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Discipleship: A Biblical Approach And Alignment To The Spirit Of The Ministry At Kingdom Collegiate Academies Early Childhood Program, Ella Louise Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the spiritual practices of early childhood teachers at Kingdom Collegiate Academies Early Childhood Program at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church. The research study was designed to develop a professional training program to increase staff effectiveness and alignment with the Spirit of the Ministry traits at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church. The program was delivered through a biblically based discipleship and Spirit of the Ministry training program. Through the Bible study, each trait was examined and discussed to solicit adherence to the various traits. During the study, early childhood teachers grew in …

Visualizing Ancient Empire In Tudor England: Imperial Monarchy, Reformation, And The Antique Soldier In The Title Page To Richard Grafton’S Large Chronicle (1569), Peter Nicholas Otis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis analyzes the iconography and visual sources of the title page to the first volume of A chronicle at large and meere history of the affayres of Englande (1569) by the Tudor author Richard Grafton. Representing the visual synthesis of several distinct but interrelated currents that developed in the preceding century, the title page to the Large Chronicle offers a rare glimpse into a transitional moment in the middle Tudor perception and visual representation of the British past. These currents include imperializing royal iconography, with origins in antecedent representations in the late fifteenth century; the entry of the ‘classicizing’ …

Is Islam A Religion Of Peace?, Robert Greer

Liberty Theological Review

One of the most troubling and controversial doctrines in Islam is that of jihad. Yet, in the West its meaning is unclear. Does it mean the struggle of the human soul to develop a wholesome spirituality, or is it more a struggle that results in terrorist attacks upon all who oppose Islam? Many politicians and academics in the West, along with many journalists and opinion-makers in the mainstream media insist that Islam, rightly understood, is a religion of peace. That means that Islamic jihadists who engage in wanton terrorism upon all who stand in their way are an aberration. They …

"Bloody, Brutal, And Barbaric?:Wrestling With Troubling War Texts" [Review] / Webb, William J., And Gordon K. Oeste., Byungwoo Park

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

The Unwritten Debates In Moroni1’S Letter, Morgan Deane

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

Moroni1’s letter in Alma 60 is not simply an angry and intemperate screed against the government; it also responds to arguments about just tactics (what modern readers would call ethics) taking place among Nephite leaders at this time. Moroni1’s letter argues for his preferred strategies of active defense and ambush, while interpreting defeat as a failure of leaders. His rhetorical strategy is particularly noteworthy for associating his Nephite opponents’ hopeful trust in the Lord with the passive resistance of the king-men, and shifting blame for defeat away from his strategies and onto his political opponents. Overall, Moroni1’s arguments exemplify sophistication …

An Important Addition To The Library, Kevin Christensen

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

Oxford University Press has published an annotated edition of the Book of Mormon. This represents a significant event and provides a useful study resource. At the same time, the author’s determination to follow the conclusions of mainstream biblical scholars inevitably generates tensions on issues where the Book of Mormon conflicts with those conclusions. The author also assures readers that the commentary follows “the plain meaning of the text,” which ought to acknowledge Joseph Smith’s foundational observation that different teachers of religion may understand the same passages very differently, depending on their framing context. In this review, I introduce the content …

“Armed With Righteousness And With The Power Of God”: Allusions To Priestly Clothing, Priesthood, And Temple In 1 Nephi 14:14, Matthew L. Bowen

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

Nephi saw in vision that in the latter-days “the saints of the church of the Lamb” and “covenant people of the Lord” who, though scattered across the earth, “were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:14). Nephi’s prophetic statement is loaded with meaning. This study explores how “armed with righteousness” means “clothed with righteousness” (Psalm 132:9) not merely in a martial, but also in a priestly sense (compare 1 Samuel 17:5; Isaiah 59:17). This concept relates to the latter-day temple and its ordinances, which enable the Lord’s people to “go forth” from …

How Does Therapy Impact African American Christians?, Suzette Theresa Law

Doctor of Ministry

A fundamental problem for African Americans is the underuse of mental health services, leaving mental health needs unmet. Many African Americans have already been subjected to enough stigmatization to the point they refuse to open themselves up to further ridicule and do not acknowledge mental health problems as medical. As a culture, African Americans continue to be distrustful of Caucasians, who fill most roles in the mental health field. 1 The researcher found cultural mistrust was the most consistent and powerful predictor of help-seeking attitudes.

This research explores the reasoning behind why those in African American communities are reluctant to …

The United Churches Of America: Post-Denominationalism, Theocracy, And Justice Systems, Tyler Joshua Green

Doctor of Ministry

The purpose of this research is to the unify, organize and equip Christian churches to address the injustices of disenfranchised communities throughout the United States. This work calls for the 21st Century church to answer a charge to organize post-denominationally in an effort to expand the church’s reputation, reach and resources leveraged to address injustices. Upon identifying the identity crisis of the American church due to the vestiges of colonialism, this provides a totally different means by which churches can be identified beyond worship styles, liturgical idiosyncrasies and even biblical interpretations. Calling on the oneness that Christ invites the body …

A Discipleship Model For Oral Preference Learners: Specifically Related To The Turkana People Of Kenya, Theresa Lynn Pottenger

Doctor of Ministry

The Turkana people of Kenya are primarily oral learners, processing information in oral ways. Oral learners are completely reliant on what they hear, see, and experience because they cannot or choose not to read.¹ Missionaries from highly literate western cultures unwittingly burdened these oral learners with literacy dependent teaching methods and discipleship practices. This has particularly left Turkana Christian leaders with few options for deepening their own Christian spirituality or leading others in discipleship. Additionally, a cultural disconnect between western spiritual categories taught by the missionaries and Turkana spiritual categories have left several Turkana spiritual needs unmet. The Turkana …

I Am Gay And Catholic: An Analysis Of Identity Integration In Lgbtq+ Members Converting To Catholicism, Maria Julian

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This article examines the negotiation of sexual and religious identities among Catholic members of the LGBTQ+ community. I explore context-specific identity negotiation to determine how and why, in a time of “cultural warfare” within the Catholic Church surrounding the acceptance of LGBTQ+ participants, LGBTQ+ members choose to convert to Catholicism. Through semi-structured interviews conducted with members of the LGBTQ+ community, I identify and discuss several themes based on the identity integration process of these individuals: (1) Experiencing “The Call” (the initial interest in Catholicism), (2) Encountering the Religious “Other” (association with a welcoming and enduring Catholic LGBTQ+ Community), (3) Immersion …

Calvin On War, David Crum

Selected Faculty Publications

Calvin’s teachings on war centred on providence, sovereignty, and judgment – doctrines that Christians have used throughout history to justify entrance into conflicts. In Calvin’s teachings, he always emphasized holiness and godly living. This led to another justification for war – protecting or defending humanity. This article examines Calvin’s instruction and views on war and determines when humanity should enter such a conflict. Further, within the Christian worldview, warfare obviously connects to judgment and sin, two issues that Calvin affirmed resulted in deadly clashes and encounters. Strongly adhering to the idea of providence, Calvin felt that no event in human …

Reformed And Presbyterian Christians In World War Ii, David Crum

Selected Faculty Publications

While World War II challenged the emotions of Americans like never before, firm adherents to Reformed theology and those walking with God knew that the Lord’s will would determine any outcome. Such questions remain essential to discover: How did the war impact Reformed Christians? What role did adherents to Reformed theology play in the war? Did the engagement serve as an evangelistic occasion? This article will present the Second Global Conflict from the lens of Reformed Christians. Some soldiers were faithful Christians; others became believers during the struggle. Similar to today, different denominations within Reformed Christianity existed; this article covers …

Nurture And Harvest: A Continued Conversation With The Annotated Book Of Mormon, Kevin Christensen

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

Because Grant Hardy’s important book deliberately contextualizes the Book of Mormon in light of “the generally agreed upon findings of modern biblical scholars and historians,” it invites further discussion on points in which the Book of Mormon and other significant biblical scholars and historians challenge those findings. Hardy also declares that his commentary “is consistently focused on the plain meaning of the text,” which is understandably appealing, but which is in tension with Joseph Smith’s foundational observation that “the different teachers of the religion understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the …

“That They May Know That They Are Not Cast Off Forever”: Jewish Lectionary Elements In The Book Of Mormon, Bradley J. Kramer

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

It is not uncommon for Jews who join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to notice connections between certain events in the Book of Mormon and modern Jewish practices associated with the feasts of Passover, Weeks, Tabernacles, and Rosh Hashanah. Aware that traditional Christianity holds not only that Jews were ousted from God’s covenant but that Jewish traditions in support of that covenant are spiritually worthless, these Jews find great comfort in these connections as well as in Book of Mormon statements that affirm their continued inclusion in that covenant. But aren’t there also connections to the modern …

Treading Our Path Through The Blood Of The Slaughtered: Race And Martyrdom In America, 1830-1968, Katherine J. Veach

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The United States has a longstanding practice of ascribing the language and imagery of martyrdom to political and cultural figures, resulting in a variegated canon of American martyrs outside the strict bounds of religious tradition. As a contribution to religious studies, American studies and African American studies, this dissertation identifies and examines the language, imagery and trajectory of the strain of American cultural martyrdom I term “Black American martyrdom.” I trace the genealogy of Black American martyrdom from the 1830s, when martyrdom rhetoric flourished among the zealous Northeastern immediate abolitionists, to the 1960s, when Martin Luther King, Jr. influentially cast …

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Rediscovering Zoram: The Chief NaʿAr Of The Commander Of The Fortress, Kelly N. Schaeffer-Bullock

BYU Studies

There are several prominent figures in the opening chapters of the Book of Mormon whose roles, responsibilities, and titles may have eluded the modern reader. As more is learned about ancient Israelite laws, customs, and culture through archaeological successes and academic research, previous biblical scholarship is reworked, refined, or totally redesigned. So too with academic scholarship on the Book of Mormon. The way readers understand the central figures in the opening chapters of the Book of Mormon must be regularly reassessed as additional information is obtained. There is still a great deal more to discover about the people who played …

Anti-Nephi-Lehi Mothers: What They Taught Their Stripling Sons, Julie A.P. Frederick

BYU Studies

When I first saw this shirt (see fig. 1), I was immediately taken with the contrast of the shirtless warriors in bodybuilder-type poses and the claim that these men with six-packs and bulging muscles were “momma’s boys.”1 I have always loved a clever juxtaposition, and this one was so delightful that I remember it from years ago. I was a student walking down the main hallway of Orem High School, and I actually stopped in the middle of the hallway to stare at it, then continued down the hall laughing to myself. What made the shirt even more wonderful was …

Exploring Healing Touches In The Bible, Michée B. Badé

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Healing touches in the Bible hold significant meaning in both the spiritual and physical contexts. Numerous biblical accounts illustrate how physical healing in connection with touch served as a demonstration of faith, connection, and divine power. These narratives depict important moments in which touch becomes a conduit for divine healing and emphasize the prominent role that touch plays in biblical accounts of healing.

This paper first explores the concept of health and healing as presented in Scripture, followed by an examination of touch and healing in both the Old and New Testaments, while looking at the cultural, theological, and missiological …

A New Great Awakening Of Religious Freedom In America, John Witte Jr.

Faculty Articles

While loud criticisms of religion continue to clatter in the media and the law reviews, the U.S. Supreme Court has led a great awakening of American religious freedom. In more than two dozen cases since 2011, the Court has used both the First Amendment and federal statutes to strengthen the rights of religious organizations to make their own internal decisions about employment and employee benefits. The Court has held that some forms of government aid to religion and religious education are not only permissible under the Establishment Clause, but also required under the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses. The …

Come Let Us Reason Together: Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Clergy And Mental Health Professionals Regarding Demonic Oppression And Mental Illness, Juanda Green

Doctor of Ministry

Within the church, congregants who claim to be oppressed by demonic spirits seek prayer to be set free from their influence. In ministries where this type of prayer is available, ministers report that while the prayers provide relief, relief is often temporary. Consequently, these members continue to seek prayer for deliverance. In these situations, do clergy who provide this spiritual intervention realize that the congregate may have an underlying mental health issue?

Research shows the opinions of pastors regarding the etiology of mental illness; on one end demonic spirits are viewed as the culprit for mental disturbance, while the other …

Community Organizing For Democratic Renewal: The Significance Of Jacques Maritain’S Support For Saul Alinsky And His Methods, Brian Stiltner

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Jacques Maritain’s ideas about democratic renewal remain as important and inspirational as ever. A less well-known element of Maritain’s political thinking is his support for grassroots community organizing. This support, peppered throughout his writings, comes into stark relief when examining his longtime friendship and correspondence with Saul Alinsky, the dean of community organizing in the US. This article argues, first, that we must understand Maritain and Alinsky’s friendship to properly appreciate the legacy of Maritain’s political thought and, second, that understanding the complementarity of their approaches allows us to see that together these two friends present a powerful strategy for …

Jesus’ Authority Over Evil Spirits: Healing Demoniacs In The Gospel Of Mark, Michée B. Badé

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

The gospel of Mark highlights nine distinct healing miracles. Among them, five involve the healing of demoniacs—individuals “possessed by demons,” or as some may prefer, “demonized.” These accounts form a significant portion of Mark’s healing narratives and are a notable theme in his Gospel, which is one of the earliest records of Jesus’ life and ministry. These stories not only demonstrate Jesus’ authority over evil spirits but also reflect his deep compassion for those suffering from spiritual oppression.

The purpose of this article is twofold. First, it aims to highlight Jesus’ authority over evil spirits, as manifested in nature, animals, …

Ruqyah Shariah: An Analytical Exploration, Jony Hajaj

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Ruqyah Shariah—Law-Compliant Exorcism or Islamic Healing Prayer— is a spiritual and physical remedy that involves reciting qur’anic verses and authentic supplications. Rooted deeply in Islamic tradition, it offers a wholistic approach to healing and protection. Ruqyah has been a practice since the early days of Islam, with numerous hadiths documenting its use by Muhammad and his companions.

This article seeks to explore the multifaceted aspects of ruqyah shariah, by examining its legal foundations, practical guidelines, and ethical implications, while seeking to provide a well-rounded perspective on its significance and application in the modern context.

Healing The Trauma: Toward A Missiology For Contemporary Russia, Yuri N. Drumi

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This article addresses the trauma of Stalinism from the standpoint of a missiological reading of Luke 4:16-21. This programmatic sermon of Jesus at Nazareth, whose meaning is unfolded in the larger context of Luke-Acts, is of primary importance for the current Russian culture, which is suffering from the consequences of a time when its culture was warped by the forces of the demonic realm. The rationale for using Luke-Acts in a post-Soviet theology of mission and the cluster of theological theses that underlie Jesus’ program of liberation are both foundational for a missiological paradigm intended for post-totalitarian Russian society.

Resilience And Resistance: Culture, Conversion, And Survival Among The Stockbridge Mohicans, Mariah N. Ramdeen

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis investigates the history of conversion among the Mohican band in Stockbridge, Massachusetts from the 1730s to the 1740s. Focusing on the praying town under the ministry of Reverend John Sergeant at Stockbridge in 1736, I seek to reconstruct the resistance and survivance at the heart of the Stockbridge Mohicans’ experience. My research will explore why the Mohicans chose to establish the Stockbridge praying town and why they chose to convert to Christianity, the religion of the Puritan colonizers. I will also explore how they used their conversion to promote their own community goals. While praying towns were designed …

Auden: Body/Mind, Basil Lloyd-Moffett

CMC Senior Theses

On one hand Auden appears the most cerebral of poets. It is said that when he arrived at school, aged eight, he professed himself excited to study the different psychological types, and the cryptic verse that was to emerge over a decade later bears the scars of his reading, psychological or otherwise, as clearly as the relentlessly analytical Dichtung und Wahrheit and other late works.Absorbing and repurposing philosophical, psychological, religious, and scientific works was an essential part of his artistic strategy, and led to credible accusations of plagiarism on a number of occasions.And just as his collaborators and friends mocked …

The Ongoing Relevance Of Sri Aurobindo Ghose, Edward Ulrich

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

SRI AUROBINDO has a mixed legacy. Among Indians he has both admirers and detractors. Those who admire him tend to include Bengalis who celebrate his role in the freedom struggle, devotees of his spiritual path, and Hindu nationalists who regard his synthesis of religion and nationalism as a forerunner of their agenda. Critics regard him as a traditionalist, a communalist, and a terrorist. However, both critics and admirers on the Hindu right tend to have a superficial read of this complex man. Also, writings by devotees of his spiritual path tend not to remedy the situation, as they generally focus …

The Role Of The Moscow Patriarchate In Supporting The Russian-Ukrainian War, Bohdan Synchak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines the role of the Moscow Patriarchate in supporting the Russian-Ukrainian war. It provides numerous examples of the Russian Orthodox Church’s (ROC) endorsement of Putin’s state ideology. The complexities of the ROC’s interactions with its branches abroad are outlined, highlighting both the alignment and contradictions in the statements of ROC leaders in Ukraine, the United States, Estonia, and other countries where public support for the war by representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate has been observed. The study tracks changes in the rhetoric of the ROC’s leader, Patriarch Kirill, from the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in …