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Unchanging Gospel Message, Changing Context: Contextualization Strategies In The Lukan Paul, Irenaeus, And Athanasius, Joy Axelsson

MA in Religion Theses

This thesis examines how early Christian leaders strategically contextualized the gospel within the diverse sociohistorical contexts of the Roman Empire while maintaining theological consistency. Using a comparative synchronic methodology adapted from Michael Gorman, it analyzes five primary texts spanning the first through fourth centuries: the Lukan Paul’s missionary speeches in Acts (Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, and Athens), Irenaeus’s On the Apostolic Preaching, and Athanasius’s On the Incarnation. Each text is analyzed within its literary, historical, and cultural context to identify patterns of strategic constants and variables in gospel presentation. The analysis shows that central gospel elements, such as Christology, monotheism, …

Gardner-Webb To Award Its 25,000th Bachelor’S Degree During Spring Commencement On May 8, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University will host its Spring Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. in Spangler Stadium. Families and guests will celebrate the achievements of nearly 500 students in traditional undergraduate, online, and graduate programs of study.

Gardner-Webb Celebrates Achievements Of Nearly 500 Graduates, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University hosted its Spring Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 8, at 6:30 p.m. in Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center. Families and guests celebrated the achievements of nearly 500 students in traditional undergraduate, online, and graduate programs of study.

Students In The Gardner-Webb University College Of Arts And Sciences Recognized In Awards Ceremony, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences recently presented awards to students in recognition of their hard work, dedication and excellence.

Gardner-Webb Announces Formation Of Presidential Search Committee, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Officials at Gardner-Webb University have announced the formation of the committee that will guide the search for the institution’s 14th President.

Ten Students From Gardner-Webb Help With Rebuild Efforts In Waynesville And Fletcher, N.C., Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Instead of traveling out-of-state this year, Neal Payne, Gardner-Webb associate minister to the University for Student Ministries, and 10 students from Gardner-Webb went to Black Mountain, N.C., to help rebuild homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Helene.

Gardner-Webb Students Participate In 2025 Ethics Bowl Sponsored By North Carolina Independent Colleges And Universities, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University students from across campus competed recently in the 2025 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) Ethics Bowl. Teams from 19 schools participated in his year’s event that explored ethical questions related to health and wellness. The two-day event was held in the North Carolina Legislative Building and Legislative Office Building in Raleigh.

Gardner-Webb Officials Announce Speaker For Spring Commencement, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

A local pastor with ties to Gardner-Webb University will be the featured speaker for commencement on May 8 at 6:30 p.m. in Spangler Stadium. Skip Allen a lead pastor at Hope Community Church in Shelby, N.C., will address graduates and their families and friends.

Kylee Morris, Of Morehead City, N.C. Crowned Miss Gardner- Webb 2025, Office Of University Communications, Chloe Cloutier

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Kylee Morris, a junior biology major, was recently crowned Miss Gardner- Webb 2025 for her outstanding musical ability and stage presence. Performing a four-mallet marimba solo of “Ghost Garden,” by Adam Hopper, she impressed the judges and audience.

Miss Gardner-Webb Pageant Set For March 2, Showcasing Talent And Confidence, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

The stage is set for an exciting evening as seven contestants compete in the annual Miss Gardner-Webb Pageant on Sunday, March 2, at 3 p.m.The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in Dover Theatre and promises a dazzling display of talent, confidence, and camaraderie.

Gardner-Webb Honors Achievements Of 2024 Summer And Fall Graduates, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

In Gardner-Webb University’s commencement ceremony on Dec. 13, former N.C. Commissioner of Labor Josh Dobson challenged his audience of over 400 graduates to follow their dreams with all their hearts. Dobson, a 2005 GWU alumnus, served over 14 years as a North Carolina elected leader and recently became the president and chief executive o!icer at North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA).

Gardner-Webb Incoming First-Year Students Form Strong Bonds In Living-Learning Communities (Llc), Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

After successfully introducing Gardner-Webb University’s first living-learning community (LLC) last year, the Division of Student Success in collaboration with the Office of Housing and Residence Education added two more LLCs for the 2024 Fall Semester. Incoming first-year students could choose to participate in one of three LLCs: Faith, STEM or Honors.

Guided By Faith: Annagrace Earwood’S Dedication To Serving Others, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

As an undergraduate student at Gardner-Webb University, Annagrace Earwood’s favorite memory involves an act of service. She was vice president of the Religious Studies Association and volunteered with members at the Washington Outreach Ministry, a food pantry in Cherryville, N.C.

Gardner-Webb University Hosts Annual Veterans Day Service On Nov. 11, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Cpl. Brandon Blair, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and senior pastor of Langston Baptist Church in Conway, S.C., spoke at Gardner-Webb University’s Veterans Day Service on Nov. 11. Gardner-Webb hosts the annual celebration of Veterans Day to honor students, alumni and friends of the University who answered the call to serve their country—in war and in peace— through a branch of the U.S. military.

Gardner-Webb University Will Celebrate Veterans Day With Service On Nov. 11, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University will host a Veterans Day Service on Monday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. in Dover Chapel. The featured speaker is Cpl. Brandon Blair, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and senior pastor of Langston Baptist Church in Conway, S.C. The service is open to the campus community and to the public.

Demonstration Of Nonviolence In Modern Day: Through The Lens Of Christianity, Jainism, Hinduism, And Buddhism, Lauren Mertz

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Throughout history, many groups of people have experimented with nonviolent demonstrations and concepts. Religions, countries, and a variety of movements have put the demonstration of nonviolence at the forefront of their reasoning and defenses. When people hear the word nonviolence, there is usually a person or idea that comes to mind. People in the United States often think of figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and his Civil Rights Movement demonstrations. This paper will provide a detailed literary and research analysis of the concept of nonviolence, demonstrating that it is more than just a Christian concept. I will look at …

Gardner-Webb School Of Divinity’S Annual Advent Devotional Begins On Dec. 2, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University’s School of Divinity presents its annual Advent devotional series Dec. 2-25. Edited by faculty and staff from the divinity school, these devotions are contributed by GWU administration, students, alumni, Board of Trustees chair and other faculty and staff from across the campus.

Joe Waller Receives Full-Tuition Scholarship From The Gwu School Of Divinity, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

A!er graduating in May 2023 with a psychology degree from Gardner- Webb University, Joe Waller enrolled in the School of Divinity. He is pursuing a dual degree—the Master of Mental Health Counseling and Master of Divinity. Waller, who minored in biblical studies, is the 2023 recipient of the Dean’s Fellow Scholarship Award, given annually by the GWU School of Divinity.

Eight Gardner-Webb Students Receive Grants For Focused Research, Office Of University Communications, Brandon Richmond

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Eight new scholars received grants from the Summer Undergraduate Research Scholars Program (https://gardner-webb.edu/academics/enrichment-programs/summer-research-scholars/), one of Gardner-Webb University’s academic enrichment opportunities. Every year, the initiative allows a student to spend 40 hours a week working on a project for five weeks with the assistance of a Gardner-Webb professor. The students learn more in their fields and help advance the field itself. They also tap into the professors’ knowledge and experience on how to conduct and complete a scholarly project.

Gardner-Webb Alumna Molly Law, ’14, Is Former Editor Of Christianity.Com, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

At Gardner-Webb University, 2014 alumna Molly Law discovered her writing talent and her interest in a scholarly examination of the Bible. As editor of Christianity.com, she recalled topics discussed in her religion classes to propose article ideas or to occasionally write articles and devotions for the website.

Bob Shepherd Remembered For His Pastoral Ministry And Service To Gardner-Webb And School Of Divinity, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Bob D. Shepherd, a pastor and former vice president for development at Gardner-Webb University, passed away on April 30. Shepherd, 93, touched and enriched countless lives through his work in ministry for over 60 years. He also served two terms on the GWU Board of Trustees, 2011-2014 and 2016-2018, and was recognized as a trustee emeritus in 2020.

Kendal Vest Crowned Miss Gardner-Webb 2023 On March 26, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Kendal Vest, an exercise science major from Shady Spring, W.Va., was crowned Miss Gardner-Webb 2023 on March 26. Nursing major Grace Fort, of Monroe, Ga., was first runner-up, and Alyssa Wilkie, of Bostic, N.C., also a nursing major, was second runner-up.

Gardner-Webb Team Attends North Carolina Independent Colleges And Universities Ethics Bowl, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Artificial intelligence, mental health, and non-fungible tokens (NFT’s), a type of cryptocurrency in the art world, are a few of the topics that were debated under the umbrella of Ethics in Contemporary Society as part of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities’ (NCICU) 12th annual Ethics Bowl. Students from Gardner-Webb University joined others from 15 private college and university campuses across North Carolina for the event held recently at the North Carolina Legislative Complex in Raleigh.

Seven To Compete In Miss Gardner-Webb Pageant On March 26, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Seven young women will compete on March 26 for the title of Miss Gardner-Webb. The annual event will be held at 3 p.m. in Dover Theatre. The pageant is held during Women’s History Month to honor women who inspire and lead by their examples.

Gardner-Webb Alumnus Selected As Vp And University Chaplain For Christian Life And Service, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University President Dr. William Downs has announced that Gardner-Webb alumnus, Dr. Josh Parrott, will serve as the new Vice President and University Chaplain for Christian Life and Service. Selected after a national search by a committee representing the Gardner-Webb community, Parrott will begin on Feb. 15.

2023-2024, Gardner-Webb Academic Catalog, Gardner-Webb University

Academic Catalogs (Combined Undergraduate & Graduate)

2023 - 2024, Gardner-Webb University Academic Catalog. William Downs, president.

Trauma And Grief: Developing A Framework For Equipping The Hispanic/Latino Churches As A Healing Community In The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Of North Carolina, Santiago Reales

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project aimed to equip Hispanic/Latino congregations of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina (CBFNC) as a healing community to help people in recovering from loss and trauma in a healthy way. Participants in five-workshop sessions over four weeks explored stories of grief and trauma from the Old and New Testament along with contemporary grief and trauma theories. Each workshop presented what the Scriptures and mental health best practices teach about how to deal with grief and trauma. Also, the project sought to determine whether the participant’s training experience impacted their stress level.

Growing In Christian Spiritual Identity Through Enhanced Biblical Interpretation At Camino Church, Charlotte, Nc, Steve Sellers

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project evaluated the impact of biblical study and interpretation on spiritual identity, focusing on the Latino population. The project’s goal was to assess a disciplined, historically oriented study of Scripture as a pre-condition for Scriptural perspicuity to come to fuller expression.

Findings for this project indicate the process of learning biblical interpretation leads to greater spiritual identity in Latino and non-Latino populations. While any particular aspect of the learning process could not be determined as the primary source for the effect the instructor, the learning methodologies, and biblical interpretation model had meaningful impacts on the project participants.

Cultural And Religious Awareness For Online Ministries, Joanne Jacene Devoe

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This purpose of this project was to address the cultural and religious barriers when answering various questions concerning the Bible and daily living for online ministries. In order to be able to effectively convey the gospel message, any online ministry and its staff members need a good understanding of varying and different cultures or religions via online resources of those different religions and cultures. These resources aid in the efficiency and effectiveness of the online ministry staff by enhancing cultural and religious awareness. These resources decrease follow-up questions for further clarification of original questions as well as decrease the reassignment …

Gardner-Webb Hires Department Chairs For Music, And Communication, Art & Design, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb University Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Karen Aubrey has announced the addition of two new administrative positions in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Kortni Alston, of Gastonia, N.C., will serve as chair of the Department of Communication, Art & Design. Joining the Department of Music as chair is Dr. Aaron M. Rice, who has roots in western North Carolina.