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Defending The Doctrine Of Hell, Jordan P. Ballard

Liberty Theological Review

The doctrine of hell, or the final state of the wicked, has become one of the most objectionable Christian doctrines because it depicts God as vengeful and wrathful, which is offensive to human sensibilities. As an extension of the problem of evil, where God is put on trial for allowing what may appear to be gratuitous pain and suffering in the world, many Christians and non-Christians alike wonder how a loving God could consign people to suffering in hell forever. After all, why didn’t God make a world where all would be saved if He is truly loving? Belief in …

The Decalogue As A Transitional Model For Fear, Pamela Jensen Ikasalo

Liberty Theological Review

God’s original intention for relationships was disrupted by the fall of man as recorded in Genesis 3. From that point, fear of man played an intricate role in both interpersonal relationships and decision-making. The purpose of the Decalogue was to moderate relationships among the people and with their God. However, there is an additional purpose as well. The Decalogue serves as a transitional model from fear of man to fear of the Lord. When God’s people live according to the precedents found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 their lifestyle no longer follows the pattern set by fallen humanity. Both …

Creating A Cultural Liturgy Of Intentional Prayer: Leading Grace Lutheran Church Into Greater Understanding And Engagement With The Surrounding Community, Keith Aschenbeck

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Aschenbeck, Keith D. “Creating a Cultural Liturgy of Intentional Prayer: Leading Grace Lutheran Church into Greater Understanding and Engagement with the Surrounding Community.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2025. pp. 166

Grace Lutheran Church, like many churches, has historically approached mission and ministry with the consumer-driven approach model of attraction. The result has often had them looking at how to shape and form how the world sees them so that they would be appealing as a place to worship. This way of approaching ministry has become a cultural liturgy that forms many decisions about what ministry programs …

Intellectual Virtues For Research - Integrating Faith And Scholarship, William Coberly

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

How The Flock Falters: An Analysis Of Apostasy In The Shepherd Of Hermas, Justin R. Bamba

Masters Theses

This study provides a detailed analysis of apostasy as it is expressed in the Shepherd of Hermas. Drawing from the work of B.J. Oropeza, the study offers a threefold analysis that identifies the Christian community in danger, the nature of apostasy as it pertains to this community, and the consequences of such apostasy. Special attention is devoted to Vision 3 and Similitudes 8-9 for their vivid Tower motif, a unique literary device by which the author expresses the hope and limitations of repentance, community identity, and the causes and consequences for separation from this community—all of which contribute to a …

Arguments For The Sovereignty Of God In The Book Of Job, Elizabeth J. Welch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The book of Job is a complex piece of wisdom literature studied for centuries using various methodologies to elucidate theological doctrines, biblical themes, and literary motifs. This dissertation aims to demonstrate that a midrashic form of exposition significantly expands the understanding of the Joban arguments for and against the sovereignty of God within the context of the ancient views of divine retribution and human suffering. Encapsulated in the legal motif, the disclosure and discussion of these views with associated themes, such as theocracy, theodicy, justice, and theophany, identified God’s sovereignty as the most prevalent doctrine in the book. The three …

Sabbath For The Restless: Rediscovering God’S Gift Of Rest, Youngkhill Lee

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

God commanded his people to rest, embedding it in the fourth and longest of the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20, he declared: “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work” (vv. 9–10). This command was not merely a rule but a reflection of God’s love and care. By blessing and sanctifying the seventh day (Genesis 2:3), God wove rest into the rhythm of life, pointing to its sacred significance.

How Pentecostals Living In The United States Experience, Interpret, And Respond To Depression, Robert Mcbain

College of Theology and Ministry Dissertations, Projects, & Theses

The prevalence of depression in society underscores the need for awareness and support, particularly within Pentecostal communities, where depression remains underexplored. While studies suggest how the Christian context shapes depression, the literature lacks depth about the relationship between Pentecostalism and depression. This gap risks fostering misconceptions, marginalizing sufferers, and allowing dominant voices to impose stigmatizing interpretations that discourage external help and reinforce unrealistic norms. These repercussions emphasize the need to research the relationship between Pentecostalism and depression to address stigma, create supportive environments, and ensure that sufferers retain ownership of their mental health narratives. This dissertation contributes to this need …

The Fear Of God: The Foundation Of The Divine Covenants Through The Blood Sacrifice And Meal Of Exodus 24:4–11 And 1 Corinthians 11:23–32., Matthew Taylor Propst

College of Theology and Ministry Dissertations, Projects, & Theses

The Fear of God and its relevance to establishing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is vital in understanding the nature of the role of sacrificial blood and meal in Exodus and 1 Corinthians. The Fear of God acts to establish and maintain proper covenantal relations with God and a covenant community’s cohesion. There is also an element where those that participate in covenants are required to live under its commandments by self-sacrificial behavior.

Chapter 1 introduces the issue of this thesis within certain parameters and boundaries alongside the purpose and objectives this issue wishes to address. Chapter 2 …

The Calvin Forum: Winter 2025, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 35., WINTER 2025

Main Features: 2 - Letter from the President

6 - Where are the Pastors?

10 - Formation of Leaders in a Liminal season

16 - Where do Pastors come from?

23 - The minister as a manager of the mysteries of God

29 - Pastors are there and will be there

34 - Who will disciple the next generation of Disciple-makers?

39 - Raising up Ministry Leaders from the next generation

42 - Training Ministry leaders from the next generation

48 - Hope in the ruins

55 - A journey through Seminary in …

The Calvin Forum: Summer 2025, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 36., SUMMER 2025

Main Features: 2 - Letter from the President

6- How John Calvin Shaped Modern Seminary Education BY KARIN MAAG

12- Why Calvin? Naming a Seminary After a Theologian of Consolation BY SAM HA

18- Reformed Roots in the Global South: Indonesia’s Calvinist Heritage BY YUDHA THIANTO

24- Why Bavinck and Kuyper?

26- Herman Bavinck and the Mission of Calvin Seminary: Theology That Glorifies God BY JESSICA JOUSTRA

30- Why Abraham Kuyper’s Vision Still Shapes Reformed Theology and Education BY JORDAN BALLOR

34- Carrying Calvin’s Legacy: How Calvin Theological Seminary Equips Culturally Engaged Ministry …

Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 67, No. 1

Restoration Quarterly

PDF of the cover of Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 67, No. 1.

This repository hosts selected Restoration Quarterly articles in downloadable PDF format. For the benefit of users who would like to browse the contents of RQ, we have included all issue covers even when full-text articles from that issue are unavailable. All Restoration Quarterly articles are available in full text in the ATLA Religion Database, available through most university and theological libraries or through your local library’s inter-library loan service.

The Mythic Seeds Of Human Rights, Joshua Mackenzie Luna

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

In this thesis, I propose a causal relationship between ancient societies’ mythic corpuses and their law codes. I begin by presenting the histories and historiographies of ancient Israel and Mesopotamia to highlight important themes in their development. Then, I place their creation and flood myths side-by-side for comparison, yielding key differences in the way each group conceptualizes human form, value, and purpose. Once these key differences have been established, I compare each group’s set of slave laws to demonstrate how each law code remains philosophically consistent with its respective set of myths and diametrically opposed to the set from the …

The Doctrine Of The Trinity In Southern African Seventh-Day Adventism: A Historical-Theological Study, 1887-1974, Grant Lottering

Master's Theses

The Topic

The doctrine of the Trinity in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church has often been viewed with suspicion, largely because many early Adventist pioneers expressed seemingly anti-Trinitarian sentiments. However, a review of Seventh-day Adventist publications reveals that early Adventists actually rejected Modalism, a misunderstood variation of Trinitarianism, rather than the biblical concept of the Trinity. When Seventh-day Adventist missionaries arrived in Africa in 1887, the earliest converts had a Dutch Reformed background and were already Trinitarian. Seventh-day Adventists found that their understanding of the Trinity aligned with these converts’ beliefs, and thus, they never needed to correct …

A Comparative Analysis Of Current Understandings Of The High Priestly Ministry Of Jesus In The Heavenly Sanctuary, Samuel Amirtharaj

Master's Theses

Problem

Seventh-day Adventists consider the subject of the sanctuary to be the kingpin that interconnects all of the other doctrines. Both Adventists and non-Adventists agree that it is the Adventist understanding of the sanctuary that sets them apart from other Christian denominations. Almost since the inception of the Church, there have been many critics of the Adventist doctrine of the sanctuary and its associated teachings, both from within and from without the Church. Former Adventists and non-Adventists alike have discredited the significance of the sanctuary. However, numerous books on the sanctuary have been published recently by Christian scholars; these books …

Theology Of Creation In The Bulgarian Theology Of The 20th Century, Svetoslav Ribolov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Theology of Creation in 20th-century Bulgaria emerged within the broader debate about the role of religious education in state schools and the tension between the prevailing influence of evolutionary theory and a scientific approach to the Orthodox Church’s traditional spiritual heritage. Before World War 2, the primary social and intellectual motivation behind the Theology of Creation in Bulgaria was rooted in an apologetic struggle against secular ideas, which were embraced by a significant portion of Bulgarian society at the time. In the second half of the 20th century, however, this discourse gradually evolved to incorporate more denominationally oriented theological perspectives, …

Theopoetics Prothesis: An Exploration In Faith And Form, Elise Aleman, Elise Aleman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My work is rooted in the biblical definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Like the Bible’s layered complexity—its patterns, metaphors, and cultural references—faith is not merely intellectual but an active trust in what is unseen. It transcends knowledge, anchoring itself in conviction and hope. This intersection of theology and lived experience is at the core of my practice.

Theopoetics—a framework that fuses theology and artistic expression—shapes my approach, allowing faith to be embodied through form rather than merely explained. Two seemingly distinct bodies of work—one centered …

Jesus's Use Of "Woman" In The Fourth Gospel, Cori Mcgrew

Masters Theses

In John's Gospel, Jesus uses the word "woman" in surprising ways: to address his mother at the wedding in Cana and at the Cross, to address a woman in Samaria, in a parable about a woman giving birth in his Final Discourse, and finally, to address Mary Magdalene at the garden tomb. This thesis uses the unusual way Jesus addresses his mother in the Fourth Gospel as a catalyst to find a connection between all five uses of "woman" by Jesus in John's Gospel, concluding that these instances evoke creation imagery, in particular of Genesis 3:15. The allusion to Genesis …

Preparing Spiritually Resilient Warriors In The Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, Vic Morris

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Morris, Victor E. “Preparing Spiritually Resilient Warriors in the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2024. 285 pp.

The Canadian Armed Forces has outcomes and expectations for warriors to be spiritually resilient but does not have a training program that has been researched, tested, and validated to achieve this. This study investigates how chaplains can prepare spiritually resilient warriors in CANSOFCOM. A chaplain-led spiritual resilience course was created and delivered to CANSOFCOM members. The course was aligned with the holistic wellness strategy of OPF2, and designed as an inductive, experiential learning experience. An …

The Apostle Paul's Teaching On Life After Death: A Model Of Christ's Life, Death, And Resurrection, Keri A. Thompson

Masters Theses

There are many questions and differing views surrounding what happens to the soul after death. Through his letters collected in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul offers insight into the existence of the believer's soul in an intermediate state following death and prior to the resurrection of the body. Through a brief overview of Old Testament teachings on the subject, Jewish views on life after death during the intertestamental period, and common Greek thought on the body and soul, the possible presuppositions and influences on the Apostle Paul's view of life after death and the intermediate state are uncovered. Detailed …

Created To Be Slaves: Reexamining The Doctrine Of Original Sin, William Daniel Gamble

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the earliest debates in the church was over the nature of Sin, its transmission to subsequent generations, and its effects upon man’s nature. Two terms, “sin nature” and “original sin,” have become the prevailing terminology, yet there remains debate concerning the meaning or appropriateness of these terms. This discussion will examine and assess the doctrine of Original Sin through the prism of the metaphor of slavery as found and utilized throughout the OT and NT. Ancient Slavery, in its various forms, serves as the background for understanding the idioms and metaphors employed concerning the power and role of …

Ensuring Careful Interpretation And Application Of The Bible Through The Lens Of The Covenants, James Kenneth Rainwater

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For centuries, believers in Jesus Christ have turned to the Bible to discover His will for their life. For the most part, this discovery has resulted in joy and significance and has benefited the journeys of millions. However, there have been many examples where the misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the Bible has brought about devastating consequences. Wolves have crept in and used the Bible for their own nefarious purposes. This paper offers a bridge for believers to navigate many of the difficult passages of the Bible and their behavioral application. Specifically, this is achieved through a closer look at how …

Job 28 As A Thematic Unifier Clarifying Human Responsibility Through The Revelation Of Wisdom And Understanding In Relationship To Yahweh, Michael G. Potter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The goal of the project was to discern and articulate the literary relationship of Job 28 to its larger literary context and demonstrate that the chapter serves the rhetorical purpose of the author to legitimize the kingship of Yahweh over creation. The study argues that Job 28 functions as a thematic unifier that clarifies human responsibility in relationship to Yahweh. The project demonstrates that Job 28 functions as the integrative center of the book and is a figurative interpolation, a metaphorical embellishment to the search for wisdom and answers observed in the defense and debate cycles (Job 4-27; 28:1-22) while …

Incorporating Families Experiencing Disabilities Into The Rhythm Of Small Groups At Saturn Road Church Of Christ, Robby John

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project addresses the critical gap in the inclusion of families experiencing disabilities within small groups at Saturn Road Church of Christ. The primary aim is to develop a curriculum that raises awareness among small group leaders about this significant issue. To provide a theological reflection on the necessity of such a venture, I explored the topic through the lens of four theological pillars: the image of God, the incarnation, ecclesiology, and eschatological hope. This exploration revealed several key themes that serve as foundational building blocks for the awareness curriculum. Ultimately, the final artifact is an awareness curriculum designed to …

A Teacher-Development Curriculum: Encouraging Community Discipleship Through Faith And Learning Integration At Bracken Christian High School, Denice F. Knight-Slater

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The title of this project is “A Teacher-Development Curriculum: Encouraging Community Discipleship through Faith and Learning Integration at Bracken Christian High School.” The purpose of the project was to create a seven-part curriculum that would empower educators to form an interconnected teaching community centered upon the practice of faith and learning integration. The development team hoped our work would articulate good practices and equip teachers to engage in faith conversations with their students. We utilized Parker Palmer’s classic, The Courage to Teach, as the scaffolding for our curriculum. The development team modeled faith and learning integration by creating a …

Moral Injury In Military Corrections, Jeremy Ryder Meyers

Masters Theses

Over the past thirty years moral injury has been a topic of concern regarding the behavioral and spiritual health of military members. Part of that work has given a voice to Vietnam veterans and the events they faced while in combat. Some of these events were acts of betrayal at the hands of another military member or their own. This act led to an injury to their moral code. Military chaplains may have morally injured soldiers in need of pastoral care as they serve. This includes soldiers working the military prisons like the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth. …

The Promise Of Scriptural Reasoning, David F. Ford

The Mahle Lectures Journal

Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus in the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Selwyn College, Dr. David F. Ford OBE, one of the co-founders of Scriptural Resaoning, addresses ‘The Promise of Scriptural Reasoning’, in the context of 2024 Spring Mahle Lecture Series on ‘Interreligious Peacebuilding through Study.’ In what follows he does two things as part of this keynote lecture. First, he speaks about his experience of Scriptural Reasoning, its origins, its character, and its spread up to now. Second, he reflects on the future and promise of Scriptural Reasoning, culminating with an expansive vision of its potential.

Editorial: Most Likely You Go Your Way…, Jeffrey S. Lamp

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This issue of Spiritus is a special one indeed. Almost three years ago I received a message from Martin Mittelstadt of Evangel University concerning the dialogue underway between representatives of the Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). This dialogue would take place over a three-year period (2021–2003), with papers and responses addressing three topics from the perspectives of Pentecostals and Roman Catholics. The participants expressed an interest in having the presentations from this dialogue published in journals representing both traditions.

Review Of Soon And Very Soon: A Biblical And Theological Study Of The Events Surrounding Jesus Christ’S Second Coming. By David K. Hebert., Cletus L. Hull Iii

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of Soon and Very Soon: A Biblical and Theological Study of the Events Surrounding Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. By David K. Hebert. Tulsa: Word and Spirit Press, 2019. 193 pp.

Review Of The Kaleidoscopic City: Hong Kong, Mission, And The Evolution Of Global Pentecostalism. By Alex R. Mayfield., Van Hnuai Kim

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of The Kaleidoscopic City: Hong Kong, Mission, and the Evolution of Global Pentecostalism. By Alex R. Mayfield. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2023. 269 pp.