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'I Didn't Know What Sex Was': Effects Of Christian Youth Group Involvement On Women's Sexuality In Adulthood, Aubrey K. Rhoadarmer

Honors Projects

This article analyzes the ways Christian youth group involvement in high school affects women’s perspectives and opinions on sex later in their lives. Through the intertwining of 12 stories, this research sheds light on how both implicit and explicit social and religious messages can shape women’s opinions of their sexuality. Themes include harms caused by purity pledges, unfair expectations placed on women during their “first time,” the pressure women feel to become wives and mothers, the importance of openness around discussing sexuality — particularly by parents — and how multiple communities influence women’s sexual development.

Taking The Bang Out Of The Gang: The Impact Of Catholic Schools On Gang Homicides In El Salvador, Ann Jillian Villanueva Adona

Master's Theses

This study explores the impact of Catholic presence on homicide rates in El Salvador, specifically focusing on the role of Catholic schools in reducing violence in gang-afflicted municipalities. Analyzing municipality-level data from various years, I used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Instrumental Variable (IV) regressions to study the association between school enrollment and homicide rates. Results show that higher enrollment in Catholic schools is linked to a reduction in homicide rates in gang-affected areas, contrasting with an increase in homicides for non-religious schools. This research sheds light on the importance of investing in Catholic education as a strategy for violence …

The Call Of (Yā Abati) In The Holy Qur'an - An Analytical Study, Hatem M. Mazroaa

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

This research entitled with "The call of (Yā Abati) in the Holy Qur'an _ An analytical Study", and the idea of the research is to study the places of the call (Yā Abati) in the Holy Qur'an with an analytical study, and its importance appears in reaching new rules and contents through the study of these places, following the inductive analytical approach, and the research consists of: a Preface, five sections, and a conclusion. The Preface includes the introduction to the call of (Yā Abati), and then I deal with the study of the call of (Yā Abati) in āyāt …

The Effects Of Testimony In Seminars Through Cinemeducation, Biblical Narratives, Live Personal Testimony, And Journaling At Christ Lincoln Among Young Adults Learning To Share Testimony, Aaron Hutton

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This project explores the impact of various testimonial methods on young adults at Christ Lincoln, focusing on their ability to share personal testimonies. The study employs a multi-faceted approach, incorporating cinemeducation, biblical narratives, live personal testimonies, and journaling. Through a series of seminars and interviews, it was found that all these methods are impactful in building connections, strengthening faith, and deepening vulnerability, which in turn fosters relationships. The intertwining of God's grand narrative with personal stories brought hope and encouragement to participants. The findings suggest that this integrative approach significantly improves participants' confidence and effectiveness in sharing their testimonies, fostering …

Typological Reading Of The Apocalyptic Vision Of Daniel 7 And 9, Timothy Andrew Prince

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Prince, Timothy A. “Typological Reading of the Apocalyptic Vision of Daniel 7 & 9.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2024. 311 pp.

As a response to Daniel’s prayer for the restoration of God’s city and sanctuary, “The Seventy Sevens” oracle of Dan 9:24–27 gives further details of the overarching apocalyptic vision of ch. 7. After establishing how the canonical apocalyptic visions of Daniel and Revelation constitute a unique genre that gives a teleological-eschatological-apocalyptic perspective, this study demonstrates how a typological reading of the text best perceives the revelation and interprets the message presented in Daniel’s apocalyptic vision. The vision and oracle …

The Journey Back To God: A Lutheran Pneumatological Assessment Of Postconciliar Catholic Soteriology Through The Lens Of Pneumatology And Spirit Christology, Jared Raebel

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

The dissertation proposes that an adequate way to describe postconciliar Catholic and Lutheran scholars' descriptions of the human person's journey back to God lies in looking at their respective soteriologies through the lens of pneumatology and Spirit Christology. To highlight the ways in which Catholic and Lutheran theologies tell the story of the Spirit in our salvation, the dissertation proposes the metaphor of the Spirit taking humanity on a journey through the divinely created spaces of the Garden of Eden, the space East of Eden, and the space of the New Eden, where humanity fully experiences the beatific vision. In …

The Beautiful Place: Understanding, Perceiving, And Participating In Beauty According To The Doctrine Of The Two Kinds Of Righteousness, Martin Bartholomew Dressler

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Nearly everyone agrees with this statement: Beauty is powerful. But what exactly is beauty? Is it objective or subjective? Is beauty bound up with reality, or even the being of God? Or is beauty “nothing but” a social construct, rendering all judgments concerning beauty mere opinion, or else the fruit of culturism? This dissertation examines beauty through the lens of the Lutheran distinction of the Two Kinds of Righteousness. It will enable Christians to account for their experience with beauty by attending to the following three questions: (1) What is beauty? (2) How do we perceive beauty? and (3) How …

Full Issue

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

Opposition To The Poor Law Amendment Act Of 1834, Janae Lakey

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

According to John Bull, "I repeat, I consider this New Poor Act a most cruel, a most unjust, and injurious enactment." John Bull expressed the frustration and injustice many Englishmen felt toward the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, or the new Poor Law. Before this statute, the Poor Law Act of 1601, otherwise known as the 43d Elizabeth or the Old Poor Law, governed poor relief. According to this law, parish guardians supported their own poor with funds extracted from parish residents. Their responsibilities included assigning pauper children to apprenticeships to learn skillful trades and giving relief to the …

Making Sport Of A Nation The Politicization Of Bullfighting In Napoleonic Spain, Blake C. Clayton

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Bullfighting entrenched itself in the cultural life of the Spanish nation early in the seventeenth century and has since become a highly publicized, distinctly Spanish pastime. Calling it "el espectaculo mas nacional," the count of Navas wrote that "if Rome lived happily on bread and war, then Madrid lives happily on bread and bulls." While the majority of the scholars who have written on Spanish bullfighting have done so in hopes of elucidating its pseudoscientific, often nebulous connection to the Spanish soul, the festival has had considerable impact on the nation as an institution and a symbol. Often …

The Mormon Reformation A Historiographical Essay, Julie Harris Adams

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

On December 12, 1889, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement that proclaimed, "We denounce as entirely untrue the allegation which has been made, that our church favors or believes in the killing of persons who leave the church or apostatize from its doctrines." It went on to explain that the Church abhorred the shedding of human blood except as a capital crime penalty resulting from a legal, public trial. This manifesto came in response to the "gross misrepresentations of the doctrines, aims and practices …

"Born For Liberty" The Emergence Of Female Patriotism During The American Revolution, Anne Bennett

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Esther Reed, a colonial woman who lived during the American Revolution, praised the women of her time: "Born for liberty, disdaining to bear the irons of a tyrannic [sic] Government, we associate ourselves to the grandeur of those ... who have broken the chains of slavery, forged by tyrants in the times of ignorance and barbarity."

"Brothers In Christ?" The Dynamics Of Slavery And Catholicism In Brazil, Jaime Toiaivao Alley

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

In 1946, Frank Tannenbaum provoked the ire of American historians by claiming that slavery in Brazil was more humane than in the United States. Observing the laws, religious pronouncements, and social trends related to Brazilian slavery, he concluded in his book Slave and Citizen that the presence of the Catholic Church in Brazil mitigated the normally brutal nature of slavery. This religious climate, he asserted, accounted in large part for the difference in slaves' experiences in Brazil and in the United States. In reality, however, the position of the Catholic Church towards slavery was neither simple nor one-dimensional and does …

"Have Faith In God And U.S. Reclamation" Failure On The Boise Project, 1905- 1924, Jane Morgan

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

The "destiny of man is to possess the whole earth," agricultural specialist John A. Widtsoe declared in 1928; "and the destiny of earth is to be subject to man."' Widtsoe's comment reflected the U.S. government's imperative to conquer and manage nature to fulfill the nation's destiny. Reclamation, the conversion of wasteland, usually arid deserts, into farmland, was a central program of the conservationist movement. A progressive government saw the West as the home of a future American empire where strong, independent households would unite to reclaim the land. Believing the Secretary of the Interior's promise that agricultural prosperity could be …

Working Against Themselves Jesuit Tactics To Displace The Huron Indian Shamans, C. Mackenzie Snow

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

In the spring and summer of 1635, a severe drought struck Huron country. Falling back on traditional means for relief, the native people appealed to the local shamans, their spiritual leaders, for aid. Tehorenhaegnon, one of the most famous of these "sorcerers," as the Jesuits called them, promised relief in return for "the value of ten hatchets" and "a multitude of feasts." However, Tehorenhaegon's "efforts were in vain-dreaming, feasting, dancing, were all to no purpose, there fell not a drop of water; so that he had to confess that he could not succeed, and he declared that the crops would …

The Life Of Edward J. Logue And The Rebuilding Of America's Cities After Wwii, Lizabeth Cohen

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

Let's cut right to the chase: what's a social historian like me doing writing a biography of a dead white man named Edward J. Logue? I've never written a biography before. My two previous books, Making a New Deal and A Consumers' Republic, have made contributions to twentieth-century United States history by giving agency to social groups often considered powerless, such as industrial workers, first-generation immigrants, rank-and-file supporters of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, African American consumers, new suburbanites, and female consumer activists. I have made my reputation as a twentieth-century U.S. historian by arguing that ordinary Americans have been …

Preface, Sarah Loose

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

In the preface to one of his many books David Herlihy, renowned professor of medieval history, challenged his students and colleagues to consider his work carefully, quoting the great Roman poet Horace: "If you know something more accurate than the things written here, then openly share it; if not, use these with me" (Epistles, 1.6.67-68). 1 Each year, history students at Brigham Young University take up the challenge described by Horace, to think critically, ask questions, and participate in the ongoing search for historical truth. l11e Beta Iota chapter of Phi Alpha Theta publishes The Thetean annually as a means …

Front Matter

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

Isaiah 53: Grammatical, Structural And Exegetical Observations, Felipe Braz Federson

Masters Theses

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 is a famous passage from the Tanakh that contains important grammatical constructions in Hebrew which, if translated incorrectly, can lead to erroneous exegetical and theological conclusions. Among these problems, the Servant’s relationship with the other characters in the passage is addressed. Through an analysis of the literary context and the structure of the text, not only are several exegetical possibilities substantiated, but two prototype translations are also provided, one based on the Leningrad Codex and another based on the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsa).

Modern Critiques Of The Kalam Cosmological Argument, Colby D. Crawford

Masters Theses

The Kalam Cosmological Argument (KCA), like all other arguments for the existence of God, is constantly under a microscope. Individuals are continuously struggling to undermine its validity, and until recently they have generally failed in demonstrating that the KCA is irrelevant. Since William Lane Craig revitalized the Kalam in 1979, scientists and philosophers have offered objections against it from all perspectives. However, due to the KCA’s modesty and simplicity it has stood the test of time against its critics. That is, it has until now.

An Inquiry Into The Perceived Effects Of Historical Revivalism On The Corporate Worship Behaviors Of Modern-Day Fundamental And Independent, Baptist And Bible Churches, Jeremy David Yowell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Modern-day, independent Bible and Baptist churches continue to structure their corporate worship services after the pattern of the American revivalists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The purpose of this qualitative study with an ethnographic design is to examine the lived experiences of pastors and church leaders from independent Bible and Baptist churches and seek to understand their perceptions of (1) the purpose of corporate worship, (2) the place of evangelism in corporate worship, and (3) the influence of revivalism upon corporate worship practices. Additionally, historical research about the revivalist movement and its influence on worship behaviors is considered. Several …

A Phenomenological Study Of Discipleship Experiences In Hartsville, Sc, Baptist Churches, Robert W. Stuckey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Catchy quotes could describe an identified problem, but none were used here. Eternity is what is at stake. The American church is in trouble. Discipleship has been ineffective inside and outside the church for growth in the kingdom of God. This phenomenological qualitative study was performed to understand the discipleship experiences of pastors and mature Christians. The setting of this study was Hartsville, South Carolina, area Baptist churches. This study utilized semi-structured interviews to obtain data. The population was twelve mature Christians, comprised of a lead pastor and two mature Christians from four selected churches. The instrument utilized was two …

Bridging Faith And Restoration: A Phenomenological Study Exploring Evangelical Pastors’ Experiences Ministering To Congregants With Trauma In The Greater Toronto Area, Lindsay Knox Mcvety

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand how evangelical pastors in the Greater Toronto Area describe their experiences with discussing trauma with congregants and their experiences with trauma-informed care in the church. The theory guiding this research is Transformative Learning Theory (TLT). As discussed by Mezirow (1991), TLT explains transformation occurs by increasing knowledge by learning about topics where outdated or misinformed concepts previously existed. The main research question is, how do evangelical pastors in the Greater Toronto Area describe their experiences ministering to congregants who have experienced trauma? Further sub-questions ask, how do evangelical pastors in …

A Defense Of The Neronic Date Of The Book Of Revelation, Jason L. Quintern

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There are two primary dates for Revelation that are generally accepted: the early or Neronic date (A.D. 64-68) and the late or Domitianic date (A.D. 95-96). In this dissertation, the early date of the book of Revelation is defended against the commonly accepted late date. The study engages with two major texts: Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.’s Before Jerusalem Fell, supporting the Neronic date, and Mark L. Hitchcock’s dissertation “A Defense of the Domitianic Date of the Book of Revelation,” defending the Domitianic date. This present study discusses the central arguments of both Gentry and Hitchcock as it defends the Neronic …

Long-Term Partnerships Between Communities And Mission Organizations: A Case Study, Rebecca Boggs Bishop

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the long-term partnership of World Changers with the community of Chattanooga, Tennessee to understand best practices for creating similar cross-sector partnerships involving short-term mission work. Within this research, long-term partnership is defined as an arrangement existing for at least ten years. The study utilized the theories of covenant community (Lingenfelter, 2008), legitimate peripheral participation (Lave & Wenger, 1991), and cross-sector social-oriented partnerships (Selsky & Parker, 2005) to guide the research. The study considered the perspectives of community members, ministry leaders, and mission organization leadership to determine benefits and areas of …

Perceptions Of Paid Pastoral Staff Of Volunteer Engagement In The Assemblies Of God, Glorielba Orta Meléndez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Volunteers play a critical role in churches, and successful collaboration between paid pastoral staff and volunteers is essential for achieving the church’s mission. However, conflicts can arise when defining the roles and responsibilities of volunteers and paid pastoral staff. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceptions of paid pastoral staff regarding volunteer engagement in the Assembly of God’s (AG’s) church mission. The research drew from Harold Kelley and John Thibaut’s interdependence theory, which shed light on human interactions and their influences. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with 10 AG pastors in paid staff positions, the findings described the volunteer manager role that …

It’S All In Your Mind: Mindset And Eternal Destiny, Eric S. Henderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A Christian’s mindset is key to his or her ongoing life as a believer. The choice of one’s mindset critically affects almost every aspect of a Christian’s life. This impact occurs throughout the person’s life, because one’s mindset must be chosen continuously. One cannot “set it and forget it.” Satan constantly lurks around to try to draw the believer away from thinking about spiritual things. One’s mindset matters because the focus of one’s mind to a large extent determines one’s eternal destiny. This dissertation will offer support for libertarian free will and the possibility of apostasy, and then examine the …

A Phenomenological Study Of Clergy Hindrances To Seeking Help And Implementing Self-Care, Kerri S. Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study aimed to identify and understand clergy members’ described hindrances to seeking help and implementing self-care for overcoming burnout. The theory guiding this study was transcendentalism from Husserl’s ontological approach to phenomenology. The United Pentecostal Church, International (UPCI) organization was chosen as the site for this study because the participants were clergy members licensed by the UPCI religious organization who had experienced burnout and hindrances to seeking help and implementing self-care. Participants included twelve UPCI clergy members. Data collection involved one-on-one initial interviews with each clergy member and follow-up interviews for clarification where needed. Data analysis …

Beyond The Pulpit: A Quantitative Analysis Of Midwest Church Leaders' Confidence And Competence In Addressing Sexual Trauma, Eryka Mcmillan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study investigates the interconnectedness of confidence and competence within the context of Midwest church leaders in addressing survivors of sexual trauma. Sexual Trauma encompasses crimes like sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse, and it presents complex challenges within faith communities. This research employs an ordinal logistic regression, combining a survey instrument to assess leaders' confidence, known as the Readiness to Work with Trauma-Exposed Patients (RTEPS), and a comprehensive tool to measure competence, referred to as the Trauma-Informed Care Questionnaire (TICQ). Additionally, demographic factors, including race, age, gender, denomination, previous trauma training, and years of ministry experience, are analyzed …

Evangelism Development In A Multigenerational Rural Church, John E. Baldwin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Berea Baptist Church in Rockville, VA lacks a multigenerational means of evangelism.