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Journal In Entirety

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

City Of Faith Vertical File Finding Aid, Holy Spirit Research Center, Oral Roberts University

City of Faith

A finding aid for the City of Faith file in the Holy Spirit Vertical File located in the Holy Spirit Research Center at Oral Roberts University.

The New Oru: Empowered For The 21st Century, Neil Eskelin

Books

"The miraculous turnaround story of how Oral Roberts University went from multiple crises and nearly closing to success in growth, governance and globalization."

The Morality Of Compulsory Licensing As An Access To Medicines Tool, Margo A. Bagley

Faculty Articles

This Article contemplates the validity of theft rhetoric in relation to the right of countries to grant compulsory licenses from an unconventional perspective; that of biblical teachings on what it means to steal.

Part I describes the use of theft rhetoric in relation to IP infringement broadly and drug-patent compulsory licenses in particular.

Part II challenges the contention, suggested by theft rhetoric, that compulsory licenses are morally wrong as a form of stealing, by considering the meaning of theft in the context of its Judeo-Christian origins.

Part III considers the cogency of the accusation that the issuance of compulsory licenses …

Toward An Adventist Theology Of Refugees, Nicholas Miller, Janna Quetz

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

"The Bible encourages God’s people to help immigrants, and does not leave it up to just the state, but says the people of God should personally help them. Whatever path is taken in the future it is important to keep in mind that Christ calls us brothers, and we too should call the sojourner within our gates brother. Immigration policy is complex, and there may be no clear guidance from God’s Word on parts of it. But whatever policies are arrived at, the Christian has a role to advocate for the creation and implementation of a humane and moral policy …

Fivefold Ministry: An Expressional Church Model For Releasing 21st-Century Disciples Into Their Missional Potential And Design, Nick Francis Stephens

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Making disciples is the mission of the church. However, the task of equipping and releasing disciples has become progressively complex with the increased access to information and influence shaped by popular leadership content. This has resulted in the emergence of numerous discipleship methodologies that have targeted specific church growth models while lacking transference. While the 21st-century church is undergoing drastic change, a new discipleship perspective is needed for releasing 21st-century disciples into their missional potential and design. The problem this research addressed is the need for identifying barriers keeping the church from fully expressing the fivefold functions listed in Ephesians …

Congregations Neighborhoods Places (Calvin Shorts), Mark T. Mulder

Calvin Press

Congregational community engagement is so widespread in the United States that it is best described as a congregational norm. Both congregational leaders and attenders, in fact, expect to be involved in community activities simply as a matter of course. Moreover, people in need assume aid from congregations is natural and normal. Beyond that, most congregations want to be involved in their communities—they see neighborhood participation as a natural product of their mission. And congregational social activity also tends to spur other action: studies show that individuals who attend congregations in which there is a strong and clear priority on community …

Following The Man Of Sorrows: A Theology Of Suffering For Spiritual Formation, David Russell Beach

Doctor of Ministry

Suffering. Salvation’s conduit. People are often reluctant to talk about suffering, unable to find words. This reluctance usually lasts until, in the midst of crisis, the only way ahead is through suffering. In these crises, people typically reach out to caregivers— pastors and priests, counselors and social workers. But what if the same reluctance affects these caregivers? What if they, too, are often unable to find adequate words? Jesus—Man of Sorrows—makes plain the imperative of taking up our cross. How is this accomplished? This dissertation offers an answer, a theology of suffering focused on spiritual formation—formation into the image of …

Principles For Success In Succession Of The Senior Leader, Phillip D. Goldsberry Sr.

Doctor of Ministry

The succession of a senior leader is inevitable and all leaders will find themselves in their professional life being handed the title “previous.” The inevitability of succession exists within ecclesial and business contexts. The primary purpose of this research is to examine succession principles and processes within churches, and to secondarily look at business models and practices. Today’s aging clergy and narrow field of available successors is creating a potentially catastrophic future for the American church. The focus of this paper is to develop principles and preparation strategies that can be initiated to create a path to success for the …

Transforming Drug Addicts' Lives: Restoration Christian Outreach Community (Rcoc) In Northwest Mississippi, Rose Maria Mccarthy Anding

Doctor of Ministry

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports on over 14,500 specialized drugtreatment facilities providing counseling, behavioral therapy, medication, case management, and other services to persons with substance-use disorders.1 Drug addiction is a complex disorder that can involve the individual's family, work, school, and community involvement with pervasive consequences, so treatment typically involves many components, with the goal of addressing each facet affected by the disorder. Residential drug-treatment programs throughout the United States follow different treatment and rehabilitation models. In Mississippi, most drug-treatment programs are offered by the Department of Mental Health, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Services. However, residential drug-treatment …

Creating Dialogical Preaching Experiences, Nathan A. Rouse

Doctor of Ministry

The Protestant Church in the United States has enjoyed a rich history of monological preaching in the local church throughout its history. However, Jesus’ ministry, Scripture, and our culture’s advancing dialogical pedagogy point to the need for the local church to create dialogical preaching experiences. The age of the internet has also been a driving force in creating circular learning styles that demand the church take notice and discover how this model can be deployed to better shape and grow our people as pastors. While some argue this is impractical or even altogether unhelpful, others believe that creating dialog again …

Satanic Influences In The American Christian Church In A Post-Modern Consumer Society, Jerry F. Ressa

Doctor of Ministry

This study seeks to propose evidences as to how and why the contemporary Christian church is satanically influenced, resulting in pain and suffering from devastating personal dysfunctions, interpersonal conflicts and divisions. This situation presents a great dilemma facing many, if not most, Christians in that they simply do not understand and are unaware of profound life altering significances of the spiritual battle being waged for souls and the satanic deceptions that draw people away from God. Satan, his fallen angels, and demons influence Christians and others through his primary tools of deceit and deception, delivered to the culture through media, …

The Transformation Of Asian Fathers: From Distant, Income Provider And Disciplinarian To Forgiven, Discipler & Benefactor, Victor Quon

Doctor of Ministry

Asian fathers have a tough road to travel upon. The proper image of the father is one of the least successful cover-ups in today’s Asian church. On the surface, there is the attempt to portray him as being successful in his career, confident in his identity and respected as a spiritual leader in his home. Yet when his children are asked to discuss family relationships in the youth group, a different picture comes into focus. It is one of emptiness, distance and sometimes resentment. The typical stereotype of the stern father who shows more care for his personal success and …

Wrestling For The Souls Of The Survivors: Helping Partners Who Are Married To Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, John N. Raymond

Doctor of Ministry

For some who partake in the wonders of marriage, the experiences of pleasant memories and successful challenges mark their dreams in their twilight years. For couples where one or both experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA), marital challenges have far greater negative effect on each of the marital partners—their twilight dreams may not be so pleasant. Although many couples experience setbacks and hardships, for the couple affected by CSA, the setbacks are experienced with greater intensity and duration. This dissertation will highlight research quantifying the negative long-term consequences of CSA. I also will give examples of qualitative research that describes the …

Pastoral Well-Being & Beyond: Three Streams Of Pastoral Health And Personal Development, Brandon J. Morrow

Doctor of Ministry

Every year, the North American church experiences an overwhelming percentage of pastors who leave the ministry, citing internal and external pressures for their decisions to abandon what they once perceived as their divine calling. Many pastors are forced into a personal development strategy that is neither helpful, nor holistic, pursuing scads of resources outside of Christian and theological disciplines, many of which are misapplied. These drastically affect the long-term health of pastors and their overall health and effectiveness in ministry. How can pastors develop a personal development strategy that adequately accounts for the major areas of health in the life …

Never Alone: Discovering The Path To Burnout Avoidance, Rick Millikin

Doctor of Ministry

Pastoral burnout, in the past century, has become an issue that captures the attention of researchers and ministry professionals alike. Experts claim that burnout is avoidable when ministers submit to an obedient, faithful pursuit of life with God rather than working at a frenzied pace to impress people and gain the approval of God. Defined as the status of an individual that has become fatigued with his or her vocation or major life activity, burnout is preceded by a long-term avoidance of the signs of weakness and an intense focus on simply working harder. Some scholars believe the primary problem …

A Cost-Sensitive Model For Revitalizing United Methodist Churches, Kory Knott

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation addresses the topic of church revitalization in United Methodist churches that are experiencing prolonged seasons of stagnation and decline. In particular, it examines various revitalization models so as to determine how well they address the issues related to cost and sustainability. Section 1 describes the state of decline in mainline church attendance over the past 60 years and in particular during the last 15 years in the United Methodist Church. In addition to providing sobering statistics, this section includes a fictional story of a dying church, outlining the costs associated with the root problems that are responsible for …

Food And Faith: Making Food And Eating Choices Based On Evidence And Faith, James David Ahasay

Doctor of Ministry

Many leaders within the US-American Christian community are unaware of cultural influences driven by money that impact food sanctity, what we eat and the land from which our sustenance is derived. The question is asked, “What is food?” Intentional identity formation with the food we eat and its relationship to the land is important to create a physically and spiritually healthy environment for both men and women leaders, not only within the Christian community, but also throughout society at large. A large part of the problem is in thinking of food as a commodity rather than as a sacred part …

Clergy Supportive Spiritual Practices, Gregory Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Clergy wellness is of keen interest to church leadership in recent years as mainline Canadian churches face rapid decline. The financial diminishment of the church has led to fewer clergy looking after more churches, and larger churches having fewer staff. The result is increased demands on clergy’s time and energy that pose a challenge to their wellness. Given this current reality, the importance of understanding what can support clergy wellness is crucial. The purpose of this research is to explore the question: “What is the experience of Anglican priests in the Diocese of Huron as they engage in supportive spiritual …

1898 Journal Of The Seventy-Eighth Session Of The Kentucky Annual Conference Of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Methodist Episcopal Church, South

Minutes of the Kentucky Annual Conference

No abstract provided.

Sainthood Revisited In Newman And Balthasar, Danielle Nussberger

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Locating Palestine’S Summer Residence: Mandate Tourism And National Identity, Andrea L. Stanton

Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship

The carving up of the Ottoman Levant into British and French Mandates after World War I introduced new realities for the inhabitants of the region. This article uses Lebanese tourism and the promotion of Lebanon as a tourist destination to Palestinians of all religious backgrounds as a case study to investigate the challenges and potentials of the new Mandate structures. Using Palestinian government archives and newspapers, it examines how Lebanon was marketed to Palestinian vacationers. It concludes by suggesting that tourism, with its mixture of private and government sector interests, serves as a key node for observing the messy process …

What Kinds Of Comparison Are Most Useful In The Study Of World Philosophies?, Nathan Sivin, Anna Akasoy, Warwick Anderson, Gérard Colas, Edmond Eh

Publications and Research

Cross-cultural comparisons face several methodological challenges. In an attempt at resolving some such challenges, Nathan Sivin has developed the framework of “cultural manifolds.” This framework includes all the pertinent dimensions of a complex phenomenon and the interactions that make all of these aspects into a single whole. In engaging with this framework, Anna Akasoy illustrates that the phenomena used in comparative approaches to cultural and intellectual history need to be subjected to a continuous change of perspectives. Writing about comparative history, Warwick Anderson directs attention to an articulation between synchronic and diachronic modes of inquiry. In addition, he asks: If …

Bringing Religious Naturalists Together Online, Ursula W. Goodenough, Michael Cavanaugh, Todd Macalister

Biology Faculty Research

Religious Naturalism is a concept that has developed largely in the academy, in trade books, and on several on-line sites that avoid using the term religious. This chapter describes our two-year experience launching the Religious Naturalist Association (RNA), an on-line community that has attracted > 400 members from 47 states in the US and 28 countries. We lift up the challenges and the advantages of exploring the religious naturalist orientation in a virtual context.

Listening To An/Other Voice: Gender, Creativity, And The Divine In The Works Of Female Christian Mystics And Women Surrealists, Stephanie Garboski

Honors Theses

This thesis will compare two groups, Christian women mystics and women surrealists, by analyzing select works by Hildegard of Bingen, Mechthild of Magdeburg, Leonora Carrington, and Dorothea Tanning. This analysis will involve a comparative, theoretical approach that draws connections between the way in which both groups utilize varying literary and artistic forms, symbols, and polyglottery. I will utilize Bourdieu’s terms of cultural production as a framework in which to better understand how women of both fields are used for their creativity and supposed connection to an/other, which is the source of inspiration native to each field, God and the unconscious. …

Forming Resilient Rostered Ministers: A Proposed Model For First Call Ministry Formation For The North/West Lower Michigan Synod-Elca, Christian A. Timm

Doctor of Ministry

According to the Gospels, Jesus of Nazareth selected twelve men to be his disciples. Three years later, one of the twelve had betrayed Jesus and ended his own liferepresenting an apostolic attrition rate of eight percent. One challenge to Christian denominations today is the attrition rate of trained pastors and deacons serving in congregational settings. Research suggests that up to 50 percent of pastors leave congregational ministry within ten years of their ordination. Other sources dispute these figures. Although up to 20% may leave congregational ministry in favor of specialized ministries, further study, or retirement, a significant number report leaving …

Arthur W. Spalding: Leadership During Cultural Upheaval, Allan W. Freed

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

'Leadership always occurs in the context of cultural mindsets and expectations. this article describes the work of arthur W. Spalding, who was the first family-life educator in the adventist church. Spalding was born into an era described as a “watershed” in domesticity. With the opening of the american frontier in the mid-1800s came the shift from family to individualism. Urbanization, industrialization, expanded travel, and communications eroded the social and material conditions that supported the traditional patriarchal family system. the american experience glamorized consumption, gratification, and pleasure. the fad was to reject traditional authority, particularly that of the clergy and the …

20 Questions & Question Helps, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Training Selected Churches In The Iowa-Missouri Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists To Minister To Cohabiting Couples, Jared S. Miller

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The number of cohabiting couples has dramatically risen over the last several decades. Even a significant amount of Seventh-day Adventist Church members, both young and old, have chosen to live together apart from a committed marriage. Living together without the covenant of marriage comes with many risks and many negative effects on both adults and children. With the prevalence of cohabitation increasing, the church is faced with a new ministry challenge and opportunity. Churches need to be educated about the biblical theology of sexual intimacy and the dangers and damage that come with cohabitation. Furthermore, churches need biblical strategies …

Improving The Lifestyle Of Andrews Korean Seventh-Day Adventist Church Members, Myung Do Park

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Andrews Korean Seventh-day Adventist church in Berrien Springs, Michigan has holistic lifestyle problems that are on the rise. Church members are experiencing health issues such as cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, and insomnia. In observing dietary patterns, it was noticed that some of our members do not bother to ascertain the content of the food being eaten. Other members have express the desire to learn about a healthy lifestyle. Purposeful attention to this need of the church is necessary. As a church community comprised of mostly pastors, university students and their families it is time to advocate …