Digital Commons Network^™

Profile Of A Spirit-Empowered Leader: Opoku Onyinah, The “African Paul”, David Osei-Nimoh

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Spirit-empowered leadership takes its shape from both the Old and New Testament Scriptures. God raised up, transformed with the Holy Spirit, and set aside some men and women to impact their generations and influence the trajectory of the church. Most operated within the apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral, and teacher/scholar paradigms to execute God’s plan for their lives. In contemporary times, however, questions arise as to whether other individuals qualify as effective modern-day Spirit-empowered leaders who operate within the boundaries of these paradigms through the Holy Spirit’s enablement. Consequently, this research sought to examine the spiritual and theological infrastructure behind the …

Paradigms Of Global Spirit-Empowered Leadership, Eric N. Newberg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Spirit-empowered leaders employ different paradigms of leadership. The aim of the article is to identify, explain, and critique these paradigms. Spirit-empowered leadership is conceived of as belonging to the category of charismatic leadership. Following Max Weber, charismatic leadership is understood as flowing from charisma or giftedness, which is attributed to the leader by his or her followers. The article starts with the findings of theorists concerning charismatic leadership. Then it delineates five paradigms of Spirit-empowered leadership—the apostle, prophet, healing evangelist, pastorpreneur, and teacher/scholar. Examples are offered from global contexts. Last, a summative assessment of the paradigms is conducted, using criteria …

The Unfinished Task In North American Evangelism And Its Impact On Spirit-Empowered Christianity, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This study explores the state of evangelism in North America, particularly the Spirit-empowered church in the US. Charted through the history of evangelism movements, most of which originated in North America, this essay will look at those movements, their impact on the church, and some theological reasons why North America has not been more effective in its own evangelistic efforts.

Against These Things There Is No Law: Spirit-Empowered Witness In Secular Uruguay, Rebekah Bled

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Uruguay is a country unique in Latin America for its secularism. It secularized early, thoroughly, and publicly, under the leadership of President José Batlle y Ordoñez, at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. A century later, Uruguay still boasts the highest percentage of atheists, agnostics, and nones in the continent. This is a country that seems to defy the sometimes triumphalist narratives of the pentecostalization of the global South. Yet, even amidst this backdrop, there are bright spots of Spirit-empowered witness. This article seeks to examine two of these bright spots of Spirit-empowered hope during …

Full Issue: Spiritus 7.2 (2022) - Missional Leadership, [email protected]

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Religion On Immigration Public Opinion, Olga Alvertos

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

This study explores the ways in which the religious beliefs of individuals influence their opinion on immigration and immigration related policy. While seemingly separate topics, the two are interwoven through variables such as party affiliation, education level, and age. Previous studies show a clear correlation between frequent attendance of religious services and positive views on immigration and related policies. This topic has yet to be explored in depth and with reference to frequency of religious attendance. Using ANES data, my goal with this research is to determine if a strong attachment to religion affects public opinion of immigration policy and …

Faith Integration In Stem Courses For Undergraduates: Exemplars Of Pedagogical Practices, David Klanderman, Clayton Carlson, Tina Decker, Fred Haan, Victor T. Norman, Abbie Schrotenboer, Derek Schuurman, James Turner

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

In his book On Christian Teaching, David Smith offers multiple ways in which one’s Christian faith commitments influence pedagogical practices. Specific examples are drawn from the humanities, particularly from languages and literature. Some may conclude that such discussions are less appropriate in areas such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We disagree and offer exemplars aligned with a set of six curricular criteria identified by Wayne Au. We argue that these exemplars emerge naturally from our Christian beliefs and are “faith-influenced” even if not every strategy embodies a narrower integration of faith and pedagogy.

The Relationship Between Multicultural Christianity And Spiritual Formation: Quantitative Correlational Study, Jack Andrew Wingard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The population in America has changed dramatically over the past twenty years. The homogenous communities present when churches began in America have become heterogeneous. The homogeneous church growth models have possibly hindered spiritual formation for churches in America. Multicultural churches seek to solve this problem by creating environments that strategically create congregations that match the demographics of American communities. This correlational study aimed to explore if a relationship exists between multicultural church practices and spiritual formation in spiritual, social, and intellectual areas. The study employed survey instrumentation that used the MCSFS. Overall, five distinctly multicultural churches spread out across America …

A Reconciliation Of Pauline Complementarian Theology And Egalitarian Narratives In The New Testament, Paul Andrew Morss

Masters Theses

The debate about women having authority over men or serving in leadership roles within the church is a controversial topic that has existed for some time. There are different interpretations of the complementarian and egalitarian debate surrounding specific areas in scripture. The Bible is a source of wisdom and truth that is used to direct the lives of Christians and the church. However, both sides point to the same text as the justification for their beliefs. The complementarian and egalitarian debate is far-reaching, but I plan to look at one subject within the larger debate. The scope of my thesis …

We Will Hold Onto You: The Liberating Power Of Music And Liturgy To Break Open The Stories Of Mental Illness In Communities Of Faith, Hillary Doerries

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

One in five people lives with a diagnosable mental health problem in any given year. Thus, the presence of mental illness already permeates faith communities. The church’s history with mental illness remains complicated, especially as some communities of faith continue to espouse negative lay theologies that are harmful and dismissive to people living with mental health problems. Guided by the tenants of liberation theology, this thesis argues that mental health justice is a part of God’s overarching justice intended for all creation. When we, as God’s people, encounter or observe injustice, it is our theological task to gather the weary, …

As Fewer Young Americans Say They Believe In God, A Look At Why So Many Have Abandoned Religion And What Motivates Others To Keep The Faith, Briana Ellis-Gibbs

Capstones

Generation Z, defined by the Pew Research Center as those born after 1997, is the least religious generation yet, according to a recent report from the American Survey Center. More than one-third of Generation Zers are religiously unaffiliated, along with 29 percent of Millenials, those born between 1981 and 1996. On the other hand, only 18 percent of baby boomers and 9 percent of the silent generation claim no religious affiliation.

Though overall, Americans' belief in God has hit an all-time low, from nearly 90 percent in 2017 to 81 percent this year, according to a new poll by Axios …

Chanting The Medicine Buddha Sutra: A Musical Transcription And English Translation Of The Medicine Buddha Service Of The Liberation Rite Of Water And Land At Fo Guang Shan Monastery, Jeffrey W. Cupchik

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

A book review is presented for Reed Criddle, ed., Chanting the Medicine Buddha Sutra: A Musical Transcription and English Translation of the Medicine Buddha Service of the Liberation Rite of Water and Land at Fo Guang Shan Monastery. Recent Researches in the Oral Traditions of Music 13. Philip V. Bohlman, general editor. Middleton, WI: A-R Editions, 2020. 77 pages.

60 Years And Looking Forward: Possible Liturgy Futures, Gerard Moore

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Plenary Impressions Of The 5th Plenary Council Of Australia, Angela Mccarthy

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Something Borrowed: The Origins Of Christian Wedding Rituals, Brooke Leany

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Prolegomena To A Buddhist(Ic) Critique Of Capitalism, James Mark Shields

Faculty Contributions to Books

Not even three decades removed from Francis Fukuyama’s post-Cold War proclamation of the “End of History,” the Western world is now undergoing a crisis of conscience – at the very least – with respect to both capitalism as an economic system and neoliberalism as its less-recognized but ever-present ideological foundation. The financial crisis of 2008, the subsequent Great Recession, the Occupy movement(s) of 2011, the 2016 challenge of self-styled Democratic Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination, and growing anxiety about the fate of the planet, particularly among the young, have opened up new avenues of critique, and brought …

Introduction To Eusebius The Evangelist: Rewriting The Fourfold Gospel In Late Antiquity, Jeremiah Coogan

Jesuit School of Theology

The Eusebian apparatus marks a pivotal moment in the emergence of the fourfold Gospel. By means of a system of Gospel sections and canons, Eusebius guides the reader to discover similarity and difference throughout the fourfold Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Eusebian apparatus facilitated new modes of access and novel possibilities of Gospel reading. It illuminates the role of book technology in early Christian reading and the role of early Christian reading in the development of book technology. The apparatus thus offers an unparalleled window into both the emergence of this fourfold Gospel and the late ancient …

Semiotic Transfiguration: Becoming More Fully Human, Vern Hyndman

Doctor of Ministry

Jesus invites us into a new life, not simply adherents to a set of standards. Jesus invites us through a power not our own to become most fully human; alive Spiritually, Physically, Intellectually, Relationally, and Emotionally (SPIRE). We become Jesus-InSPIREd holistic human beings, invited to participate in God-powered transfiguration of ourselves and others.

The United States Military uses challenge coins to encourage soldiers, and the coins display visual metaphors that echo the values and objectives of the donor and the donor’s unit. I made a challenge coin for Leonard Sweet as a gift of thanks for his generosity to me …

Principles For Managing Burnout Among Catholic Church Professionals, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

While a large body of research literature has explored the assessment, treatment, and prevention of worker burnout, much less research has focused on the unique issues associated with burnout in religious organizations, especially within the Roman Catholic Church. Catholic Church employees, whether clerics or laypersons, are embedded within a 2,000-year-old global hierarchical structure and organization that is unique in that it includes clerics with vows of chastity, obedience, and often poverty as well as ongoing crises related to clerical sexual abuse scandals, significant financial stressors, and a faith tradition that often overvalues sacrifice and suffering. The purpose of this brief …

A Reflection On The Challenges And Collaborative Potential In Working With Buddhist Studies Materials In East Asian Librarianship, Matthew Hayes

Journal of East Asian Libraries

This article explores a set of shared challenges that tend to emerge for East Asian Librarians in working with Buddhist studies materials. It outlines how Buddhist linguistic conventions can give rise to an unpredictability in reference work, how its historical textual practices can complicate collections development, and how Buddhist temple archive management can make traditional approaches to research advising unreliable. It also proposes that these challenges provide distinct opportunities for collaboration across Chinese, Japanese, and Korean areas of bibliographic coverage. These challenges offer a chance for librarians to work together and develop a standard, field-wide toolset for working with these …

A New Wave Of “Space Nationalism” In The United States: Why Are Evangelicals Good With It?, Andrea Molle

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

Despite evidence that shows how the support for space programs correlates with liberal political views and a lower level of religiosity, recent data suggest that more conservative positions may have an even more substantial effect under the appropriate conditions. Using the available data from Pew's American Trends Panel, we seek to clarify this interactional effect of political and religious preferences on the level of interest in the space programs and commitment to space politics support among Evangelicals as it changed during Trump's presidency. Our research hypothesizes that during this time, the simultaneous presence of nationalist views in both accounts of …

Reviving The Christian Left: A Thematic Analysis Of Progressive Christian Identity In American Politics, Adam Blake Arledge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While Christianity in American politics today is mostly dominated by the voice of the Religious Right, many are unaware that there also exists a significant number of progressive Christians throughout the country. This diverse group, often referred to as the Christian Left, is not as organized or outspoken as conservative Christians and tends to shy away from the restrictive influence of identity labels. However, members all share in common a passion for social justice issues. This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the identity of Christian Left individuals through a thematic analysis of interviews. By interrogating participants’ identity …

When Deia Meets Faith In Heightened Tensions: Deia Initiatives At Catholic-Serving Institutions, V. Dozier, Martha Adkins, Alejandra J. Nann

Copley Library: Faculty Scholarship

Copley Library at the University of San Diego launched the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Committee in August 2020. The committee was developed in an effort to identify and work through the DEIA-related challenges affecting our country and our local community. Three librarians from the committee endeavored to explore what USD is currently doing as well as how libraries at Catholic-Serving Institutions are providing resources and services in regard to DEIA. Our approach was to survey USD faculty, staff, and administrators who participate or engage in DEIA efforts. The external survey was intended for librarians who work at Catholic-serving …

P-23 2 Peter, Information Literacy, And Theological Discourse, Terry Dwain Robertson

Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship

The pedagogical mission of academic librarianship embraces information literacy. “Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.” (https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework) The Association of College and Research Libraries proposes a Framework for teaching information literacy, including knowledge, practices, and dispositions--addressing both the consumption and production of information.

In 2 Peter, the knowledge, practices, and dispositions of the faith community (2 Pet 1), contrasted with those of the false teachers (2 …

Elementary New Testament Greek, Owen Ewald

Faculty Open Access Books

This open-access textbook helps students learn to read New Testament Greek at the elementary level. It includes clear, concise explanations of grammar and syntax, helpful examples, and essential vocabulary, with no assumption of previous language study, and it does not require accents for most forms. At the end of each of its twenty chapters, students will find short Greek-language episodes from the life of a fictional early Christian family of Jewish ancestry, short readings from the Greek New Testament and Septuagint, and review/homework exercises that can help reinforce new concepts and vocabulary. This book can help students prepare to read …

Prophecy And Politics: Understanding The Impact Of Media Prophets In Local Pentecostal Churches, Tommy Dawain Blackwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social injustice issues incite both positive and negative responses within local Pentecostal congregants creating topical “cones of silence” pastors and church leaders must cautiously navigate. The focus of this treatise is the proper response of Evangelical Pentecostals toward social justice. The goal is to help Evangelical churches to nullify the emotional edginess and discuss important issues while maintaining a strong unity with diversity. Research, via personal interviews of Pentecostal congregants and first-hand observation by church leaders, will identify negative political theologies as the emotional and political influences driving division within local Pentecostal churches. As a result, church pastors will recognize …

The Method Is The Message: Communicating For Individual Behavior Change Toward Disciple Multiplication, Jeffrey Keith Mcdaniel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this ethnographically informed, comparative embedded case study was to understand the lack of disciple-making movements for congregations at three evangelical churches representing the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast of the United States. The theories guiding this study were Latour’s actor–network theory and Bandura’s social cognitive theory as they provide a theoretical framework to understand the influence of culture on the creation of meaning followed by the influence of meaning on individual behavior. The primary research question that guided this study asked, How can a church organization communicate to increase disciple multiplication? To answer this question, a …

Theological Education And Spiritual Formation In The Lives Of Engaged, Emerging Adults, Markus David Colbert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis seeks to answer the following question: What is an effective discipleship method for emerging adults who are already engaged in IChurch? The method chosen was multi-layered and utilized corporate discipleship which involved a classroom setting geared toward theological and doctrinal education based on Bloom-Anderson’s taxonomy of educational objectives, communal discipleship which was concerned with small group activities and peer-to-peer accountability, and personal discipleship geared toward individual spiritual formation given an edited list of Whitney’s personal spiritual disciplines. Participants were asked to take an introductory Theological examination which plotted them from analyze level to the create level of Bloom’s …

Tellers Of Dark Fairy Tales: Common Themes In The Works Of C.S. Lewis And Terence Fisher, Gabriel C. Salter

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This article explores connections between C.S. Lewis and filmmaker Terence Fisher, notably how their works explore themes like the charm of evil, white magic’s dubious nature, and myth hinting at divine truths. By viewing these themes, Fisher and Lewis’s common views on fairy tales, and how feedback informed their work, scholars discover nuance in the perceived “Inklings versus secular British culture” dichotomy.

Digital Dissemination Of Islam Among Dubai Expatriates, Uae: A Mixed Methods Study, Urwa Mohammed Tariq

CoHSS Faculty Work

Dubai is a metropolitan city that attracts many foreigners due to its growing economy and tourism. When many non-Muslims observe the Islamic culture and lifestyle, they become interested in learning more about the faith. This research focuses on non-Muslims and new Muslims in Dubai and how information about Islam is disseminated to them. It also examines the challenges they encounter when searching for information. Though the researcher employed a mixed-methods approach, this study highlights the quantitative analysis. A total of 541 survey responses were collected from expatriates residing in Dubai, UAE; their demographic profile was analysed, especially in relation to …