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A Cabin In The Woods: A Former Statistician Responds To A Critique Of The Bayesian Version Of The Fine-Tuning Argument For God’S Existence, Adam Lloyd Johnson

Liberty Theological Review

Many theists and atheists agree that the fine-tuning argument is the most compelling argument for the existence of God. However, there are many different versions of this argument and, as with most things in life, some versions are better than others. In this paper I will respond to Neil A. Manson’s recent critique of what I call the "Bayesian Version of the Fine-Tuning Argument" for God’s existence. I will argue that the Bayesian version is a relatively poor argument but that the "Abductive Version of the Fine-Tuning Argument" for God’s existence is quite compelling.

Could It Be Reasonable To Conclude That Jesus Did It And John Wrote It Down? An Enquiry Into The Veracity Of John 7:53-8:11, The Pericope Adulterae, Thomas J. Gentry Ii

Liberty Theological Review

Broadly speaking, two types of answers to the question of whether John 7:53-8:11, the Pericope Adulterae (PA) should be considered part of the authentic biblical text have been offered by scholars. The first type includes those who conclude the PA does not report an actual account in the life of Jesus and should not be in the Bible. The second type comes from those who argue that the PA does present an account from the life of Jesus and should be in the Bible (although not all in the last group agree that the account is of Johannine origin). For …

Melchizedek: Exposing His Character And Its Biblical-Theological Implications, Wesley Nottingham

Liberty Theological Review

Commentators have long recognized the mystery of Melchizedek, noting “that Melchizedek appears in the narrative out of nowhere and just as quickly is gone.” In light of the nature of this Melchizedek figure, the task for a deep reader of Scripture becomes not only identifying who this figure is as he appears in Genesis, but also drawing out the biblical-theological implications of his presence. To determine how to best understand Melchizedek as well as his presence within the canon, the most effective approach is to examine the text in which he first appears—Genesis 14:18-20—and examine its interplay with another key …

Acedia And The Evagrian Antidotes To Pastoral Burnout, Thomas Daniel Irving

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

At its core, pastoral burnout is a spiritual malady and only a spiritual solution will cure. By attaining a clear understanding of acedia, the spiritual condition first introduced by fourth century monk Evagrius Ponticus, pastors will gain an awareness of their condition, find relief from its symptoms, find meaning in their vocation, and joy for life-long ministry. This work will explore the manifestations of and antidotes to acedia in both the original fourth century desert monastic context and its application to modern ministry.

The Implementation Of Islamic Law: Through Islamic Law Politics And Not Through Terrorism, Tjahjo Suprajogo

Journal of Islamic Law Studies

In the context of Indonesia, empirically and historically there is no doubt that Islamic law is one important element in the formation of national law (positive law). Also, sociologically, Islam as a religious doctrine is to have religious values that have been believed by Muslims to be a system of life that is regarded as the law derived from religion by most Indonesian people. Judging from the scope of realistic politic or ideological-empiric, there is a serious debate in the formulation of the basic constitution of the country is currently taking place in the sessions Agency of Efforts Investi- gation …

Murder And Morality: Late Nineteenth-Century Protestants’ Reaction To The Murder Of Helen Jewett, Grace Corkran

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

In 1836, Richard Robinson murdered Helen Jewett, a former domestic servant from Maine working as a prostitute in New York. Jewett’s death captivated the nation as newspapers and pamphlets detailed accounts of her seduction, fall from society, and life as a sex worker. The sensational stories about Jewett’s early life were of particular interest for audiences wondering how a girl, who lived and worked in a prominent Protestant family household, could willingly choose to become a prostitute. George Wilkes created a novelization of Helen Jewett’s life in 1878, which created a public image of Jewett and Robinson decades after the …

The Attitude Of The Protestant Community To Disabled People In Ukraine, Olga Polumysna

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In this article, we research those publications that show examples of Protestant social service to people in need, including people with disabilities. Ukrainian scientific studies have not considered this issue but only briefly mentioned their charitable deeds. This article demonstrations that Protestant denominations in Ukraine--whether Baptists, Pentecostals or Adventists--are sympathetic to people with disabilities. They establish various organizations, foundations, and volunteer actions to care for them. Protestants rely on their religious teachings that call them to help those who need it. They help both morally and materially. The assistance is provided selectively, in those places where a certain community operates, …

Activity Of Evangelical Baptist Christians In Ukraine (1991-2021), Hnat Mierienkov, Mykhailo Fedorenko, Serhii Makarchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The religious movement of Evangelical Baptists is the largest in terms of the number of believers in the Ukrainian Protestant community. The review of missionary activity and social projects of this denomination presented is an outline of the key areas of work of Evangelical Baptists in Ukraine. The largest number of Protestant educational institutions in Ukraine belong to the Baptists. All Baptist educational institutions can be divided into two types: 1) general preparatory programs of state institutions (kindergartens, schools, institutes, educational centers), and 2) theological seminaries, which aim to train ministers to meet the spiritual needs of the church. Baptist …

Scientific Review, Yurii Chornomorets

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Protestant Pentecostals In The Post-War Repression In Southern Ukraine 1945 – 1953, Mykhailo Fedorenko, Serhii Makarchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines one of the most dramatic pages in the history of the Pentecostal religious movement, which is related to the repression against them in the postwar years of 1945-1953 (the period of late Stalinism). The object of the study involves the communities of Pentecostals in the South of Ukraine, which operated in the territory of modern Mykolayiv and Odessa regions. After presenting the historiography of the question, it is shown that despite thorough scientific research on the activities of Protestant movements in Ukraine during the Soviet era, there are not enough separate studies related to the Pentecostals. Pentecostals …

Visual Rhetoric Of Protestant Architecture (On The Example Of Adventist Churches In Kyiv), Petro Kotliarov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines the features of the architecture of prayer houses of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Ukraine from the end of the 19th century to the present day. An attempt was made to explain the phenomenon of the development of Gothic elements in the construction of houses of worship in the late 20th - early 21st centuries, a chronological period that coincided with the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukraine's independence. The connection and role of architecture with the dogmatic foundations of the doctrine of the SDA church have been established. The study partially refers to the methodological …

Online Projects For Adventist Youth During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Valentyna Kuryliak, Mariia Ovchar

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article explores and presents the first online projects that were organized by young people who are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ukraine. It was found that the initiators of the launch of the projects were the believing youth themselves, who, faced with the problem of the lack of weekly offline communication in churches, resorted to alternative methods of interaction. Online communication was developed in a youth style and focused on the interests and problems of young people, such as finding a life partner, learning to organize their time, complications in the development of spiritual life, etc. During …

Volyn Confessors Of The ‘Spirit Movement’: Survival Practices In The Context Of Soviet Totalitarianism, Iryna Panchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The trajectories of the modern “Spirit Movement” affirm qualitatively new phenomena in the Ukrainian evangelical movement and religious life in the region. The rapid development of Pentecostalism in the Volyn region, where a third of all Pentecostals in the Ukraine live, its active entry “into the world” and its capacity for creative contextualization, necessitate a scholarly analysis of the “Spirit Movement.” It is revealed that the Pentecostal movement in the Volyn region during the time of the totalitarian period functioned as an association of Christians united not by institutional context but by a common charismatic experience. The indifferent attitude of …

Ukrainian Protestants And Digital Culture, Maksym Balaklytskyi, Аndrii Shevchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Ukrainian Protestantism in recent decades has found fertile ground on the Internet. Activities through the Internet environment proved to be more successful than actual activities, as it was possible to cover larger areas and scales. Although the Internet is an additional option to the offline reality, it is also perceived by Ukrainian Protestants more as a marketing tool. This study examines two aspects of Protestant dialogue with digital culture: educational and applied. The educational direction is represented by the ecumenical curriculum in digital theology, initiated by Protestants. This educational center seeks to overcome confessional differences by establishing a common Christian …

History Of Evangelical Christian Baptists In Ukraine (Mid-19th Century To 1929), Fedir Prodanyuk, Hnat Mierienkov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article reviews the history of Evangelical Baptists in Ukraine from the middle of the 19th century to 1929. The article presents the development of Ukrainian Baptists from a local group to a large-scale organization that takes an active part in social service, has the most followers in Ukraine among Protestants, and is inextricably linked with the history of Ukrainian society. Of particular note is the fact that the Baptists spread differently in various areas and formed separate associations, which for some time existed independently of each other. For a while, the existence of Evangelical Baptists in Ukraine was not …

Two Positions Of Ukrainian Protestants On The Question About Lgbt Community, Valentyna Kuryliak, Оlena Honcharova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The relevance of the study of protection-traditional Protestant positions regarding the promotion of the ideas of LGBT communities in Ukraine is due to the European integration processes, which have become a strategic guideline of Ukrainian aspirations for transformation, for which they have been carrying out reforms. The main task of the article is to display the Ukrainian evangelicals’ uncoordinated realities. These realities, on the one hand, seek to obtain various advantages from the European Union in the context of Ukraine’s European integration, and, on the other hand, are not ready to fully implement European guidelines. In Ukraine there are three …

Historical Memory Of Ukrainian Adventists In The Context Of Museum Work In Ukraine, Valentyna Kuryliak, Lyudmyla Kruglova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The research is aimed at comprehensive coverage of museum affairs in Ukraine in the context of the work of the private museum collection of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The authors set a threefold goal, which is to present the real situation of national and private museums, to define national memory, places of memory, and religious memory, and to acquaint readers with the museum exhibits of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ukraine, which were not previously represented in the cultural and scientific circles of Ukraine and the world. In Ukraine, the issue of preserving cultural and religious monuments is acute, which …

Scientific Review, Nadiia Stokolos

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

The Challenge Of Hybridity: Mormonism In Mauritius, 1980-2020, Marie Vinnarasi Chintaram

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis focuses on the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mauritius. This thesis illustrates the implications and pressures of the Church trying to globalize the faith, correlating Mormonism with and conforming it to cosmopolitan communities such as Mauritius.

Armed Conflict And Protestant Volunteering In Eastern Ukraine, Valentyna Kuryliak, Maksym Balaklytskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The process of development and activity of Ukrainian Protestantism due to the influence of the recently destroyed Soviet ideology is somewhat complex and unstable. Protestants became noticeable to Ukrainian society after the events of Euromaidan and the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 in the center of the capital of Ukraine. The Protestant community, however, did make real, material contributions in the territory of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, which began in April 2014. The aim of this article is to evaluate the volunteer work of Ukrainian Protestants and to understand the difference between secular …

Activities Of The Adventist Development And Relief Agency In Eastern Ukraine, Valentyna Kuryliak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The charitable organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been active in the conditions of the military conflict in the East of Ukraine since 2013, particularly during the difficult events on Euromaidan in the center of the capital of Ukraine. Since 2014, ADRA Ukraine has implemented more than 150 humanitarian projects in the east and throughout Ukraine. Among the largest were "Eastern Angel," "Hands of Hope," and "Social Transport." Through food and non-food programs, ADRA Ukraine volunteers, together with other churches and international organizations, help people affected by the military conflict in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. In addition, ADRA …

Tale Of Two Judiths: Queering Judith With The Works Of Judith Butler, Kat S. Lewis

Religious Studies Honors Projects

Biblical texts play a significant role in shaping expectations for behavior based on gender in Western societies. In my queer reading of the Book of Judith, I argue that Judith’s performance of gender is fluid and gender expansive. I use reader-response criticism to interpret Judith in conversation with the works of Judith Butler and Saba Mahmood on gender performativity, drag, and agency. This queer reading of Judith provides representation of gender expansiveness in biblical texts and explores queer possibilities in Judith as a way to challenge and subvert a patriarchal, heterosexist gender binary.

Towards A Model Of Old Testament Cultural Engagement: Overlooked Elements, Seth Pryor, John Carson Iii

Liberty University Research Week

Graduate

Three Minute Thesis

Barnabas: The Forgotten Apostle, Emily James, Stuart Bennett

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

The Significance Of Oomoto: Why Imperialization Of Japan Led To An Alternative Religion, Chancellor T. Jenniges

Phi Alpha Theta Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

Abstract: In 1852 Admiral Matthew Perry led an American fleet to Japan and persuaded the Japanese to modernize. Fearful of being colonized by the West, like the Chinese, the Japanese moved to westernize their own economy and society. As a result, they outlawed many historic customs. Japan began to westernize their customs and define religion. Three categories were established, religion, non-religion, and superstition. Any ideology or practice that no longer benefited their goals of westernization was deemed superstitious and removed from the narrative. However, these developments met opposition. One such opponent, Ueda Kisaburō, created an alternative religion called Oomoto in …

The Muridiyya On The Move : Islam, Migration, And Place Making, Cheikh Anta Babou

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

Highlights the role of transnational space making in the construction of diasporic Muridiyya identity.

The construction of collective identity among the Muridiyya abroad is a communal but contested endeavor. Differing conceptions of what should be the mission of Muridiyya institutions in the diaspora reveal disciples’ conflicting politics and challenge the notion of the order’s homogeneity. While some insist on the universal dimension of Ahmadu Bamba Mbakke’s calling and emphasize dawa (proselytizing), others prioritize preserving Muridiyya identity abroad by consolidating the linkages with the leadership in Senegal. Diasporic reimaginings of the Muridiyya abroad, in turn, inspire cultural reconfigurations at home.

Drawing …

Israel's Ethnic Cleansing Of Palestinians, Bria Riepe

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

The carving of Palestine to create a ‘Jewish State’, Israel, has imposed upon the Israeli and Palestinian people the necessity of separation on highly unequal terms and qualities of human existence. Since Israel’s creation, millions of Palestinians have been forcibly removed from their homes, displaced, rendered refugees, and continue to exist under severe Israeli military occupation. According to Israeli immigration laws, displaced Palestinians are prohibited from returning to their homes, joining their families in Israel or the occupied territories, and even from entering the ever-expanding borders of Israel. This has occurred alongside a high immigration rate through Israel’s Law of …

Mauna Kea: Where The Cosmos Meet Settler Colonialism, Maria Encinosa

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

International Research Symposium Exhibitor and Honorable Mention Abstract:

The proposed construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Mauna Kea has sparked protests given the sacredness of the mountain to the Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians). The narratives that have arisen reignite familiar tropes, framing the conflict as one between indigenous religion and scientific progress. I deconstruct these narratives through an analysis of TMT International Observatory (TIO) affiliated websites paired with insights from secondary sources. Ultimately, I argue the TIO’s response and presentation of Ho’Omana Hawai’i religious views and ‘modern’ astronomy as antagonists extend settler-colonialist interests.

The Uighur Genocide, Karlee Gordon

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Honorable Mention Winner

International Research Symposium Exhibitor and Project of Merit Award Tensions have surfaced between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and their Muslim ethnic minority, the Uighur, as the CCP attempts to deconstruct their religious identity in exchange for a nationalist allegiance. Militarization of Uighur land, anti-Muslim legislation and detainment of the Uighur into re-education camps reveal the extremes the CCP will take to eliminate the Uighur’s influence. The CCP’s harsh measures bring to question the extent the authoritative regime will allow its population religious freedoms. As Chinese history, recent legislation, and Uighur socialization is analyzed, theories are presented …

How Free: An Analysis Of Neo-Molinism In The Sovereignty And Freedom Debate, Reuben S. Imlah-Savitt

Selected Honors Theses

This extended literature review is an exploration and analysis of Neo-Molinism. Gregory Boyd’s Neo-Molinism is compared and contrasted with other theories of divine foreknowledge. Each theory is evaluated on the merits of how it interprets God’s sovereignty and human freedom. The major issues of each theory are brought to light along with how Neo-Molinism deals with these issues. Also, major objections to Neo-Molinism are answered using scripture. In conclusion, Neo-Molinism is an improvement upon its predecessor, Open Theism.