Digital Commons Network^™

The Necessity Of Spiritual Preparation In Short-Term Missions As It Correlates To Ministry Effectiveness, Brent Edward Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a lack of resources available providing spiritual preparation training specifically for teams preparing for a STM with M4 Institute. The purpose of this action research project is two-fold. First, to develop a spiritual preparation resource for STM work in the Western Highlands of Guatemala. Second, to determine if providing spiritual preparation training for a team preparing for said STM work will improve the ministry effectiveness of the trip. An eight-week, five-phase intervention guide was created to implement with the focus group. This consisted of two in-person, on-site team trainings, three pre-trip Zoom team meetings, mid-trip communications with participants …

Wounding Words: A Phenomenological Study Of How Individuals Experience Receiving Spiritual Bypass, Peridot Reed-Gilbert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Currently spiritual bypass refers to a person's attempt to evade or sidestep significant events in his or her life by focusing solely on the spiritual dimension “bypassing” important psychological tasks necessary for healing (Cashwell & Young, 2004; Clarke et al., 2013). Several studies have been conducted proving that spiritual bypass is a phenomenon that individuals implement on themselves. However, the purpose of this study was to address the gap in the existing research literature by examining the lived experiences of those who have experienced receiving spiritual bypass from another person. Through semi-structured interviews, fourteen participants who self-identified as having experienced …

Beyond Sunday Morning: Communal Singing And Corporate Identity, Justin Aaron Mckinney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Corporate worship singing long aided congregants in growing their communal identity and theological understanding of biblical principles. While modern singing trends help congregants grow their theological understanding, modern church singing trends suggest songs are not encouraging growth in communal identity mimicking cultural values of individualism in corporate worship song lyrics. Historically, individual first-person pronouns represented the individuals alongside the rest of the church; but with a rise in cultural individualism, first-person pronouns now represent individuals independent of one another. This individualistic focus can lead congregants to conclude they do not need the church and to remove themselves from the body …

Community Connect: A Strategy To Mitigate The Effects Of Church Shopping On Small Urban And Rural Congregations, Jimmy Greene

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

While serving as an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, I began to realize that church shopping poses an existential worry to the survival of small churches in North America, mainly those with limited resources. The demand of some church shoppers for social amenities like indoor gyms and theater-style folding seats over personal relationship with God creates low morale for small churches, which often lack a positive response strategy.

This research study proposes a mitigating strategy, Community Connect, to address the social, psychological, missional, and ecclesiological impacts of church shopping on small churches. This socio-missiological, ecclesiological, and pedagogical approach …

The Religious Landscape Of Uruguay In The Third Millennium: Present Piety As A Product Of The Past?, Brandon Kriplean

Honors Theses

Of all Latin American countries, Uruguay enjoys both the lowest percentage of Catholics and the highest percentage of religiously unaffiliated. The central aim of this thesis is to explore the extent to which historical secularization processes and laicidad are responsible for the low number of Catholics and the large number of religiously unaffiliated. With regards to the former, the historical evidence suggests that the small Catholic population is not a result of laicidad but is instead a product of internal issues within the Uruguayan Catholic Church. Part 1 of this thesis will explore the factors that have weakened the Uruguayan …

Review Of "Three In One: Analogies For The Trinity", Steve Emerson

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

The Single Father In The Christian Church And Their Struggles, Kennedy Abbott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project is about a severe but unseen problem in the church. The single fathers in the Christian church have been quietly struggling because many do not seek help. Caretakers of this single-father ministry identify and are aware of the struggle affiliated with single fathers, summarized from personal experience in Chapter One. In Chapter Two, this research elucidates the severity of the problem related to children separated from either parent, possibly leading to behavioral concerns in school, the community, and the home. The fundamental principles of this research derives from gathering data relevant to this research to support this …

A Phenomenological Study In Attitudes And Belief About The Northern California Homeless Population, Ethel Diane Mckay

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Homelessness is a problem in the United States. By observing and collecting data regarding the views of multiple stakeholders, this researcher offers a study regarding attitudes and opinions about homelessness in two rural, northern California cities (Barmann, 2018, para. 2). By using a phenomenological approach for gathering and analyzing data, the researcher offers the essence of experiences of those who are helping the homeless population. By interviewing local government officials, pastors, and homeless advocates, where they are, in their offices, churches, or at local coffee shops, this researcher went to where the phenomenon occurs. The purpose of this phenomenological study …

Creating And Implementing A Mentorship Ministry For New Believers, Moses Aleman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A major spiritual crisis exists in the Christian church due to the lack of care and attention given to new believers. Although many churches provide conversion opportunities, they may not prioritize discipleship and support for those who are new to the faith. Consequently, some new believers resign their faith when faced with difficulties, while others may struggle without crucial elements of their faith and doctrine, causing obstacles in their future spiritual journeys. This thesis project argues that having a New Believers Mentorship Ministry is vital and effective in addressing these issues. The project coordinator has three specific expectations for the …

Intentional Discipleship: Implementing A Theology Of Discipleship For Spiritual Growth, Sheina L. Rivera

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the greatest needs for the church today is to equip believers to become biblically informed, fully developed disciples so that they are prepared to carry out the mission of Christ. Without fully understanding mature discipleship practices, believers cannot fulfill the Great Commission to “go, teach and baptize” to make other disciples. The failure to understand and teach these practices has led to complacency, lack of interest, and the inability to become disciples among long-term church laity. This dissertation implemented biblical discipleship teachings and practices in a local church through a Sunday School curriculum and was evaluated through participant …

Engaging An Unengaged Demographic: A Phenomenological Study Of Christian Millennials’ Engagement With Religious And Nonreligious Memberships, Stephanie F. Prince

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Church membership is declining worldwide. Studies show that Millennials are less likely to belong to a church than previous generations. Even among churched Millennials, only 48% of church-attending Millennials are church members. Simultaneously, organizations such as health, fitness, and social clubs are seeing an increase in Millennial membership growth. Brand loyalty is high among Millennials, but church loyalty is low even among practicing Christian Millennials who attend church at least once per month. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how practicing Christian Millennials understand the nature of engagement with church and nonreligious memberships and the factors …

Boundless Community: A Virtual Platform Designed For Collaborative Development Of Emotional Well-Being, Sai On Ng

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research aims to apply the US Army concept of spiritual readiness to help Christians manage emotional stress in a civilian context through an online community. This project invites disconnected Christians to join an online community where they can address negative emotions by developing self-awareness of their maladaptive thinking and embody the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love. This approach assists individuals in building emotional resilience, a concept emphasized in the military. This project addresses five negative emotions (anger, shame, sadness, fear, and loneliness) by replacing them with positive emotions taught in the Bible. The project consists of eight …

A Plan To Counteract The Negative Effects Of Laïcité On Evangelism, Jonathan Brian Laase

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project aims to assist believers in the Eglise Evangelique Baptiste de Draguignan in France to maximize their evangelistic efforts despite the pressures and adverse effects of laïcité. The work rests on the historical and French legal definition of laïcité that parallels the biblical doctrine of the separation of church and state. This doctrine supports the libertarian approach of laïcité and opposes the restrictive definition growing in French culture. A group of eleven individuals participated in an intervention to assist believers in their understanding of laïcité, evangelism, and the practice of evangelism. This six-week intervention combined teaching times, …

A Correlational Study Of Transformational Learning Tactics And Transformational Leadership Practices In Evangelical Pastors, Nichelle L. Crozier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research sought a possible explanation for the decline in Christianity in the United States through the lens of Evangelicalism. Holding to the Protestant reformist tenet of sola Scriptura, evangelicals characterize the role of the pastoral leader as being responsible for teaching congregants the Scriptures so that the congregant may do the work of the ministry according to Ephesians 4:11-16. Therefore, it was reasonable to question whether a pastoral leader's discipleship experiences, described here as transformational learning, had any impact on their disciple-making efforts, which were described as transformational leadership. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine …

Prayer’S Effect On Love And Respect In Christian Married Couples, Gabrielle Knorr Keenum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explored the relationship of Christian religious couples between marital prayer, either with spouse or for spouse, and the Biblical directive found in the New Testament that husbands and wives should both love and respect their spouse. Previous research is explored which finds multiple benefits religiosity and prayer have upon a couple’s relationship. The benefits of religiosity include couples view marriage as sacred and God as their moral authority which produces higher marital satisfaction and marital commitment. Benefits of relational prayer include increased trust, increased marital satisfaction, increased forgiveness, higher ability to resolve marital conflict, lower marital infidelity, higher …

Engaging The Church Body Of First Baptist Church Of Baldwyn Through A Ministry Placement Process, Jonathan Haley Uhrig

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Churches often struggle with finding enough volunteers to staff their ministries fully. The church staff and a small percentage of its membership usually does most of the ministry. Instead of pleading for more volunteers and putting pressure on those already serving to add additional ministries, churches can equip their current membership to serve in the church as they are gifted. When someone comes to Christ, God gives them at least one spiritual gift. Believers also have ministry passions and talents that can be leveraged for building and growing the church. Churches can help their members discover their spiritual gifts and …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Publications Review Board Now Operative

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The instituting of a formalized system of reviewing articles considered for possible F.A.R.M.S. publication was mentioned in the Fall 1987 Newsletter. The procedure operates under the aegis of the Evaluation Committee, whose members are Wilford Hess (BYU, microbiology), Douglas Phillips (BYU, classics), Harold Miller (BYU psychology), and Jay Todd (The Ensign). Committee chairman John Sorenson, the acting Evaluation Editor, is assisted by members of a new Publications Review Board, including Gerald Bradford (UC-Irvine, religious studies), John Clark (BYU-NWAF, anthropology), James Faulconer (BYU, philosophy), Stanley Kimball (So. Illin., history), Dan Peterson (BYU, Near Eastern languages), John Robertson (BYU, linguistics), Kent Robson …

Two More Audio Tapes Available

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

All year, Russell Peek has been organizing the F.A.R.M.S. Hugh Nibley tape archive. Several hundred recordings of firesides, Sunday School lessons, and talks have been gathered. Many of these recordings have been transferred to archive quality master, thanks especially to Gordon H. Peck in Las Vegas and Michael K. Jensen in Provo. The tapes are now being cataloged.

Audio Tapes Of Nibley Book Of Mormon Class Available, Russell Peek

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Those interested in an additional resource for study of the Book of Mormon in 1988 will be rewarded by the audio tapes of Dr. Hugh Nibley's upper division Book of Mormon class at BYU. Russell Peek and a team of recording technicians have captured on cassette tape more than 50 hours of lectures from fall semester 1987 and winter semester 1988, one hour of lecture per cassette.

The Book Of Mormon As Literature

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Three interpretive essays on the Book of Mormon from a literary point of view are now available.

Massive Bibliography On Pre-Columbian Transoceanic Contacts Now Available

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

A working edition of John Sorenson and Martin Raish's 900-page bibliography, Transoceanic Culture Contacts Between the Old and New Worlds in Pre-Columbian Times: A Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography, is now available. Funded by a F.A.R.M.S. grant, the work ultimately will include accurate bibliographical information on all serious published works on transoceanic cultural transmissions before 1492, each with an abstract of relevant contents.

The Role Of The Islamic Culture In Facing The Pandemic Crises In The Jordanian Society, Atallah Almaiaytah

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

This study explored the effects of the epidemiological crisis (Covid-19) on societies in general, and on the Jordanian society in particular from the psychological perspective. It pinpointed the preventive and curative psychological roles for the Islamic culture to reach solutions for the problems resulting from the epidemiological crisis. The study also explained the relationship of culture and the psychological aspect of the individual and society, and showed the importance of such aspect during the pandemic since it is the basis upon which all facets of human life are constructed. One of the most significant results of the study was highlighting …

Is Your Computer Lying? Ai And Deception, Noreen L. Herzfeld

Reuter Professorship of Science and Religion Publications

Recent developments in AI, especially the spectacular success of Large Language models, have instigated renewed questioning of what remains distinctively human. As AI stands poised to take over more and more human tasks, what is left that distinguishes humans? One way we might identify a humanlike intelligence would be when we detect it telling lies. Yet AIs lack both the intention and the motivation to truly tell lies, instead producing merely bullshit. With neither emotions, embodiment, nor the social awareness that leads to a theory of mind, AIs lack the internal referents on which to judge truth or falsity. When …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Did Lehi Land In Chile?

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

This Paper examines a statement, written by Frederick G. Williams in the early days of the church, which says that Lehi landed "on the continent of South America in Chile thirty degrees south Latitude." The author, Frederick G. Williams, is the great-great-grandson of Frederick G. Williams.

Wordprint Analysis In The Book Of Mormon

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

"Since the advent of modern programmable high speed computers, a new science of computer assisted literary 'stylometry' or 'wordprinting' has been developing. By statistically analyzing the small non-contextual word patterns of a disputed document, it is now possible to test which suspected authors did not write a given work," reports John L. HIiton.

Lehi's Ocean Voyage

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

John L. Sorenson has taken a look at the oceanic crossing of Lehi and his family in his Reprint ''Transoceanic Crossings." To get as much as possible out of the brief account contained in 1 Nephi, Sorenson asks 36 pertinent questions and develops a body of information about the voyage.

Nephi's Vision And The Revelation Of John

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

''The revelations of Nephi and of John have more in common . .. than merely the apocalyptic form, for Nephi's vision anticipates that of John. The two are complementary, centering in part on the same characters and themes: the Lamb and his Church, the Apostasy, the great and abominable church of the devil, and the restoration of the gospel in the latter days," asserts Stephen E. Robinson in "Early Christianity and 1 Nephi 13-14" and 'Warring Against the Saints of God."

Who Wrote The Title Page?

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Daniel Ludlow has taken a careful look at the title page of the Book of Mormon in his Paper ''The Title Page." Examining title pages in all major editions of the Book of Mormon, he compares printing history, wording, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. He also has studied how the original paragraphing and punctuation were added by a typesetter.