that we should live well but that our understanding of how to live well can be mistaken. Philosophical reason and reflection can help correct these mistakes. Nonetheless, the evidence suggests that philosophical reasoning often fails to change our dispositions and behavior. Drawing on the work of Pierre Hadot, the essay claims that spiritual exercises and communal engagement mitigate the factors that prevent us from living in accordance with our conceptions of the good life. So, many of us …

Growing Old And Getting Sick Are Dangerous In Prison: A Moral And Legal Argument For “Justice, Not Vengeance”, Jillian Sauer

Undergraduate Theses

In 2017 the Kentucky DOC reported that Kentucky prisons housed 2,521 persons categorized as “elderly”. Even though individuals in this population are more susceptible to violence and risk developing age-related illnesses the care of these individuals is not a financial priority for those in power. These individuals occupy a unique position as a marginalized group within a marginalized group, and one which is growing rapidly. As a result, it is necessary to develop a response drawing from Catholic social teaching and criminal justice ethics which addresses the unique problems faced by this population. At the core of this response is …

The Megachurch, Its Critics And The Prosperity Gospel, Ronic Ngambwe

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

The biggest critic of the megachurch has consistently been its theology: the prosperity gospel. Megachurches are accused of using this gospel to take from attendees while promising prosperity that is simply not guaranteed. Why is this the prominent belief about megachurches? What does the megachurch have to say about such accusations? This paper explores these questions and the role of the prosperity gospel in shaping the identity of the megachurch. I believe it’s come to redefine the megachurch as a church whose motives for evangelism are questioned because of the theology of health, wealth, and victory that is synonymous with …

The Effects Of Involvement In Religious Practices On Recovering Substance Users., Taylor Currier

Honors Theses

This paper reviews empirical studies focused on spirituality and its effects on those in the recovery process from substance abuse. This paper will look at qualitative studies as well as quantitative research to see which form has derived the best results on how spirituality has affected substance abuse recovery. Prolonged recovery is the goal for those that struggle with substance use. Behavior change is an important in sustaining sobriety with those dealing with addiction. It is predicted that those who engage in spiritual growth within their community have a higher likelihood of prolonged recovery than those that do not believe …

Inconceivable: An Analysis Of Assisted Reproductive Technology For The Church, Mary Elizabeth Gresham

Senior Honors Theses

Infertility pushes the boundaries of emotional and physical health, which is why many couples inside and outside the church turn to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) for a solution. Despite what has seemed like silence from the Church, some individuals have braved the biological confusion and ethical dilemmas to evaluate the technology. Three major ethical viewpoints have emerged that each prioritize something over medical technology, namely community, order, or human dignity. This paper serves to educate pastors and church leaders on the ever-changing biology of ART as well as give voice to Christians that have spoken out on this issue. At …

Quo Vadis Hukuman Pidana Kebiri Kimia Bagi Pelaku Kejahatan Seksual Pada Anak Di Indonesia, Ainunnisa Rezky Asokawati

Journal of Islamic Law Studies

Sexual assault committed against children become one of the polemics in the society. The government as the state protector accommodates the polemic by making the law in form of Law Number 17 of 2016 concerning the Stipulation of Government Regulation in place of Law Number 1 of 2016 concerning Second Amendment to Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection. The regulation accommodated the society’s need by arranging punishment for the perpetrators of sexual assault affecting children cases. Article 81 of Law Number 35 of 2014 in the form of first amendment to the Child Protection Law concerning criminal threats …

Spiritual And Religious Interventions For Medically High-Risk Adults: A Systematic Review, Nathanael J. Strissel

Senior Honors Theses

This systematic review is an update and expansion to the population and methods of a previous systematic review concerning spiritual and religious interventions for the well-being of terminally ill adults. After expanding the criteria to incorporate a more diverse population and including non-randomized experimental studies that contained relatively few concerns of bias, the results of the review are inconclusive due to insufficient data. The lack of usable data in the field highlights the ethical and theoretical issues with the use of experimental trials in analyzing the efficacy of spiritual and religious interventions. The development of spirituality in healthcare will remain …

Megachurches Can Have Mega Problems - Insights From Toxic Leadership In Modern Megachurches, Brandon Billings

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

The Christian megachurch is a relatively recent phenomenon, championing new ideals and theological practices for faith communities around the world. Megachurches, by definition, are Christian churches that consist of over a thousand attendees. Most megachurches are independent from a denomination – a characteristic that brings a multitude of advantages as well as challenges. One specific challenge for megachurches is the problem of potential abuse by pastors that are characterized by toxic and destructive leadership. In recent years, many Christians, as well as non-Christians, have been shocked by the number of megachurch pastors revealed as bullies, narcissists, or sexual assailants. Although …

The Subtle Body: Religious, Spiritual, Health-Related, Or All Three?, Kathryn Heislup

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

In the West today, Eastern philosophies of the subtle body have been changed, appropriated, and popularized within modern forms of yoga. The subtle body refers to assumed energy points within the human body that cannot be viewed by the naked eye, but is believed by several religious traditions to be part of our physical existence. Notions of subtle body systems have migrated and changed throughout India and Tibet over many years with much controversy; the movement of these ideas to the West follows a similar controversial path, and these developments in both Asia and the West exemplify how one cannot …

Book Reviews, Larry Hart, Mark E Roberts, Sally Shelton, Jeffrey Voth, Monte Lee Rice, Robert D. Mcbain, Joji Mathew

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

C. Douglas Weaver. Baptists and the Holy Spirit: The Contested History with Holiness- Pentecostal-Charismatic Movements

Larry Hart ................................................................................................................151

Wolfgang Vondey. Pentecostal Theology: Living the Full Gospel Joji Mathew..............................................................................................................153

Lalsangkima Pachuau. World Christianity: A Historical and Theological Introduction Robert D. McBain....................................................................................................156

David Perry. Spirit Baptism: The Pentecostal Experience in Theological Focus Monte Lee Rice ........................................................................................................159

Craig S. Keener. Galatians and Galatians: A Commentary Mark E. Roberts and Philip R. Feist .........................................................................164

Vinson Synan. Where He Leads Me: The Vinson Synan Story Sally Jo Shelton.........................................................................................................168

Paul L. King. Is It of God? A Biblical Guidebook for Spiritual Discernment Jeffrey Voth ..............................................................................................................171

Creation Care As Caring For Human Beings: An Environmental Justice Case Study, Jeffrey S. Lamp, Kathryn J. Moder, Megan R. Munhoffen, Cade A. Rich, Nathan B. Von Atzigen

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A special ORU Student study directed by Dr. Jeff Lamp.

Caring for God’s creation is a burgeoning area of interest among Christians in recent decades. In many Christian circles, however, caring for creation is not given high priority in rankings of the duties of Christian disciples in the world. This article will argue that caring for creation is a biblically mandated call for God’s people in the world and derives from the role of human beings as caretakers of creation, creation’s status as a recipient of God’s salvation in Christ, and the connection between human beings and the other-than-human creation. …

Pentecostalism And Social, Political, And Economic Development, Allan H. Anderson

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article traces the global impact of Pentecostalism with reference to its definition, varieties, and statistics. It also discusses the subject of development from a theological perspective, considering how development applies to Pentecostalism. The first part considers the ambivalence involved in Pentecostal sociopolitical engagement, and then in the second part, discusses how Pentecostalism and development relate to each other. It gives examples throughout the article of how Pentecostals are involved in development projects and sociopolitical activities worldwide.

"I Tried Poverty": Exploring The Psychological Impact Of Poverty And Prosperity In The Life Of Oral Roberts, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The origin of the prosperity gospel is most often linked to the influence of American Pentecostal Christianity, particularly to Oral Roberts and his concept of “seed faith.” In light of this, this study seeks to understand Oral Roberts’ concepts of poverty and prosperity by exploring the psychology of his own experience of poverty. It will suggest that the biology of inequality he experienced as a child shaped the development of his prosperity theology.

Full Issue: Volume 5, Number 1 (2020), Spiritus Editors

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Debate Over Creation, Evolution, And The Timeline Of The Universe At An Ecumenical Christian University, Mason Pohlman

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

Throughout a significant portion of history and within modern culture, the fields of science and religion appear to be competing for the same holds in a person’s belief system. Universities are where academics and the sciences are the prevailing held truth, while in churches, the Bible reigns as supreme authority. However, in a Christian academic setting, the predominate school of thought in belief systems might turn into a little more of a melting pot. By analyzing gathered personal data (via surveys and interviews), one can begin to piece together the predominate thoughts on the apparent conflict between religion and science …