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A Manual For Pastoral Care Of The Seriously Mentally Ill: A Lutheran Perspective, Thomas Oie

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Persons with serious mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar, unipolar depression) have often been seen as "strangers in our midst". Because state hospitals are relocating these patients into our communities (even though the community mental health resources may not be there) and because of stigma, persons with mental illness are coming in from the "cold" to our churches. Pastors and staff need assistance in ministering to this needy population. This project attempts to define mental illness, identify persons with mental illness, and demonstrate models of ministry. Specific guidelines, helpful suggestions, and supporting evidence(appendices) will address ministry issues and concerns as they pertain …

Pastoral Premarital Counseling In A Campus Ministry Setting-Wittenberg Lutheran Chapel, University Of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, Lindsay Watkins

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The goal of this Major Applied Project was to submit, articulate, and elucidate at least ten specific objectives for pastoral premarital counseling in the campus ministry setting of Wittenberg Lutheran Chapel, the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, and to present a process to achieve those objectives. Four components, a "Survey of Christian Married Adults," a "Survey of Christian Singles," a study of the Scriptural teachings regarding marriage, and a study of family therapy, psychological, and counseling resources furnished the specific objectives for pastoral premarital counseling. Thirteen specific objectives and a process to achieve those thirteen objectives resulted.

Jesus And The Gentiles In The Gospel Of Matthew: A Historical Study Of The Redemption Motif, Young Jin Kim

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

To obtain the proper understanding of Jesus' relation to the Gentiles in the Gospel of Matthew, the following objectives should be met: our study shall deal with (1) the Old Testament passages pertinent to our subject, (2) every Matthean passage which provides explicit or implicit information on our theme, (3) the salvation-historical significance of the text, and (4) the total context of the Gospel.

A form-critical approach with its presuppositions is not in order for our study since this approach fails to meet objectives three and four. A redaction-critical approach which has been the dominant discipline in recent Matthean scholarship …

The Priesthood Of All The Baptized:An Exegetical And Theological Investigation, Thomas Winger

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

For all the emphasis placed on the "priesthood of all believers" as an article of faith, very little critical research has been done into its exegetical, dogmatic, and historical foundations. In his monumental study, John Elliott notes that a detailed exegetical treatment of 1Peter 2 had never before been done in the history of Christianity. 2 Yet he declines any attempt to relate his conclusions to a "dogma" of priesthood. The most extensive historical study, undertaken in two volumes by Cyril Eastwood, attempts to trace the influence of this doctrine in the history of the church, but it fails to …

The Annals Of Obadiah: A Record Of The Wars And Peace Treaties In The History Of Its Interpretation, Joel Elowsky

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

It is the contention of this thesis, that in the war over Obadiah's interpretation, the translator and the historian could, by and large, sign" peace treaties" of agreement. The theologian and the homiletician, however, were engaged in nothing less than a battle to the death. The questions regarding translation and isagogics were two areas where Jewish and Christian interpreters could find much agreement and even help from the other side. The questions regarding fulfillment, significance and application of the text, however, found little if any agreement. If anything, they only helped to fuel the anomysity between the two sides which …

The Angel Of Revelation -An Angel Of God And An Icon Of Jesus Christ, Louis Brighton

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

The purpose of the dissertation is to determine who the angel is through an examination of his appearance and role and by analyzing his relationship to God and Christ. A search and review of possible sources were made to determine whether such literary aids could help in interpreting the appearance and role of the angel. The relationship of the angel and Christ was also compared and analyzed to discover why the author of Revelation has and uses such an angel.

The Λογος-Christology In The Prologue Of The Gospel Of John As A Bridge Concept Between The Old Testament Shekinah Events And Johannine Christology, Chul Hae Kim

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The purpose of this study is to trace the origin and meaning of the λóγος of John in the Prologue. The main question in this study is why John used the Greek word λóγος instead of one of the many other terms from the Old Testament or Greek philosophy which were familiar to the readers of his Gospel. Another question is what was the intention of John by adopting the Greek term λóγος in the Prologue.

One of the basic principles of this study is to search for the meaning of the Johannine λóγος in the context. That is, the …

Theological Nuance In The Synoptic Nature Miracles, Mark Schuler

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

In a previous work we have questioned such conclusions and argued instead that it is between superstition and skepticism where one meets the world view of most in the first century and further that reported miracle phenomena were hardly "common" when consideration is limited to first-century material.

With this study, we complement our previous work by positing that miracles are essential to the Gospel. A definition of "miracles" would be unnecessary were it not for their essential Gospel traditions (oral and written narratives) and to the Gospel itself (δ ́uναμις γ ̀αρ θεοῦ ’εστιν ε’ις σωτηρ́iαν--Rom.1:16). Miracles are not peripheral.

A Study Of The Old Testament Quote In Matthew 27:9, 10, Curtis Giese

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Upon examining the Old Testament quotations in the Gospel of Matthew, one observes that their wording occasionally differs from that of the Hebrew Masoretic Text,(MT) the Septuagint (LXX), or any other known text. Matthew27:9, 10 is an especially striking example of this occurrence. Such deviation is immediately surprising because Jews and Christians contemporary to Matthew held the words of the Hebrew Old Testament, duly represented by the present Masoretic Text, in high esteem.' In addition, the Septuagint held a position at that time as a respected translation of the Hebrew.2 One questions, therefore, why the deviations exist in the Gospel …

A Comparative Study Of 'People' In The Old Testament And The Minjung Concept, Hyun Sup Um

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this study is to find out whether or not the concept of עִס in the Old Testament is the same as it is used in Minjung theology. Therefore the first part of this thesis will deal with outside influences, such as secular theology, the theology of hope, liberation theology, process theology, and theology of history on Minjung theologians, specifically on these three: Jung Choon Kim, Hee Suh Moon, and Joon Suh Park. All three insist that the origin of Israel was the Habiru. Therefore the origin of עִס (Israel) in the Old Testament will also be treated. …

Luther's Summaries Of The Psalms (1531)--A Model For Contemporary Psalm Interpretation, Bruce Cameron

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Luther has left only one work in which he commented on all 150 psalms. The Summarien fiber die Psalmen of 1531 accompanied his extensive revision of the Psalter published that year and reflects his thinking after fifteen years of lecturing on, writing about, and translating the psalms. Some portions of this work--both suggestions for interpretation and details of translation--are untenable, or at least unfollowed. Many of his applications are dated, or at least unfashionable. The challenge for the contemporary Luther-minded interpreter of the psalms is to develop summaries and applications of the psalms for our time, using the principles Luther …

James 1:25 And 2:12: The Perfect Law Of Liberty And The Perfect Liberty Of The Christian, Paul Alliet

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

"The perfect law of liberty" is an expression which sounds strange. Even in secular use, a law is more often seen as a restriction of liberty than a guarantee of it, and theologically the problem seems as great if not greater.1This study is based on the belief that if James is allowed to speak on his own terms, he speaks as one who not only found the Law compatible with Christian liberty, but an essential part of it. This is particularly the case since St. James was one of the four half-brothers of our Lord mentioned in Matthew 13:55 and …

Leviticus 17:11 And The Theology Of Sacrifice, Robert Clancy

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

It should be noted from the start that "objectivity” as it is commonly understood is not a goal of this thesis. The primary reason is that such objectivity is considered Tobe impossible. That is, if by "objectivity" one means that one reads and studies a text without presuppositions and without a hermeneutic, then one is striving after wind. No reader is a tabula rasa. All scholars read texts from within a given school of thought. Historical critics have certain presuppositions regarding texts, for instance, starting with the assumption that cultic material is late (post-exilic). Redaction critics assume the existence of …

The Theology Of Israel's Sea Crossing, Rodger Dalman

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

In Exodus 14:2, God commanded Israel to do a strange thing. God directed Israel to turn from their route, and to walk into a trap. By wandering to the shores of a reed sea, Israel intentionally gave Pharaoh the impression that they were lost, and tempted him to pursue them. Why would God command this? After all, Egypt had already been destroyed. Thousands of Egyptians had died. Pharaoh's will had been broken, and he had let Israel go.. The nation was already leaving Egypt for Palestine. Why did Israel not simply pass through the border fortresses and go on their …

The Promises Of Prosperity In The Old Testament An Exegetical And Theological Examination, Paul Naumann

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Certain factions among Fundamentalism, Pentecostalism, Neo-Pentecostalism, Millennialism, and media religion (or what is frequently termed the "Electronic Church") proclaim what amounts to a gospel of success and physical/material prosperity. It can be systematized into three main teachings, with some overlap. They are 1) divine healing or divine health (i.e. never getting sick to begin with) 2) positive confession (i.e. we have what we say or" claim") and finally 3) material prosperity. For our purposes we shall put these all together and refer to them generally as "Prosperity Theology" without drawing a distinction between bodily and material wellbeing.

The "I" In The Storm: Paul's Use Of The First Person Singular In Romans 7, Michael Middendorf

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The purpose here is not merely "to spill more ink.” Rather, it is to address approaches to and facets of these issues which have not yet been adequately considered or appreciated. This thesis proposes to answer the questions surrounding the identity, the spiritual condition, and the purpose of the "I" in Romans 7. It will arrive at its conclusions by means of an exegetical study of Romans 7, through an analysis of Paul's use of the first person singular in his letters, and on the basis of Pauline theology as a whole.

In order to provide the necessary background for …

Gadara Of The Decapolis, Lee Maxwell

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The topic of this dissertation is "Gadara of the Decapolis." The ruins of this ancient Decapolis city are situated in and to the west of the modern village of Umm Qais in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The present-day village is located about thirty kilometers northwest of the Jordanian city of Irbid and approximately ten kilometers southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The site lies atop the Jordanian plateau, which drops off sharply to the north toward the Yarmuk River and to the south toward the Wadi al-'Arab before it gradually lowers to the west in a number of terraces …

A Study Of The Root Hesych- In The New Testament, John Armstrong

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this paradigmatic study is to compare and contrast hesychazein with similar terms such as sigan and siopan. To what extent are these words synonymous, and to what extent are they not? This is an example of the lexical field approach in which the meaning of a given word is not considered as an independent unit but as a component in the structure of a field of related words. Jost Trier, the pioneer of lexical field theory, has said that the value of a word is first known when it is marked off against the value of neighboring …

Aspects Of The Calendar Of The Hebrew Bible And Its Theological Significance, Charles Blanco

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of the thesis is twofold. We endeavor to provide the exegetical base for the understanding of the calendar used by God's4people in the Old Testament. There is, of course, a certain heuristic value to our topic for Old Testament studies at large. Beyond that, we find our study to be unique in its approach. Apart from the confessional position outlined above, we came to the texts without any preconceived notions about the nature, structure, and use of the Hebrew calendar. Conversely, the vast majority of works on the calendar are undertaken to prove a particular point of view. …

The Chrisitian Day Of Worship Gatherings- Its New Testament Practice And Theological Basis, David Fielding

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This paper presents an antidote to sabbatarianism, namely the New Testament teaching of Christ as the fulfillment of the sabbath. A corollary to this idea is the matter of Christian freedom regarding the day for worship. The principle of Christian liberty in such matters is neglected by legalistic sabbatarians. It needs to be said that Christ did not directly abolish the sabbath. He fulfilled it. Observance of a particular day is not satisfactory in the Christiane era, as this study demonstrates.

The Eucharistic Theologies Of Nineteenth Century Anglican And Lutheran Repristination Movements Compared, Jonathan Charles Naumann

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

The measure of congruity achieved by the independent efforts of these Lutherans and Anglicans of the nineteenth century, as they tried to repristinate purity of doctrine and orthodoxy, may constitute a superior model for modern-day ecumenical endeavours. This is especially the case if the route to Christian unity via a tolerance of contradictory doctrines around the eucharistic table threatens to collapse under the weight of its own implausibility.

The Holiness Of Yahweh In Conflict With The Holiness Of Baal Vis-À-Vis Mount Zion And Mount Zaphon, Reed Lessing

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this study is to define the holiness of Yahweh and the holiness of Baal as they are related to physical, tangible mountains. Qds is25 a holistic idea, which includes both physical and spiritual aspects Brevard Childs sums up this thesis with these words: The Old Testament understanding of space was eschatological, not mythical. It looked to the future, not to the past. However, it chose a mythical category to express the tensions within this new spatial reality. The new space had as its content God's holiness, but it was formed in the midst of a profane and …

Paul's Portrayal Of Judaism: St. Paul's Critique Of Judaism In Romans 3:19-31 And Evidence From Judaism Which Validates His Assessment, Michael Middendorf

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This thesis will address the current debate over whether St. Paul is being fair and accurate in his appraisal of first-century Judaism's teaching on the doctrine of justification. The Apostle is currently being accused of making an unfair caricature of Judaism, especially in regard to its conception of how a righteous standing before God could be attained.1 This first chapter will serve to document these accusations, to lay out the issues and arguments involved in this debate, and then to assess its significance.

Eb-Ruth Y Noemí, Marcos Kempff

Estudios Bíblicos

EB-Ruth y Noemí

An Examination Of ΕαββατισμóΣ And ΚατáΠανσις In Hebrews 3:7-4:13 In Light Of Their Old Testament Background, Richard P. Belcher Jr.

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This paper will attempt to investigate and further define the two ideas of rest in Hebrews 3:7-4:13.

The Covenantal Significance Of Remembrance As It Is Used In Luke 22:19, Mark Steiner

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Remembrance, depending upon its subjects and objects, can have condemnatory as well as salvific ramifications. Secondly, there is not total agreement on who the subject of remembrance is in the Words of Institution. For some, God was intended to be the subject of the remembering rather than the disciples. The strengths and weaknesses of this position will be weighed.

Finally, a concluding word is in order. The purpose of this study is to present evidence which would support the thesis that remembrance does indeed have covenantal significance. Consequently, if the word has covenantal significance, then more attention must be paid …

The Use And Implications Of Makarios In The New Testament, Young Kim

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

An exegetical study has been adopted by this writer as the most pertinent methodology for the subject. The study begins with the study of the Old Testament passages which contain the term אְּשרי which is the Old Testament counterpart of Makáeios. The study examines these of the term in the Old Testament Apocrypha and the Greek classics. The study goes on to investigate the use and implications of Makáeios in the New Testament according to writer by writer.

A Study Of Isaiah's Use Of Kabod, David Worcester

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this study is to discover the theological significance of the word פָבוֹ ד as used in the Book of Isaiah. פָבוֹ ד , most often translated into English as "glory," is a term which encompasses such meanings as honor, fame, wealth, reputation, brightness, brilliance or splendor, and, when used in reference to God, heavenly brilliance, sublimity or magnificence.) Throughout Isaiah, the term פָבוֹ ד is utilized frequently, with reference to God, as well as to men and nations. It is the thesis of this study that, as the term is used throughout Isaiah, the term- פָבוֹ דbecomes …

Between Superstition And Skepticism: A Study Of The First-Century Worldview Of The Miraculous, Mark Schuler

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In response, it is not the intent of the following to address the philosophic skepticism so prevalent in modern biblical scholarship. Rather, the assumption which links such skepticism to the results of Formgeschichte will be called into question, namely, the assumption that the worldview of the first century was superstitious. One may legitimately ask whether the worldview of the first century was so enamored of the miraculous that a literary product of that time would of necessity produce miraculous deeds in praise of its hero and attribute them to him. To that

The Biblical Witness Regarding The Person And Work Of The Holy Spirit, Craig Molitoris

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The goal of this study is to better understand the Biblical witness regarding the person and work of the Holy Spirit. There is an urgent need for such a study. Almost twenty-five years ago, Dr. Lorenz Wunderlich wrote a book about the Holy Spirit entitled, The Half-Known God. The title is, unfortunately, still appropriate today. It is the intention of this study to enable the researcher to better know this "Half-Known" God and to better make Him known tithe Church.