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Christ And Culture Valued: Test Cases On Fairness, John Carson Iii

Senior Honors Theses

This research engages H. Richard Niebuhr’s work, Christ and Culture. Niebuhr’s book is a seminal work on the historical trends of Christian cultural engagement. This research applies several tests to the paradigm demonstrated in Niebuhr’s work. These tests demonstrate that Christ and Culture presents a paradigm that lacks fairness and does not adequately meet the goals of an explanatory paradigm. Niebuhr’s paradigm has shaped the discussion of Christian cultural engagement for over fifty years, and this research was done to demonstrate the need for new conversation-shaping paradigms in the field of Christian cultural engagement.

When Not To "Tie The Knot”: A Study Of Exogamous Marriage In Ezra-Nehemiah Against The Backdrop Of Biblical Legal Tradition, Gerald A. Klingbeil

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Treatment Of Rape In Theology, Sr. Pauline Logue

The ITB Journal

When I first began to research the treatment of rape in theology some five years ago I was frequently asked what rape had to do with theology. That is not a question I hear today. Largely due to scandals in both church and state a theological response has been demanded to the serious question of sexual abuse. That response is underway. This article presents a brief summary of central theological issues that arise from an analysis of the experience of rape victims.1 It presents an overview of the treatment of rape in traditional and mainstream theology and finally it examines …

Support Groups For Men: Encouraging Healthy Relationships With God And Others, John Henry Mckinney Ii

Doctor of Ministry

Over several decades, societal shifts have dramatically impacted masculinity. One school of thought, hypomasculinity, views men as dominant, controlling, and abusive. Their approach to reforming men is pedagogy. Hypermasculinity—another school of thought—considers culture as domesticating men. Often, they see reform occurring through men’s support groups.

There is an intentional design to domesticate men, making them softer and more manageable. Obviously, there is nothing immoral about desiring the transformation of man. The issue is not the desire but the methodology supporting it. So, how is change to be successfully implemented?

Some churches are offering men support groups. Such groups provide recovery …

A Strategy To Present The Concept Of Headship: Healing Families In The North Burundi Mission, Ndikubwayo Joseph

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The headship of a husband over a wife is one of the concepts that creates a lot of misunderstanding in some Seventh-day Adventist homes in the North Burundi Mission. This situation has impacted both families and the church. On one hand, a husband believes he is to be strong, that he is the only one who can think logically, and that he should make all the decisions for the household. On other hand, a woman is considered to be weak, and therefore must respect her husband, have babies, and keep quiet. Unfortunately many women show respect out of fear …

United We Stand': A Biblical Perspective On Ecumenical Relations, Gerald A. Klingbeil

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

Making Disciples Of Jesus Christ: Implementing An Effective Discipleship Strategy For Churches In America, Victor Ogundiran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Various research findings on spiritual formation in the America church reveal that the current state of making disciples of Jesus Christ who are observing all that Jesus has commanded is woefully grim. This author believes what we have in place for making disciples is inadequate, unimplemented, or both. The purpose of this thesis project is to explain the current state of spiritual formation in the American Church and the reasons why it falls short of God's desire and design. This effort will include and incorporate research from at least 20 churches to see what discipleship systems they are using, if …

21st Century Evangelism And Church Growth Approach To Reach Urban Professionals In North America Metropolises, Ralph Baeza

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The call of Christ, as He stated in Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:7-9, John 20:21 and Acts 1:8, is to be a continuous command to follow, in order to reach the different peoples group of the world including the urban professionals in North America metropolises. Based on surveys sent to Christian leaders in church congregations and professionals in the secular workplace along with the associated research in the subject, this thesis project reviews the Great Commission call to pursue urban professionals in metropolises, examining their lifestyle environment, past and current trends to reach them, biblical principles that can turn …

An Effective Prayer Training Model For Church Growth: Centered On Wangsung Presbyterian Church In South Korea, Geunbae Hwang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to investigate biblical church growth, specifically studying South Korean pastors roles concerning the healthy church and spiritual reinforcement, with a limited focus and application to WangSung Presbyterian Church and other churches in South Korea. This project primarily utilizes the New Testament, as well as literature on church growth and healthy spirituality. In addition, references specifically regarding church growth and statistical information from Korean church ministries will also be used. This project shares a new alternative way for the growth of churches: A prayer-training model as the most effective method for church growth. A healthy …

Trying A New Way: Barack Obama's Tolerance Of Intolerance, Stephanie L. Phillips

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Paul’S Contextualization Of The Gospel Before The Areopagus In Acts 17, Philip J. Luca

Senior Honors Theses

The following thesis is an analysis on Paul’s presentation of the gospel to the Areopagus as recorded in Acts 17:22-31. The reasons behind his drastic permutation of the kerygma will be scrutinized by studying the exposition of the main components of the speech in parallel with an analysis of his audience. The objective of the thesis is to investigate the Apostle’s consistency with the orthodox kerygma as well as his interaction with the Gentile listeners. In conclusion, consequences for a relevant gospel presentation today will be proposed in light of Paul’s homily to the Areopagite Council.

Cross-Training Christians For Rural Servant-Leadership : An Exploration Of The Role Of A Congregation In Nurturing Leadership In The Community Of Wessington Springs, South Dakota, John H. Paulson

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This study explores the relationship between what is learned and experienced in the Christian faith community and people’s involvement in collaborative leadership within the rural community of Wessington Springs, South Dakota. The author makes use of Martin Luther’s theology of the cross and his teachings regarding Christian vocation, including the calling of parents as family leaders. This approach to leadership development employs a missional ecclesiology, with attention to the Triune God’s transformative, sending work in the world, and examines contributions from knowledge about civil society and human and social capital. Asset mapping is examined as a tool for leadership development.

A Critique Of The Urban Mission Of The Church In The Light Of An Emerging Postmodern Condition, Kleber De Oliveira Goncalves

Dissertations

The world is becoming an urban society. The urban expansion witnessed during the twentieth century and continuing into the twenty-first century is unprecedented in the history of the human civilization. Simultaneously, the Western world faces the paradigm shift from the modern era to a postmodern condition. Both movements have remarkable implications for the mission of the church in urbanized, postmodernizing societies. Shaped by the modern worldview, the church is now further ostracized by the postmodern condition.

While the literature of urban mission has grown in the past few years, very little consideration has been given to the particular issues and …

The God-Given Marital Mandate: Monogamous, Heterosexual, Intrafaith, Ron Dupreez

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

Born A Gay And Born Again? Adventism's Changing Attitutde Toward Homosexuality, Samuel Koranteng-Pipim

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

No abstract provided.

The Development Of A Church-Based Seminar On The Impact Of Historicist Eschatology Upon Seventh-Day Adventist Marital Life, Etzer Obas

Dissertations

Problem. The reading of Eph 5:25-27 shows that Christ will marry the church in a state of holiness and blamelessness. Family life on earth must follow the model of the love of Jesus for the church. But there are no guides, seminars, or studies that combine marital life and preparation for Christ's second coming.

Method. This dissertation developed a seminar that emphasized the belief in the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as accepted by the Apostolic Church. Such belief affects all aspects of the Christian life and particularly the family lifestyle. The seminar tied together eschatology and family …

The Vanguard (Vol. 36, No. 3), May-Jun 1989, Lutheran Human Relations Association Of America

The Vanguard

AMERICA'S LARGEST RELIGION IS more often blamed for creating our environmental problems than credited with helping to solve them. Indeed, ever since historian Lynn White, Jr., published "The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis" (Science magazine in 1967), the anti-earth nature of Christianity has become standard doctrine in environmental circles. (Mother Earth News, Nov/Dec issue, repeated this truism in their "Open Road" column.)

The quote above from the first chapter of Genesis forms the backbone of White's-and others'-arguments that Christianity is an anti-ecological religion. And certainly, the notion of subduing the earth and taking dominion over its creatures does sound …

The Vanguard (Vol. 33, No. 4), June 1986, Lutheran Human Relations Association Of America

The Vanguard

Sanctuary activists around the country have vowed to continue to provide assistance to refugees of Central American war despite the conviction of six Sanctuary workers May 1 in Tucson, Ariz.

After a six-month trial, the verdict returned by the jury convicted six defendants of conspiracy plus lesser charges. convicted two others on lesser charges only, and acquitted three defendants. The lesser charges included harboring. transporting and encouraging the illegal entry of aliens.

Towards A Model For The Religious Nurture Of Black Young Adults In Urban Seventh-Day Adventist Churches, Byron Dulan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Black young adults in urban Seventh-day Adventist churches are not only leaving the fellowship of the church in alarming numbers, but those who continue with the church do not seem to be growing in spiritual maturity as might be expected. Written from the historical, sociological, and theological perspective, the thesis endeavors to analyze the dynamics at work in the Black church and among urban Black young adults, with a view toward developing a viable program of religious nurture at the local church level.

Since the 1940's, little has been written regarding religious nurture in Black churches of any Christian denomination …

The Vanguard (Vol. 28, No. 9), Nov 1981, Lutheran Human Relations Association Of America

The Vanguard

Concordia Lutheran College of Austin, Texas, has begun a program to equip laypersons for serving in their respective congregations or areas in various forms of ministry

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, in its 1977 Dallas convention instructed the college to develop a program that could aid the Hispanic Lutheran congregations in the United States in carrying out their Christian mission by better utilizing the ministry of laypersons interested in serving their Lord, but not able to leave their homes for various reasons, in order to seek preparation for such ministry. The goal of the program is to prepare people without any …

Christian Responsibility And Community Process, Joseph A. Grau

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Few thoughtful Christians deny that as Christians they should be doing something about the social problems of our time. But, they are often not sure as to the right way of going about it. When they come to grips with the meaning of their responsibilities as Christians in the world, they are struck by the complexity of a vast network of interlocking problems, and the strong differences of opinion among people of good will about how to unravel an apparently hopeless tangle of social, political, economic, and cultural affairs. Consequently, it is not enough to say, "Follow your conscience, and …

The Vanguard (Vol. 16, No. 9), Dec 1969, Lutheran Human Relations Association Of America

The Vanguard

Fred Hampton, Illinois chairman of the Black Panther Party, is dead. So is Panther Mark Clark.

State's Attorney Edwin Hanrahan in a TV interview commended the officers who "bravely and with restraint" participated in the pre-dawn raid on Thursday December 4, when the shoot-out occurred.

Many in Chicago's black community and many whites are convinced that Hanrahan's men murdered Hampton as he slept.

A Study Of Religious Education: Its Nature, Its Aims, Its Manifestations, Barbara King

Honors Projects

Much has been written today concerning religious and/or Christian education. Many questions have been raised as to the purpose and effectiveness of various religious education programs. This paper is concerned only with those programs which identify themselves as religious education programs. However, questions have been raised as to what approach to Christianity is being made within the framework of a said religious education program. What importance and meaning does an institution, more specifically, the organized church, give to its religious education program? The role of the religious education program is dependent primarily upon the institutional emphasis which is based on …

A Christian Critique Of Totalitarianism, Clyde Norwood Parker

Master's Theses

In presenting a subject of this kind it is evident that some limitations must be set. A full treatment of Totalitarianism would necessitate not only an examination of its various aspects as exemplified by the several nations of the world under Dictator rule today, but also some consideration of strong totalitarian tendencies in many of the so-called democracies of the world.

Likewise, Christianity is an all-inclusive term under which are many religious denominations with their individual organization and peculiar interpretation of the Christian Gospel. This makes it necessary to present A Christian Critique rather than ~Christian Critique.

Therefore, it shall …