Digital Commons Network^™

Can State-Sponsored Religious Symbols Promote Religious Liberty?, Thomas C. Berg

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

Epiphany 6 Series A 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Septuagisma (Epiphany 6) One Year Series 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

Brown, Michael R. - Collector (Sc 3088), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding Aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3088. Correspondence of Janice Holt Giles related to the “White Caps,” the Brethren in Christ church, and collected by Michael R. Brown for a scholarly article he produced on the topic. Also includes a chronology of Giles’ life compiled by Brown as well as a copy of his completed article. Giles used the information she gleaned about the “White Caps” in one of her books, Tara’s Healing.

Can Taxpayers Stand Discrimination?: Lack Of Standing And The Religious Freedom Restoration Act Permits The Executive Branch To Fund Discrimination Within Religious Organizations, Regina N. Kaley

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

Laïcité In Comparative Perspective Panel Discussion, Nina J. Crimm, Javier Martinez-Torron, Elizabeth Zoller

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

Epiphany 5 Series A 2017, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

No abstract provided.

The New York Marriage Equality Act And The Strength Of Its Religious Exceptions, Andrew R. Hamilton

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

The Relation Between Justice And Love In The Natural Order, Rev. John A. Perricone

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

The Free Exercise Clause: Fealty To God Or Caesar?, John O. Hayward

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

Law As Eschatology, John D. Haskell, Jessica Fish

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

The Conscience Of A King: Law, Religion, And War In Shakespeare's King Henry V, Robert J. Delahunty

Journal of Catholic Legal Studies

No abstract provided.

Human Life And Abortion, Paul V. Harrington

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Delight, Jill Schouten

Student Work

"When we delight in our heavenly Father, our desires will begin to align with his."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­finding joy in the Lord from In All Things - an online hub committed to the claim that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has implications for the entire world.

http://inallthings.org/delight/

Centers And Edges: Toward A Dialogic Remedy For The Eroding Missional Footprint Of Ecclesial Organizations In America, Jonathan Allen Spellman

Doctor of Ministry

There is a self-inflicted erosion to the missional footprint of ecclesial organizations occurring when leaders at organizational edges are disconnected. When disconnection occurs, the potential for creativity and innovation resident with that leader is lost to the organization. Disconnection is not only manifest in administrative departure from the organization.

Dialogue is a unique kind of speech/listening event, necessarily differentiated from other types of speech/listening events, which may offer a remedy to the erosion.

Chapter one is introductory. It provides the reader with an understanding of the author’s interest in this subject and presents a clear statement of the ministry problem …

The Story Pastor: A Faithful And Fruitful Identity For Pastors, Jordan Rimmer

Doctor of Ministry

Pastors are experiencing an identity crisis. Many are not sure how to process who they are and what they do. While old metaphors for ministry—like shepherd or prophet— do not connect as well with today’s culture, new metaphors—like leader or counselor— are not biblically complete. This identity crisis negatively affecting clergy health and ministry. How can pastors pursue sustainable ministries, based on an identity, that is faithful to the tradition and fruitful in the world today?

Story is a paradigm for ministry that shapes pastoral identity. Pastors benefit from thinking of their ministry in terms of story because it is …

Aging Gracefully: The Art Of Elegant Kenosis, Mary A. Pandiani

Doctor of Ministry

Within American culture, the fear of aging creates an obsessive focus on staying young. The Christian church acquiesces to this fear by avoiding the imperative conversation about aging, putting at risk those in the second half of life. The beauty and shadow side of aging offer a unique opportunity to counter the cultural norm, through contemplation in spiritual- and self-awareness. A contemplative life cultivates a place to face the realities of aging. By deepening a relationship with God and others, the aging follower of Jesus Christ navigates a way through the highs and lows of getting older. Research in spirituality …

Missionary Reentry Transition And Disrupted Spiritual Friendships: An Introduction To Practical Theological Consideration Of Transition And Ambiguity In Life Together In Christ, Gail Hutchinson

Doctor of Ministry

Scattered throughout communities in the U.S. are Christians who have returned home following a season of living and ministering overseas. Many returnees experience a lingering sense of disorientation and disconnection that has been described as feeling like “a stranger at home” or “everything sort of fits but not quite.” Relationships with family and local friends are often affected in ways that are unclear, uncanny, and unexpected. Spiritual companionship is disrupted as returnees and local Christian friends become partial strangers to one another. Reconnection is further hindered when disorientation, unsettledness, and ambiguity are not well understood, acknowledged, and supported in many …

The Efficacy Of Late Antique Spiritual Practices For Family-Based Adolescent Faith Formation, Kevin M. Young

Doctor of Ministry

Approximately 70 percent of evangelical teenagers drop out of church and stop practicing their faith during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Research indicates that cultural trends are less to blame for these negative trends than the utilization of ineffective methodologies for faith formation. This dissertation argues that the utilization of modern learning techniques in conjunction with adapted spiritual formation practices from Late Antiquity, within the context of family, and coordinated by a church community best ensures a stable and enduring faith for the next generation. Section 1 addresses the problems inherent to adolescent faith formation within the context of …

Revitalization Of Assemblies Of God Churches In Stagnation Or Decline, Mark L. Merrill

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation examines church revitalization in Assemblies of God churches in the United States experiencing stagnation and decline. It examines a contextualized perspective of various factors, both practical and theological, as well as various approaches that are being utilized in the field. The result is the formulation of an approach to church health from the semiotic perspective of the human body that can be used to diagnose and overcome the pervasive problem of church decline. Section 1 delineates various problems associated with church decline. Statistics and data are used to define the current reality. The problem of church decline will …

The Established And The Unfolding Tension: A Resonance Of Renewal For The Church Of The Nazarene, Nathan Michael Roskam

Doctor of Ministry

The topic for this dissertation is the historical relationship between unfolding movements and leaders and the institutional church. Within this frame, the focus is the Church of the Nazarene as an institution, and the church’s relationship with its young and unfolding clergy outliers. Outliers are defined as individuals who do not identify with the center of the institution and instead are marginalized to the fringes based on their unique call as innovators (apostles), igniters (prophets), and influencers (evangelists). The Church of the Nazarene is failing to disciple its outliers. The question is, how can the Church of the Nazarene better …

Redirecting The International Church From An Oasis Paradigm To Missional Thought, Community And Practice, David W. Young

Doctor of Ministry

The International Church (IC) environment is dynamic—people from dozens of different nations and Christian heritages worship together each week. ICs, often in global cities, can have strategic influence helping diaspora make adjustments, welcoming them and bringing a sense of community, connection, and peace during stressful transitions. As a consequence, ICs often adopt “a home away from home” vision—where the IC believes it fundamentally exists as a temporary oasis to meet the religious and social needs of its members. However, the oasis/nurture paradigm—with its consumer undertone, inward focus on member care, and shepherding is inadequate for making and mobilizing disciples. Third …

Infusing A Paradigm Of Mission And Multiplication Into The Greater Ohio District Of The Wesleyan Church, Christopher Dyer

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation will explore appropriate methodology for reinvigorating the Greater Ohio District of The Wesleyan Church by creating a new paradigm of mission and multiplication. Statistics show there is a declining number of congregations in The Wesleyan Church of North America, and specifically, within the Greater Ohio District. Local churches are being closed at a rapid rate and multi-faceted congregational multiplication is needed to replace these lost congregations and restore missional presence. The narrative of the District is one of fear, fatigue, and closed-mindedness; discriminatory against church multiplication due to nearly two decades of perceived failed attempts which resulted in …

Overcoming The Unique Spiritual Formation Challenges Experienced By Large-Church Staff, Scott Whaley

Doctor of Ministry

Church staff encounter unique spiritual formation challenges that are not experienced in other vocations. In addition to managing stressors that are typical in every workplace setting, the church staff must also address the implications that arise because their pastor is also their employer, and their place of worship is also their workplace. These challenges are magnified in the large-church environment due an increased focus on employee performance and an emphasis on a corporate organizational structure. Over the last few decades, large churches have adopted best-practices from the corporate world, practices which focus scrutiny on increasing staff performance, further adding to …

The Study Of Brokenness As A Critical Success Factor In The Effective Leadership Of The Pastor, Robert Thompson

Doctor of Ministry

In our western culture, many churches, pastors, and Christian leaders have adopted secular leadership that emphasizes performance and results rather than emphasizing spiritual leadership based in our identity in Christ as a servant leader and the process of brokenness that God uses to develop His servants. Recent literature has suggested that pastors and Christian leaders need to revisit the need for brokenness in their Christian formation as a critical success factor in their leadership. The Church should consider brokenness as a critical success factor in the effective leadership of the pastor.

This dissertation will concentrate on the importance of brokenness …

Making The World A Better Place: The Praxis Of Christian Community Development As A Church Planting And Multiplication Strategy In Urban Poor Communities In The United States, Phillip W. Struckmeyer

Doctor of Ministry

The topic of this dissertation centers on church planting and multiplication in urban poor communities in the United States. The ministry problem being addressed is the fact that The Wesleyan Church denomination does not have a strategy for church planting and multiplication in urban poor communities. In Section One, the complexity of this problem will be explored by: first, considering The Wesleyan Church’s predominantly rural-based, white-evangelical past; second, considering the effects of urbanization and globalization, which have created an increasingly urban, multiethnic, and socioeconomically divided mission field in the United States; and last, gaining a deeper understanding of systemic racism …

Instilling Health And Vitality Into The Third Wave Oraon Churches In Jharkhand, Samuel Stephens

Doctor of Ministry

This study is based on the observation that large numbers of Oraon tribals in the state of Jharkhand, India are embracing Christianity, and an increasing number of small churches in the region is evidenced. The Oraon new believers, however, lack adequate spiritual nurture, resulting in spiritual stagnancy, a leaning to syncretism, and practice of unhealthy traditions. These traits leave the Oraon churches spiritually impoverished and unsustainable. The study seeks to ascertain appropriate measures to infuse and instill such health and vitality.

Chapter one describes the nature of the Oraon people movement first and then places it within its national context. …

A Church Family's Path Through Founding Pastor Transition, Nick Martineau

Doctor of Ministry

Leadership transitions are inevitable within all organizations. It is not a question of if, but when. This is particularly true within churches. Pastoral succession, particularly a long-term founding pastor’s transition, is difficult. There are many emotions and tensions to navigate for the church family, staff, elders, founding pastor, and incoming pastor, in the midst of the transition. A struggle for control often takes place in addition to a great sense of loss, confusion, and fear for many in the church family. Every transition has its own unique story. Some transitions go smoothly, while others result in pain and a disaster, …

The Ecological Gift Of Spiritual Formation: A Renewal For Healthy Clergy, Jody Becker

Doctor of Ministry

Every year Lutheran clergy resign pastoral calls citing one, primary reason: burnout. Certainly, the demands of pastoral call within a congregation are easy to observe: long on-call periods of time, intense levels of pastoral care needs, and navigating multifaceted, interpersonal relationships, to name a few. While these demands become symptomatic to the problem of burnout, the determining cause is still unknown, especially given the various contextual factors for these pastors. Yet, the number of pastors leaving ministry or experiencing shortened tenures is alarming. In the Lutheran church, spiritual formation language is often associated with determined deficiencies. Other times, spiritual formation …

A Sacred Consciousness: A Review, Douglas Firth Anderson

Northwestern Review

This essay reviews Nancy Tatom Ammerman, Sacred Stories, Spiritual Tribes: Finding Religion in Everyday Life.