Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Principles Behind Effective Collaborative Ministry On Multi-Point Charges In The Peninsula-Delaware Conference Of The United Methodist Church, Drew Mitchell Christian

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Peninsula-Delaware Conference of the United Methodist Church covers the Eastern Shore of Maryland and the State of Delaware. The area, known as the “Birthplace of Methodism,” has 451 churches. Many churches are older, small membership congregations and are not able to afford their own pastor. Many pastors serve multiple congregations as part of a United Methodist Charge. As issues in surrounding communities become more complex, attendance declines, and resources diminish, congregations must work together in order to make a significant impact on their communities and fulfil the Great Commission. Throughout biblical history there are examples of God calling His …

Toward Permanence: Addressing The Need For Accessible Premarital Care For Deaf Couples, Peter Christopher Myers

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Deaf people in America have become increasingly recognized in recent years as a distinct community. While Christianity within the Deaf community has a recorded history dating back some five hundred years, little is known regarding pastoral care for Deaf people and in particular, guidance in marriage preparation. In spite of the plethora of research on marriage preparation, little attention has been paid to Deaf couples and marriage preparation-its efficacy for them in enhancing marital satisfaction and avoiding divorce. This project addressed the inaccessibility of premarital-care resources in the church for Deaf couples whose first language is American Sign Language (ASL). …

Resiliency And Self-Care For Pastors In Japan Facing A Disaster, John G. Houlette

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For Japanese pastors facing a disaster, exercising resiliency and self-care is an enormous task as clergy deal with varying disaster-related attitudes, impact within the church and overwhelming need and opportunity in the community. In addition to surveying seminary students, pastors who experienced the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake as well as pastors who lived through the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and seminary professors who train next generation pastors were interviewed using co-inquiry and a 360-degree data gathering approach. Results showed that managing stress, loss, relationships, compassion fatigue and burnout were common challenges. The data indicated that practicing resilient leadership entails …

Rediscovering The Urgency Of Intentional Discipleship In The Naga Churches In Nagaland, Orenvungo Ngullie

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem this research addressed was the lack of intentional discipleship which has resulted in spiritual apathy and has hampered the development of leadership in the local churches in Nagaland, rendering Christians ineffective to impact the community. The study involved evangelical churches in Nagaland from various denominations, such as Baptist, Pentecostal, Revival and a couple of independent churches. In response to this problem, the researcher drew important lessons from the Great Commission passage (Matt. 28:19-20) highlighting the importance of discipleship as an intentional pursuit instead of an accidental venture. The literature review dealt with the current and relevant issues that …

Exploring Leader Anxiety Within The Family System When Implementing Organic Leadership Development, Bruce Michael Sexton

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to develop a theory regarding the level of anxiety in the church family system when implementing organic leadership development. The researcher analyzed three biblical leaders’ developments while considering the effects on family system: Joseph’s stages of leadership development, the methods Jesus used in developing his disciples into leaders, and the leadership gift mix demonstrated by Peter and Barnabas. To further develop a theory, relevant literature of leadership development and family systems was explored. Focusing on the work of J. Robert Clinton, the researcher explored the development of leadership and gift mix. Then researcher considered …

Creation And Covenant - A Hermeneutical Approach To The Correlation Of The Seventh-Day And The Biblical Sabbath, Sergio L. Silva

Andrews University Seminary Student Journal

For centuries, scholars have debated the nature of the relationship between the seventh day (Gen 2:1-3) and the biblical Sabbath (Exod 20:8-11). While Covenant Theologians insist that the seventh day works as the theological foundation of the biblical Sabbath, New Covenant Theologians reject this relationship and insist the Sabbath is an institution given exclusively to the Israelites. This article argues that according to an exegetical-historical and theological reading of selected texts on the Sabbath, one must regard the seventh day as the theological foundation of the biblical Sabbath to sustain a consistent and coherent theological system that uses Scripture as …

The Hasel-Kaiser And Evangelical Discussions On The Search For A Center Or Mitte To Biblical Theology, Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

Theologizing Place In Displacement : Reconciling, Remaking And Reimagining Place In The Republic Of Georgia, Curtis Elliott

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Catholic Theology And The Enlightenment (1670–1815), Ulrich Lehner

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

This chapter examines the Catholic Church’s engagement with the Enlightenment from 1670–1815. It considers Catholic philosophies of the Enlightenment and new conceptualizations of natural law. The chapter also explores Catholic exegetical discussions during the period, showing how Enlightenment concerns enabled new styles of attention to the Scriptural text, new Patristic scholarship, and the origins of the later liturgical movement. Jansenist and Gallican theologies stimulated reflection on eccelesiology and the papacy, and a variety of thinkers developed new theologies of the state, and of the economy. This period also saw the rise of the Catholic ultramontanism that was to mark Church …

Historical And Theological Perspectives On The Rise Of Arminianism And The Place Of Seventh-Day Adventism In The Calvinist-Arminian Debate, Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

This article provides a brief historical survey of some of the theological issues raised by Arminius and The Remonstrance, and seeks to identify the key theological arguments that anchor the Arminian perspective of the Adventist doctrine of salvation. Four hundred years ago, in 1610, a group of Dutch pastors and theologians published a document in which they responded to the accusations of heresy leveled against the teachings of their colleague, Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius, who had recently died (1609). This document encapsulated Arminian teachings on the doctrine of salvation in five points and subsequently became known as The Remonstrance …

Christ, The Son Of The Living God: The Theme Of The Chiastic Structure Of The Gospel Of Matthew, S. Joseph Kidder

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

Providing Relevant And Effective Leadership For Millennials, Valorie Cannon Nordbye

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis surveyed the leadership style preference of Millennials. Other areas focused on their loyalty to bosses, the importance of a company’s values and social practices, and their preferences about working independently or collaboratively. Members of an American college ministry were surveyed using an online survey tool. Based on 261 surveys, 85 percent chose servant leadership as their preferred style. The majority indicated that the values and social practices of their employer were important to them and that they would leave a job to remain with a boss they liked. There was no clear preference on working collaboratively or independently.

A Qualitative Analysis Of Moral Leadership Crises In Kenyan Evangelical Churches As It Relates To Developing Authentic Leaders, Peter N. Mulinge

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project addressed the moral leadership crises among the evangelical churches of Kenya. Evangelicalism is the fastest growing religious movement in Kenya, a country that already has Africa’s largest percentage of evangelicals overall. This makes it imperative to promote authentic leadership in Kenyan churches. But the concept of leadership development there is overlooked, and as a result churches suffer from a lack of authentic leaders. In this vacuum, Kenyan churches are heavily influenced by traditional African leadership models that can be authoritarian, hereditary, and overwhelmingly corrupt. The latest Corruption Perception Index of 2013, launched by the global agency of Transparency …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 49 No 2 - November 2014), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: Christian Social Ethics as a Form of Missionary Ecclesiology: A Case Study of the Dutch Reformed Experience by Gerard C. den Hertog - 174 / The Estimation of the World: A Comparison Between Calvin and Van Ruler by Willem van Vlastuin - 186 / Simon Goulart (1543-1628) and the Consolation of Troubled Souls by Scott M. Manetsch - 201 / Good News for the Poor: An Analysis of Calvin's Concept of Poor Relief and the Diaconate in Light of His Two Kingdoms Paradigm by Matthew J. Tuininga - 221 / The Impact of a Gap in Existence on …

The One Balm For All Earth’S Wounds: The Priority Of Gospel Proclamation In Charles Haddon Spurgeon’S Missiology, John Sypert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation explores the relationship between gospel proclamation and mercy ministry in Charles Spurgeon’s ministry. The dissertation argues that Spurgeon’s Pastors College, Stockwell Orphanage, and his multitude of other ministries had one clear goal: the spreading of the gospel and the conversion of the lost. This dissertation uses Spurgeon’s approach to missions as an apologetic for a more biblically precise missiology, namely, one that prioritizes gospel proclamation without neglecting the physical needs of those who suffer. This approach could be called “benevolent prioritism” because it prioritizes the proclamation of the gospel while not neglecting works of love for those suffering.

The Rhetoric Of Praise : Prayer And Persuasion In The Psalms, Ryan J. Cook

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Embracing Shared Ministry: Power And Status In The Early Church And Why It Matters Today By Joseph H. Hellerman, Paul Gritz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Theology Of Ordination: An Integration Of Bible And Ellen G. White’S Writings, P. Gerard Damsteegt

Faculty Publications

A theology of ordination should begin with investigating what is God’s testimony about ordination in the Scriptures. In this study, insights into the Old and New Testament history from the writings of Ellen G. White will be referred to whenever they shed light on the biblical passages and their relevance for today. In addition, the study has tried to investigate how ordination is connected to the truth as it is in Jesus, the Head of the church. Ordination and its authority will also be related to Jesus’ model of leadership in the church. The biblical examples of appointment, consecration, or …

The Ecclesiology Of Training For Trainers: The Issue Of Method And I Timothy 3:6, John Henry Serworwora

Great Commission Research Journal

The implementation of the Church Planting Movement (CPM) and Training for Trainers (T4T) by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention missions life is not without challenge. Southern Baptist missiologists and seminary professors have written numerous papers and articles supporting or contesting this methodology. The majority of criticisms focus on the emphasis in the rapidity and “mass production” of churches, fearing the theological alteration among the new believers and their churches. This article argues that the leadership process in T4T/CPM violates the Baptist ecclesiology, since 1 Timothy 3:6 essentially excludes a new believer from pastoral leadership.

Five Types Of Multicultural Churches: A New Paradigm Evaluated And Differentiated, Bob Whitesel

Great Commission Research Journal

This article puts forth a comprehensive and reconciliation-based paradigm through which to view multicultural congregations as one of five models or types. It updates the historical categories of Sanchez, adds contemporary models, and then evaluates each through a ten-point grid of nomenclature, mode of growth, relationships, pluses, minuses, degree of difficulty, creator complex, redistribution, relocation, and reconciliation. The five models are 1) the asset sharing Multicultural Alliance, 2) the collaborative Multicultural Partnership, 3) the asymmetrical Mother-Daughter model, 4) the popular Blended approach, and 5) the Cultural Assimilation model. The result is a comprehensive five-model paradigm that includes an assessment of …

Review Of Baptismal Imagery In Early Christianity: Ritual, Visual, And Theological Dimensions, Robin M. Jensen, Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Pope Paul Vi And Ignacio Maria Calabuig: The Virgin Mary In The Liturgy And The Life Of The Church, Thomas A. Thompson

Marian Studies

On this fortieth anniversary of Marialis Cultus, we wish to commemorate Paul VI and Ignacio Calabuig, both of whom made singular contributions to implementing Vatican II’s directives for the reform and strengthening of Marian devotion in the liturgy, or, as expressed at Vatican II, who collaborated “that devotion to the Virgin Mary, especially in the liturgy, be generously fostered” (LG 67). Here a brief introduction presents Paul VI and Ignacio Calabuig and their views on Marian devotion and liturgy; a description of the causes for the postconciliar Marian crisis follows. Their collaborative response is found in Paul VI’s 1974 Apostolic …

The Continuation Of Israel’S Land Promise In The New Testament: A Fresh Approach, A. Boyd Luter

Eruditio Ardescens

This article responds to recent evangelical interpreters who have argued that the land promise given to Israel in the Old Testament is no longer in effect based on the scarcity of references to the promise in the New Testament. The paper asserts that the Land Promise is not only present in the New Testament, but even provides a sort of overall theological framework for the New Testament.

A Historical Account Of The Conceptual Evolution Of Satan In The Abrahamic Belief Traditions, Hanan Huneidi

Senior Theses

This paper shows a historical account of the development of the Satan persona in the Abrahamic belief traditions beginning with early Judaism in which Satan evolves most vastly from beginning as merely an action verb to ending as a tempter of man, then moving into the Christian New Testament evil entity personified as a direct opponent to Jesus, and finally ending with Islam’s perspective of a leader of the Jinn.

Developing An Intentional Mentoring Model For Disciple Formation At The Mayfair Church Of Christ, Jason Bybee

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project to lead a team in the development of an intentional mentoring model for disciple formation at the Mayfair Church of Christ. This intervention involved the team members in a series of sessions during September and October 2013. Project sessions were designed to provide participants an intentional mentoring experience through exposure to four core practices: exploration of the biblical text, appreciative inquiry exercises, communal sharing, and prayer. Sessions were informed by (1) an understanding of discipleship as following behind Jesus and walking alongside our fellow sojourners, (2) the nature of …

Christian Hope Among Rivals: Life-Organizing Stories As Narrative Theodices, Michael Zeigler

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Zeigler, Michael. W. “Christian Hope among Rivals: Life-Organizing Stories as Narrative Theodicies.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2014. 270 pp.

This dissertation answers the following: How is Christian hope distinct from others? The answer given is that Christian hope is distinct from its rivals because it expects the God of Jesus to bring the world to conform to the word of the promise he made to Abraham. This answer arises from an approach to Christian eschatology that differs from what has become typical. Current studies in eschatology focus on an internal use attributes, that is, a use fitted for derivation and …

Toward An Effective Communication Model For The Evangelization Of The Indian Diaspora In Korea : An Analysis Of Indians' Perceptions Of Christianity And The Korean Church's Missional Approach, Arun Kumar Paul

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Focus Of Elisha's Ministry On Atypical, Faithful Individuals, Eunice Chung

Masters Theses

The focus of Elisha's ministry is upon atypical individuals. Understanding the distinct atypical character focus of the Elisha narrative is important, for it connects to God's overall plan to make all peoples know Him. Just as the foreign general, the destitute widow, and the powerful woman all recognize the power of Yahweh through the work of the prophet, so God desires all unlikely characters, regardless of ethnicity or socio-economic standing, to recognize His greatness. Therefore, the thesis will argue that the apostasy of Israel leads Elisha's ministry to focus on unlikely characters, women and a Syrian general, whose faith starkly …

The Indigenization Of Christian Worship In Urban Liberia : A Key To Christian Discipleship In The United Methodist Church Of Liberia, Isaac Chukpue-Padmore

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Restoring Life-Giving In A Life-Taking World, Melissa G. Cone

Senior Honors Theses

“Restoring Life-Giving in a Life-Taking World” examines women’s roles as life-givers in Exodus 1-2. The stories of the Hebrew midwives, Jochebed, Pharaoh’s daughter, and Miriam are paradigmatic of God’s use of unlikely characters to accomplish His creational plan. Through the life-giving actions of each of these women, God preserved His plan to deliver His people by preserving the life of their deliverer, Moses, and in turn, preparing for the ultimate deliverer, Jesus Christ.

This thesis reveals the life-giving actions of the women in Exodus 1-2 and their strategic position to influence change in their society. The paradigm of God giving …