Digital Commons Network^™

Christians And Vedic Sacrifice: Comparing Communitarian Sacrificial Soteriologies, Christopher Denny

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Can there be a constructive Christian appropriation of understandings of religious sacrifice from another religious tradition? As far back as the first-century letter to the Hebrews, Christians defined the efficacy of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice over and against previous sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem, and in subsequent centuries have argued that Christ’s sacrifice is an unrepeatable historical act manifesting God’s favor to human beings. Unless Christian theologians are willing to take the path of liberal pluralism and concede that the sacrifice offered through Jesus of Nazareth is one species within a genus of soteriological possibilities, an epiphenomenon of an underlying …

Universal Goals & Local Application: Theological Field Education At St. John Vianney Seminary, Germaine Bruno

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a curriculum history of theological field education at Denver's Roman Catholic seminary, St. John Vianney. The study utilizes archival material and the historical method to construct an educational historiography of the evolution and development of theological field curricula from 1910-2010. The research questions focus on two areas: the role of the Catholic Church in shaping seminary curricula and the adaptation and application of these Church guidelines by practitioners in the local context.

The study utilizes the conceptual tools of Kelly Ritter (2009) to analyze the findings in the light of socio-historical forces which shape curricula. According to …

The Status Of Women And The Arab Spring, Karen Pimentel

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The social movement known as the Arab Spring brings together various groups, including educated women, demanding the overthrow of decades-old dictatorial regimes. It begins in Tunisia and then extends to neighboring Arab- speaking countries of North Africa, Egypt and Libya. Similar social, cultural, and economic conditions are conducive to the unfolding of a single social movement across national borders. After the successful overthrow of dictatorships, groups that collaborated in it, clash against each other. Despite the fact that the movement was initiated by middle-class youth advocating a Western-style model of democracy, Muslims succeed in gaining control of ―democratic,‖ majority-rule governments …

Christians In The Movies: A Century Of Saints And Sinners, Bryan Polk

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a book review of Peter Dans' Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2009).

"Some Perspectives On Spiritan Peacebuilding", Brian Starken C.S.Sp.

Spiritan Horizons

No abstract provided.

Taking Back The Bible, Mark I. Wallace

Religion Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The Hope Of An Open Hand: Civility As An Invitation To Incarnational Ministry, Kevin Dwight Glenn

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Conflict Resolution In Islam: Document Review Of The Early Sources, Flamur Vehapi

Dissertations and Theses

Islam is the world's fastest growing religion. It is known to have an abundant and very rich amount of knowledge found in the Qur'an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, and as such, this religion has tremendously contributed not only to Muslim societies but also to the West. One aspect of this contribution explicated in this thesis is its contribution to the field of Conflict Resolution.

The primary purpose of this study is to unearth the tradition of peace and conflict resolution that comes out of the religion of Islam, which is unknown to many Muslims today. In this study, …

Broken Lights: Seeing The Church Through Jesus’ Call To Justice, Syd Hielema

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Christ's Response To The Last, The Least, The Lost, The Left Out - Is The Church Living Up To Christ's Standard?, Jerry Staples

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a plethora of statistics concerning how many un-churched people there are in the United States and the socioeconomic ladder does not discriminate who fits this lost category. Yet, the concern of this project deals with the gang member, drug dealer, drug users, pimps and prostitutes. The intent is to take outreach to the street through cook outs, Holy block parties, street revivals and the like. The rationale of this project is to show how one can reach, teach and keep this group of people, the potential dangers, and positive consequences associated with it. The potential value of this …

Book Reviews

Liberty Theological Review

Book reviews from various authors.

Life Post 9/11: Experiences Of Korean Americans Ten Years Later, Jay Lee

Dissertations and Theses

This is one of the first qualitative studies to investigate experiences of Korean-American Christians living in New York City at the time of 9/11. This study sought to gain an understanding of how a group of Second Generation Korean-American Christians living in New York City at the time of the 9/11 attacks experienced that event and the event's impact on their religious beliefs. The study also investigated the communication context at the time of the ten year anniversary of the event, September 11th, 2011. The guiding research questions were: RQ1) What were their life experiences of 9/11? RQ2) Was their …

Volume 39, Issue 3 (2013) Summer 2013

Journal of Mormon History

ARTICLES

--Monogamy Underground: The Burial of Mormon Plural Marriage in the Graves of Joseph and Emma Smith, Lee Wiles, 1

--William Smith’s Patriarchal Blessings and Contested Authority in the Post-Martyrdom Church Christine, Elyse Blythe, 60

--When Mormonism Mattered Less in Presidential Politics: George Romney’s 1968 Window of Possibilities, J. B. Haws, 96

--“Prepared to Abide the Penalty”: Latter-day Saints and Civil Disobedience, J. David Pulsipher, 131

--Almon W. Babbitt, Joseph E. Johnson, and the Western Bugle: An LDS Frontier Newspaper at Kanesville, Nicholas D. Harmon, Michael S. Huefner, and Shauna C. Anderson Young, 163

--Into the Fray: Sam Houston’s …

Implications And Consequences Of Post-Modern Philosophy For Contemporary Transpersonal Studies Ii. Georges Bataille’S Post-Nietzschean Secular Mysticism, Phenomenology Of Ecstatic States, And Original Transpersonal Sociology, Harry Hunt

International Journal of Transpersonal Studies

The writings of the French philosopher Georges Bataille (1897-1962) offer their own contribution to the descriptive phenomenology of mystical and numinous states, as well as a version of the modern secular or this-worldly mysticism variously anticipated by Jung and Nietzsche, and a highly original sociology and social psychology of transpersonal experience, influenced by Max Weber, that helps to open an area not widely developed in recent studies. At the same time, the trauma and personal difficulties in Bataille’s life serve as a stark example of the often distortive effects of spiritual metapathologies on inner development. Bataille’s views of ecstatic states …

A Comparative Study Of The Apocalyptic Kingdom Of God In Second Temple Jewish Literature And The Teachings Of Jesus In Matthew, Jeremiah Stallman

Masters Theses

The apocalyptic kingdom of God is a common theme in Second Temple Jewish literature. This kingdom is often presented differently in the various literary works of this era. This first chapter of this thesis considers the various aspects of the kingdom in relation to God's coming judgment and the coming messiah who is often seen as the one bringing judgment and setting up the kingdom of God. The second chapter elaborates upon Jesus' teachings about the apocalyptic kingdom of God and compares and contrasts them with the teachings of the kingdom in His day as understood through the Second Temple …

Exploring The Spiritually Formative Experiences Of Female Seminary Spouses: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Benjamin Forrest

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a qualitative research study exploring the spiritually formative experiences of nonstudent, female, seminary spouses whose student spouses are beyond the halfway point in their pursuit of an M.Div. at a large evangelical seminary in the eastern United States. Fifteen participants (twelve online nonstudent spouses and three residential nonstudent spouses) were purposefully sampled. The data, which was collected through questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and discussion forums, was analyzed using transcendental phenomenological analysis. Through this analysis it became apparent that seminary spouses did in fact experience spiritual formation through their husband's education. …

Baldwin I Of Jerusalem: Defender Of The Latin Kingdom Of Jerusalem, John Francis Lowe

Dissertations and Theses

The reign of King Baldwin I (1100-1118) has thus far received little noteworthy attention by historians as the important pivotal period following the First Crusade conquest of Jerusalem in 1099. The two decades of his rule marked the extension of Latin conquests in the east, most notably by the conquest of the important coastal cities of Arsulf, Acre, Caesarea, Beirut and Sidon. These vital ports for the early Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem provided outlets to the sea for commerce, as well as safe harbors for incoming assistance from the west. Further, Baldwin led in the establishment of strong secular control …

Herman Dooyeweerd: Christian Philosopher Of Fashion, Robert S. Covolo

Pro Rege

Robert S. Covolo presented this paper at the Christian Evasion of Popular Culture Conference at Dordt College, November 2012.

Reformed Worship (Rw) 108 - Luyh / World Communion (June 2013), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Unity, Reconciliation, Justice by Howard Vanderwell and Norma deWaal Malefyt....4

Ten Reasons Why Hymnals Have a Future by John D. Witvliet....14

Singing the Story into Our Bones by James K.A. Smith....20

Articles

Editorial: How Can I Keep from Singing? by Joyce Borger....2

What I'm For by Paul Thé....22

The Hymnal as Teacher by Leonard J. Vander Zee....25

The God of Abraham Praise by Carol M. Bechtel....28

The Psalter in the Hymnal by Martin Tel....30

The Gifting of Songs by Joel Navarro....34

Order from Chaos by Diane Dykgraaf....37

A Hymnal …

Jesus, I Trust In You: St. Thomas Aquinas' Jubilee, John A. Sohl

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The concept of “Life Reporting” is a completely new idea, at least in terms of how I have experienced it. In today’s world of blogs and social networking, it is essential for broadcast journalists to embrace their own lives in the same world of professional and ethical reporting. As I describe my experience of St. Thomas Aquinas’ Jubilee, I have no choice but to provide the context and build-up of this intense passion toward my overarching point. Working through all the communities of which I have been a part, from attending St. Luke Catholic Church all the way to the …

Mattathias' Other Son: The Story Of The Maccabean Revolt (A Novel), Ameliah E. Given

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In Jewish primary and secondary literature regarding the Maccabean Revolt, Judas, the son of the man who began the revolt, is depicted as a warrior of epic proportions. Despite a Seleucid king’s attempt to squelch out Jewish practices, Judas propelled the people to religious freedom through his military strategy and might. After his untimely death in battle, his younger brother Jonathan finally succeeded in gaining political freedom for the Jewish people. Throughout his lifetime, Jonathan’s feats of valor rivaled, if not surpassed those of his brother Judas. Despite this, Jonathan’s story and life are not given the attention they deserve. …

Politics Of Religion In Popular Culture: Religious Rhetoric And Ironic In(Ter)Ventions, Sabatino Dibernardo

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

"As Mark Taylor suggests in the epigram grafted above, the impossibility of grasping what religion is about may be the condition of religion’s im/possibility, which thereby engenders a contested site for those attempting to define and classify religion. When this contested site is also the site of a strategic deployment of a rhetorical discourse with axiological pretentions, then, with Barbara Herrnstein Smith, one might suspect an event of self-privileging at the expense of some devalued other (including mass media and popular culture). When such a deployment is conducted by …

Star Spangled Saints: Ritual Practices That Legitimate War And Violence In The American Church, Terry Dewayne Shoemaker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The objective of this research is to analyze the ways in which the conservative,
American church has been ideologically and ritualistically shaped by an imperial culture enamored with war, the military, and violence; and how those positions and practices, in effect, legitimate war and the military. While many authors have surveyed historical Christian positions regarding war and the current nationalistic tendencies of conservative Christians, little research has been conducted to assess the effects of violence, nationalism, patriotism, and military enchantment on Christian rituals, practices, and ethos. Within this research, I argue that contemporary, conservative Christians have surpassed previously held nuanced …

Active Religion: James Ireland, The Separate Baptists, And The Great Awakening In Virginia, 1760-1775, Cooper Pasque

Masters Theses

In the mid-eighteenth century, the religious fervor of the Great Awakening entered Virginia. Evangelical Baptists soon threatened to undermine the authority of the Anglican Church and its planter patrons. Despite their efforts to quiet the Baptists, evangelical religion took root in Virginia by the end of the American Revolution. Historical works on these events offer valid but incomplete explanations. Puzzling dynamics in the Virginian context require a more complex interpretation. The life of James Ireland provides a unique window into possible answers. His autobiography provides evidence for what appears to be the most fundamental reason for evangelicalism's successes in Virginia. …

Genocide In The Old Testament?, John Smart

Senior Honors Theses

This study examines the warfare commanded by God during the invasion of Canaan by Joshua. These battles were examples of ḥerem warfare in which Yahweh Himself initiated and waged war against the Canaanites. Through historical and Biblical study it becomes clear that the Canaanites were an extraordinarily wicked people and God exercised great patience in dealing with them before their final destruction. Furthermore, the invasion of Canaan was instrumental in God’s larger salvation history. Sadly, pain and death are the direct ramifications of man’s sinful rebellion against God. The themes of war and condemnation are in theological continuity with the …

"Most Blessed Of Women": An Exegetical Study Of The Roles Of Women Under Patriarchy In Judges 5:24-31, Tamara Dixon

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

In lieu of an abstract, below is the first paragraph of the paper.

The Old Testament book of Judges is often cited for its violent and destructive depictions, since the textual episodes relate to the aggressive nature of war, the erosion of interpersonal relationships from deception, and the immorality of the Israelites. The integrity of Yahweh's chosen people steadily degenerates until the climatic conclusion of Judges wherein the Israelites act out belligerent aggression upon each other in tribal civil warfare. Despite the collective disregard for the covenant's provision of monotheistic faithfulness as established between the people and Yahweh, the deity …

The Role Of The Pastor As The Primary Worship Leader In The Local Church, Roger Holliman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to encourage pastors to embrace their role as the principle worship leader, rather than to accept and believe "I am not the worship leader." This thesis project investigates and examines a senior pastor's theological duty and obligation as the worship leader of his or her church, and provides the biblical mandate and approaches for how to do this effectively and as a team leader. Through personal interviews of six pastors, plus current research on the topic of worship, this thesis provides instructions on how senior pastors may implement strategies to enhance their understanding of …

Homegrown Pastors: Seven Timeless Reasons Why You Should Consider Starting A Church In Your Community, Joshua Turner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis is an investigation into the advantages of planting churches in the lead planter's hometown. According to Dr. Jim Slack, missiologist for the International Mission Board, "The only feasible and viable means of planting enough churches to gain on the yearly population gains and the primarily unchurched/unsaved basic population is to plant indigenous, generationally multiplying neighborhood, `house' churches initiated by neighborhood laymen who can pastor those new churches." This claim is reinforced by the understanding that the best person to reach a national is a national within that people group who already possesses valuable connecting resources through family and …

Professional Naval Chaplaincy: The Ministry Of The Navy Chaplain In A U.S. Navy Bureau Of Medicine And Surgery Hospital, Russell Hale

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Through a review of the literature and personal experiences, it was found that many U.S. Navy chaplains do not see the potential opportunities and value in ministering to personnel, dependents, and retirees in a U.S. Navy hospital setting. Based on the findings of a quantitative survey sent to clinical staff, ancillary staff, Marines, and Sailors serving at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Okinawa, this project reviews historical paradigms and present institutional perspectives and attitudes regarding the value of the chaplain ministering in a U.S. Navy hospital. Since the chaplain ministers as a member of the interdisciplinary care team, it then …

Phoebe: Was She An Early Church Leader?, Darius Jankiewicz

Faculty Publications

The role of Phoebe in early Christianity has been hotly debated throughout the centuries, ranging from views suggesting that her ministry was nothing more than that of a helper (or patron) of the apostolic task, to those ascribing to her a significant ministerial role. As we shall see, this debate often influenced the biblical translations of the Greek words used by Paul to describe the ministry of this remarkable woman. In this article, I will focus on three aspects of Phoebe’s ministry that flow from the text of Romans 16:1, 2: her ministry as a diakonos; her role …