Digital Commons Network^™

Speelman's "Melanchthon And Calvin On Confession And Communion: Early Modern Protestant Penitential And Eucharistic Piety" (Book Review), Robert Lancaster

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

The Question Of Power In African Pentecostalism, Alex R. Mayfield

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Should the charismatic theology of anointing be considered a democratizing influence in Africa or a reiteration of mediatorial forms of power? Th is article seeks to answer this question by analyzing African traditional religious power structures in comparison to modern African theologies and practices of Pentecostal anointing. Th is comparison, however, highlights the problem of drawing direct lines from Africa’s past to its present; Pentecostal rupture from a traditional past is paradoxically both a break from and connection to pre-colonial conceptions of the self and community. Ultimately, this article argues that while both traditional religions and modern Pentecostal anointing favor …

Editorial, Jeffrey S. Lamp

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

The Transition Of Papal Politicization As Demonstrated Through Pope Gregory Ix And His Adversaries In The Thirteenth Century, Emily Northcutt

History ETDs

Gregory IX (pope 1227-41) asserted his papal authority over secular and religious leaders in an attempt to showcase the strength of the church. His pontificate took place between those of the famous Innocent III (1198-1216) and the powerful Innocent IV (1243-54), meaning that Gregory’s accomplishments are often overshadowed. This thesis aims to prove that Gregory is a worthy protagonist and a worthy subject of study in his own right. Comparing Gregory’s pontificate to those of his immediate predecessor and successor highlights the shifting nature of Gregory’s priorities. This work examines Gregory’s relationship with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II regarding crusades …

The Contemplative-Prophetic Spirituality Of Thomas Merton: Its Relevance For The Consecrated Life In India, Fabian Jose

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

Consecrated life in the Catholic Church is a vital and healing presence in Indian society. Religious men and women make an integral contribution to the society through their institutions in the fields of education, spirituality, medical care, social services, and other charitable activities. In the present context of India, however, consecrated men and women can experience challenges of relevance and identity in their vocations. These concerns have their basis in the fundamental need for a renewal of religious life itself in India, one which is imbued with a Christ-centered spirituality and reflects the prophetic charism that marks apostolic religious life. …

Belief In A Secular Age: Charles Taylor, John Henry Newman, And The New Evangelization, David C. Paternostro

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

We are currently living in what has been dubbed “a secular age.” Religious affiliation has gone down, leading to a phenomenon in the West known as “the rise of the Nones.” At the same time, from the time of the Gospels, the Church understands herself to be charged by Jesus Christ with the obligation to “make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19). Recent popes have likewise affirmed that we are obliged to go out and propose faith in Jesus to the world. Beginning with John Paul II, a “new evangelization” has been proposed, where the Church evangelizes and makes disciples …

Insights Into The Translation And Interpretation Of The Targum To The Book Of Jeremiah, Meng Loeng Yip

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Eighteenth-Century Forerunners Of Vatican Ii: Early Modern Catholic Reform And The Synod Of Pistoia, Shaun London Blanchard

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation sheds further light on the nature of church reform and the roots of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) through a study of eighteenth-century Catholic reformers who anticipated Vatican II. The most striking of these examples is the Synod of Pistoia (1786), the high-water mark of "late Jansenism." Most of the reforms of the Synod were harshly condemned by Pope Pius VI in the Bull Auctorem fidei (1794), and late Jansenism was totally discredited in the increasingly ultramontane nineteenth-century Catholic Church. Nevertheless, many of the reforms implicit or explicit in the Pistoian agenda - such as an exaltation of …

The Semi-Anti-Apocalypse Of Black Panther, Ken Derry

Journal of Religion & Film

This is one of a series of films reviews of Black Panther (2018), directed by Ryan Coogler.

Atonement In The Book Of Mormon And In The New Testament, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

New Testament writers consistently and vigorously testify that Jesus Christ has atoned for the sins of all mankind and has provided for their resurrection from the dead. In so doing they point to historical facts, the things he did to accomplish this—to his sufferings in Gethsemane and to his crucifixion and resurrection. Some of these writers also offer explanations or characterizations of that atonement intended to illuminate how it was possible or how it works. The various explanations offered are not identical or even always consistent with each other as they vary somewhat between writers, or sometimes even within the …

1 Timothy 3: Who Can Be An Officer? An Exegetical And Historical Study, Jose N. Briones

Seminary Scholarship Symposium

Who is able to hold the offices of the church, deacons and elders, within the Seventh-day Adventist Church? The question of gender roles and the church’s understanding of who is sanctioned by the Scriptures to aspire to that office is a revolving matter today. The topic has been around in discussion for about 40 years now without a final answer within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Therefore, it is the aim of this paper to focus on the consistency of the Seventh-day Adventist Church with its own statements and policies, and the text of 1 Timothy 3. Moreover, it will propose …

Review Of Revelatory Events: Three Case Studies Of The Emergence Of New Spiritual Paths, By Ann Taves, Seth Perry

Mormon Studies Review

When Ann Taves’s last monograph came out, in 2009, the journal Religion ran a review of it by Finbarr Curtis entitled “Ann Taves’s Religious Experience Reconsidered is a sign of a global apocalypse that will kill us all.”1 Curtis was worried about the effects of Taves’s unapologetically reductive approach to religion. Taves is well known as a proponent of using cognitive science and related methodologies to explain what really happens when people have religious experiences. This sort of thing, as indicated by Curtis’s title, rubs a lot of people the wrong way.

Review Of Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1805–1830, By Richard S. Van Wagoner, Mark Ashurst-Mcgee, Mark L. Staker

Mormon Studies Review

Around the turn of the century, Signature Books planned a series of three volumes that would cover Joseph Smith’s life in detail. Richard S. Van Wagoner was commissioned to write the first volume of the trilogy, treating the period from Smith’s birth to his move to Ohio. Van Wagoner’s Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1805– 1830 engages Smith’s family and cultural background, his childhood and formative years, his visionary claims, his translation of the Book of Mormon, and the organization of the Mormon church. Much of the work of Mormon history is done by amateur scholars who contribute …

Theology And The World's Living Faiths, Roland Scott

Papers

No abstract provided.

The Case Of The Missing Commentary, Brian C. Hales

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The first published commentary on Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 is a lengthy volume with much material that deals directly with the revelation as well as extended discussions that go well beyond Joseph Smith’s dictated text. Much of the included material has been previously published, although several new historical items are presented, including a detailed examination of the provenance of the revelation. An apparent weakness of the book involves key themes mentioned in the revelation but minimized or otherwise ignored in this extended commentary. Examples include the possible meanings of the “law” (v. 6), importance of sealing authority (vv. 7‒20), …

“By Small Means”: Rethinking The Liahona, Timothy Gervais, John L. Joyce

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The Liahona’s faith-based functionality and miraculous appearance have often been viewed as incongruous with natural law. This paper attempts to reconcile the Liahona to scientific law by displaying similarities between its apparent mechanisms and ancient navigation instruments called astrolabes. It further suggests the Liahona may have been a wedding dowry Ishmael provided to Lehi’s family. The paper displays the integral connection Nephi had to the Liahona’s functionality and how this connection more clearly explains the lack of faith displayed by Nephi’s band during the journey than traditional conceptions of its faith-based functionality.

Changing Critics’ Criticisms Of Book Of Mormon Changes, Brian C. Hales

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

In early 1830 Joseph Smith published the Book of Mormon, a 269,938-word volume that discusses religious themes intermingled with a history of ancient American peoples.1 Claiming it was scripture like the Bible,2 in 1841 he declared it to be “the most correct of any book on earth and the keystone of our religion.”3 Yet, many changes in the text of the Book of Mormon can be detected when comparing the original manuscript to the version available today. These changes have served as a lightning rod for some critics who imply that a divinely inspired book should not require any alterations. …

Indian Foundations And Chinese Developments Of The Buddha Dharma, Ronald S. Green, Chanju Mun

Philosophy and Religious Studies

No abstract provided.

Joseph Smith's Iowa Quest For Legal Assistance: His Letters To Edward Johnstone And Others On Sunday, June 23, 1844, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

When Joseph and Hyrum Smith were threatened with arrest on June 22, 1844, they left Nauvoo, Illinois, and went across the Mississippi River in the very early morning hours of Sunday, June 23. As evidenced by the letters and records of that crucial day, Joseph and Hyrum were considering several options that pointed in divergent directions. Recently found sources give new information about a little-known and underestimated purpose for their midnight rowing across the Mississippi River to Montrose, Iowa—namely, to seek and retain the legal assistance of experienced lawyers necessary before submitting to a warrant requiring them to go to …

Cecil B. Demille And David O. Mckay–An Unexpected Friendship, Fred E. Woods

BYU Studies

Early in the twentieth century, what should have been a most unlikely friendship curiously evolved into a lifelong amiable relationship between world-renowned filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille and David O. McKay, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In some ways, the two men were polar opposites. DeMille was an icon in the twentieth-century film industry who directed seventy motion pictures in an illustrious career that spanned over four decades. Dwelling in the midst of “Babylon” (Los Angeles), he was referred to as “Mr. Hollywood.” McKay presided from the heart of Latter-day Saint conservatism, Salt Lake City, dedicated …

John Wesley, Irenaeus, And Christian Mission: Rethinking Western Christian Theology, Howard A. Snyder

The Asbury Journal

John Wesley (1703-1791) was a theologian and practitioner of mission. The theological sophistication of his missiology has never been fully appreciated for three reasons: 1) Wesley seldom used the language of “mission,” 2) he intentionally masked the depth of his learning in the interest of “plain, sound English,” and 3) interpreters assumed that as an evangelist, Wesley could not be taken seriously as theologian. Quite to the contrary, this article shows the depth and sophistication of Wesley’s doctrinal and missiological thinking. Reviewing Western Christian theology from the first century to our day, this article examines the close use of Irenaeus …

Substitutes In Hell: Schemes Of Atonement In The Ezra Apocalypses, Meghan Henning

Books and Book Chapters by University of Dayton Faculty

This book is one of the first modern collections of studies on important aspects of the Ezra figure that combines both Jewish and Christian traditions. The volume opens with a study of Ezra in rabbinic literature and continues with four chapters on 4 Ezra, discussing its dimensions of time, future agents and visionary practices as well as reminiscences of 4 Ezra in the Armenian Script of the Lord's Infancy. The following chapters study the relationship of 4, 5 and 6 Ezra, the nature of 5 Ezra and dissimulation strategies in 6 Ezra. The last chapters concentrate on the important discovery …

Why Did Daniel And His Friends Refuse The King's Food And Wine, Sung Jae Park

Master's Theses

Problem

The first chapter of Daniel contains a well-known story of Daniel and his three friends' refusal to eat the king's food and wine. To the casual reader, this story may not solicit any probing questions as to the rationale for their decision. However, commentators of the book of Daniel have long been puzzled over this. The purpose of this study is to raise this question and propose a rationale for Daniel and his three friends' refusal of the king's food and wine.

Method

This study will encompass the entire first chapter of Daniel. Although the entire chapter will be …

Mark's Gospel Compared With Virgil's Aeneid, Floyd Schneider

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation will present the Gospel of Mark in light of the Aeneid, Virgil’s epic poem published by Augustus immediately after Virgil’s death in 19 B.C. The Aeneid’s genre, literary style, grammar, symbolic hermeneutics, and lasting influence has been thoroughly researched and dissected in literature courses throughout the centuries. It has been translated into numerous languages and widely distributed in terms of geography and nationalities. Virgil wrote the Aeneid to proclaim the deity of Augustus. “Hic Caesar et omnis Juli progenies magnum caeli ventura sub axem. Hic vir, his est, tibi quem promitti saepius audis, Augustus Caesar, Divi genus, aurea …

Beyond "Authentically Black And Truly Catholic": Black Catholic Identity For A New Time, Bryan M. Massingale

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

This essay examines the genesis and implications of the oft-cited phrase, "authentically black and truly Catholic." Tracing its origins as descriptive of the aspirations of Black Catholics in the United States following the Second Vatican Council, the author relates both the contributions and the significant limitations of this ecclesial project. He concludes by offering a new phrasing that he argues is more adequate to the current aspirations and needs of the Black Catholic faith community, namely, "radically Black and authentically Catholic."

John E. Davis (William H. Norman) -- A Galvanized Yankee In Utah, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

An interesting and intriguing story about William H. Norman, who served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War as an infantry rifleman from Georgia, was captured by Union troops in December 1864 outside of Nashville, Tennessee, and was then incarcerated as a prisoner-of-war in Camp Douglas, Illinois. As a Confederate prisoner, the federal government gave him the option of remaining in the camp or renouncing his Confederate loyalty and enlisting in the Union Army. Like thousands of his fellow prisoners, he chose the second option and became a "galvanized Yankee." A few months later (after the end of …

The Ecclesiological Implications Of The Priesthood Of All Believers, Alan Parker

Faculty Works

The Protestant Reformation encouraged the "priesthood of all believers" but how does that concept impact the local church in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination? The lack of a clear ecclesiology has hampered the growth and effectiveness of Adventism. Both Exodus 19:6 and 1 Peter 2:9 provide a theological hermeneutic for how to reframe our ecclesiology in a way consistent with the Protestant principle of every believer serving as a priest. Priests are teachers, holy representatives, and mediators. The practical implications of these three aspects are examined. Luther's struggle with papal power structures are examined in the light of his radical understanding …

Religion, Neutrality, And The Public School Curriculum: Equal Treatment Or Separation?, Matthew D. Donovan

The Catholic Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 52 No 2 - November 2017), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

From the Editor: Karin Maag - 149 / Articles: Genevan Psalms in Javanese by Yudha Thianto - 151 / Reengaging Figural Interpretation: The Impact of Erich Auerbach by James W. Skillen - 181 / Blessing and Glory: Abraham Kuyper on the Beatific Vision by Hans Boersma - 205 / Sermon: “Heaven: The Present Reality”—A Sermon on Hebrews 12:18–29 by Laura Smit - 243 / Short Studies: Why a Bavinck Institute? Why at Calvin Seminary? by John Bolt - 251 / Comparing Spirit Hermeneutics by Craig Keener with Classic Pentecostal Hermeneutics by Dean Deppe - 265 / Interpreting Figural Interpretation: A …