Digital Commons Network^™

Bellinger's "Jesus V. Abortion: They Know Not What They Do." (Book Review), James Sauer

The Christian Librarian

Bellinger, C.K. (2016). Jesus v. abortion: They know not what they do. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books. 340pp. $66.00. ISBN 9781498235051

Oeming, M., & Schmid, K.'S "Job’S Journey: Stations Of Suffering" (Book Review), Deborah Hunt

The Christian Librarian

Oeming, M., & Schmid, K. (2015). Job’s journey: Stations of suffering. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns. 110 pp. ISBN 9781575063997

Howard's "Lavish Grace: Poured Out, Poured Through, And Overflowing" (Book Review), Noelle Keller

The Christian Librarian

Howard, K. (2016). Lavish grace: Poured out, poured through, and overflowing. Birmingham, AL: New Hope Publishers. 172 pp. $12.99. ISBN 9781625915030

Thompson's "The Virtual Body Of Christ In A Suffering World" (Book Review), Deborah Mcconkey

The Christian Librarian

Thompson, D. A. (2016). The virtual body of Christ in a suffering world. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press. 144 pp. $19.99. ISBN 9781501815188

Challies' "Visual Theology: Seeing And Understanding The Truth About God" (Book Review), Linda Poston

The Christian Librarian

Challies, T., & Byers, J. (2016). Visual theology: Seeing and understanding the truth about God. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 155 pp. $17.99. ISBN 9780310520436

Bird's "What Christians Ought To Believe: An Introduction To Christian Doctrine Through The Apostle’S Creed" (Book Review), Mark Tubbs

The Christian Librarian

Bird, M. F. (2016). What Christians ought to believe: An introduction to Christian doctrine through the Apostle’s Creed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. $24.99. ISBN 9780310520924.

Towards A Theology Of The Single Mother, Stephanie Townes

Seminary Masters Theses

Families are changing. The white picket fence nuclear family with a mother, father, 2.2 kids and a dog is no longer the norm for American society. Families look less and less like “traditional families.” Blended families, children born out of wedlock, cohabitation, step-families, multigenerational families, adopted children, single parent families, foster parents, and homosexual partners raising children are all part of the fabric of society. Society has changed so much that, as feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether points out, “it is no longer possible to speak of one predominant “normative” model of family.”

“A Few Bones To Pick: Peter And His Significance”—A Fifth Review Of Cnn’S “Finding Jesus 2” Series, Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

The fifth episode of CNN’s “Finding Jesus” series explores the character and place of the historical Peter. Portrayed as a fisherman—a leading disciple of Jesus in the Gospels—Simon Peter is presented as both robust and impetuous. As chief among the twelve, he promises to stand with Jesus until the end, and yet, he also denies Jesus three times, as he also fears for his life following the arrest of Jesus. As Michael Peppard correctly puts it, the practice of the Romans at the time was to arrest not only insurrectionist leaders, but also to deal swiftly with their followers. Thus, …

The Communal Dimensions Of Birthing Imagery In Paul's Epistles, Mary K. Schmitt

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

"Paul's birthing imagery operates metaphorically in ways that correspond to John Wesley's phrase "new birth;' and careful examination of Paul's metaphors indicates important avenues for reframing some of the conversation around new birth in the Wesleyan tradition."

Fox's "A Message From The Great King: Reading Malachi In Light Of Ancient Persian Royal Messenger Texts From The Time Of Xerxes" (Book Review), Gary R. Averill

The Christian Librarian

A review of Fox, M. (2015). A message from the great king: Reading Malachi in light of ancient Persian Royal Messenger texts from the time of Xerxes. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns. 170 pp. $42.50. ISBN 9781575063948

Bible Works 10 (Resource Review), Michael Bain

The Christian Librarian

A review of BibleWorks 10. Copyright 1992-2015 BibleWorks, LLC. Programmed by Michael S. Bushell, Michael D. Tan, and Glenn L. Weaver. $389. USB Flash Drive / Download. Version 10.0.5.420.

Keener's "Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture In The Light Of Pentecost" (Book Review), Dale R. Jensen

The Christian Librarian

A review of Keener, C. S. (2016). Spirit hermeneutics: Reading scripture in the light of Pentecost. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans. 522 pp. ISBN 9780802874399

Kirk's "A Man Attested By God: The Human Jesus Of The Synoptic Gospels" (Book Review), Kyle D. Diroberts

The Christian Librarian

A review of Kirk, J. R. D. (2016). A man attested by God: The human Jesus of the synoptic gospels. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 638 pp. $43.10. ISBN 0802867952

The Story Pastor: A Faithful And Fruitful Identity For Pastors, Jordan Rimmer

Doctor of Ministry

Pastors are experiencing an identity crisis. Many are not sure how to process who they are and what they do. While old metaphors for ministry—like shepherd or prophet— do not connect as well with today’s culture, new metaphors—like leader or counselor— are not biblically complete. This identity crisis negatively affecting clergy health and ministry. How can pastors pursue sustainable ministries, based on an identity, that is faithful to the tradition and fruitful in the world today?

Story is a paradigm for ministry that shapes pastoral identity. Pastors benefit from thinking of their ministry in terms of story because it is …

The Ecological Gift Of Spiritual Formation: A Renewal For Healthy Clergy, Jody Becker

Doctor of Ministry

Every year Lutheran clergy resign pastoral calls citing one, primary reason: burnout. Certainly, the demands of pastoral call within a congregation are easy to observe: long on-call periods of time, intense levels of pastoral care needs, and navigating multifaceted, interpersonal relationships, to name a few. While these demands become symptomatic to the problem of burnout, the determining cause is still unknown, especially given the various contextual factors for these pastors. Yet, the number of pastors leaving ministry or experiencing shortened tenures is alarming. In the Lutheran church, spiritual formation language is often associated with determined deficiencies. Other times, spiritual formation …

"The Crescent" Student Newspaper, February 2, 2017, George Fox University Archives

"The Crescent" Student Newspaper

Student newspaper of George Fox University.

On Scripture: Rise Up! (Micah 6:1-8), Roger S. Nam

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

Excerpt: "The prophet Micah lived during a time of political turmoil and transition. Sound familiar?

For a large portion of the eighth century BC, the Assyrian Empire conducted a massive military conquest of Israel and Judah. During the time of Micah, Samaria had already fallen, and King Hezekiah was in the midst of fervent preparations of protecting Jerusalem for an inevitable Assyrian invasion. At the time, the Assyrian Empire was the largest empire the world had ever known. They were creators of a formidable army with advanced weaponry and military tactics, including psychological warfare. This military supported the empire's ambitions …

Review Of The Multilingual Jesus And The Sociolinguistic World Of The New Testament With Special Reference To The Gospel Of Matthew By Hughson T. Ong, Ekaputra Tupamahu

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

No abstract provided.

Review Of Early Quakers And Their Theological Thought, Leah Payne

Quaker Religious Thought

First-generation Quakers were a radical and persecuted sect of early modern British Christianity. Early Quakers and Their Theological Thought: 1647-1723 shows why the Quakers have survived when so many other 17th century radicals—including Diggers, Ranters, Levellers or Muggletonians—did not. Along the way readers also discover why the Friends, though initially derided, are so loved in the twenty-first century. Quaker theology, rejected by the powers that be in its own era, resonates with many 21st century readers.

Anti-Semitism And Religious Violence As Flawed Interpretations Of The Gospel Of John, Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

While it is a tragic fact that the Gospel of John has contributed to anti-Semitism and religious violence during some chapters of Christian history, John is not anti-Semitic. It was written by a Jewish writer, about a Jewish messianic figure, targeted first toward convincing Jewish audiences that Jesus was indeed the Jewish Messiah. Salvation is “of the Jews,” according to the Johannine Jesus, and each of the “I-am” sayings embodies a classic representation of Israel. John is no more “anti-Semitic” than the Essene community or the prophetic work of John the Baptist. On the other hand, “the Jews” sometimes typify …

In The Way They Should Go: Nurturing The Relational And Spiritual Nature Of Children, Jamee Free

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation explores the innate relational and spiritual nature of children. This dissertation assumes that children are deeply relational and spiritual as part of the image of God within them. Chapter one takes a comprehensive look at how children are struggling within this country on every measure of health, as well as how relational nurture and soul care are significantly lacking. Chapter two explores Biblical materials, especially the incarnation, Jesus’ interactions with children, passages from Deuteronomy, verses from Proverbs, and examples of children in Biblical narratives. The third chapter focuses on historical and theological materials, as well as theories from …

Value Of Quaker Religious Thought To Me And To Friends, T. Vail Palmer Jr.

Quaker Religious Thought

Excerpt: "Quantitatively speaking, if it were not for Quaker Religious Thought, my credentials as a published scholar would be slim indeed. By the time I reached the age of 65, they would have consisted of one published lecture (the 1968 Shrewsbury Lecture) and one book review (in the Anglican Theological Review. Everything else — articles, comments, book reviews, editorials — had been published in QRT."

Foreword To The Itinerary Of The Prophet-King, Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Among modern analyses of the origin and development of John’s Christology, the socio-religious analysis of Wayne A. Meeks advances one of the most compelling and suggestive theses in recent years, addressing the riddles pertaining to the puzzling presentation of Jesus as a prophet-king like Moses in John 6:14-15. Whereas the Logos motif of the Johannine Prologue and the Father-Son relationship in the Johannine narrative convey high-christological thrusts, his receptions as a rabbi, teacher, and prophet elsewhere in John’s story of Jesus are far more mundane and earth bound. While he is rejected in Judea for failing to live up to …

Peder Borgen’S Bread From Heaven—Midrashic Developments In John 6 As A Case Study In John’S Unity And Disunity (A Foreword To Bread From Heaven), Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Among the weighty treatments of the Gospel of John over the last half-century, one of the most incisive has been Bread from Heaven, by Peder Borgen. As the unity and disunity of the Fourth Gospel had been debated extensively among Johannine scholars for the previous half-century, approaching this issue from a text-based comparative standpoint posed a new window through which one could assess key issues and contribute to the larger discussions. Whereas Rudolf Bultmann and Wilhelm Bousset had envisioned the context of John’s composition as Hellenistic Christianity leading into Gnostic trajectories, Borgen focused on particularly Jewish writings as John’s primary …

Identity And Congruence: The Ethics Of Integrity In The Johannine Epistles (Chapter In Biblical Ethics And Application), Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

If the Johannine eagle soared above the earth, it did so with talons bared for the fight; and the last writings that were left show the eaglets tearing at each other for the possession of the nest. There are moments of tranquil contemplation and inspiring penetration in the Johannine writings, but they also reflect a deep involvement in Christian history. Like Jesus, the word transmitted to the Johannine community lived in the flesh.

Vantage Point: Using Narrative And Discourse Analysis Of Jesus' Sermon On The Mount To Improve Discipleship Outcomes, David J. Swisher

Doctor of Ministry

When the narrative and discursive aspects of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (SOTM) are divorced from their cultural and rhetorical context, traditional historical-critical methods of exposition miss important contextual applications. Originally delivered as a live discourse to an audience of first-century Jews, the text and circumstances of the SOTM are recorded in Matthew 5-7 by one of Jesus’ followers as an embedded discourse within the larger framing narrative of the first gospel.

However, the dynamics of interactive discourse are quite different than what contemporary readers experience with printed text on a page. Absent that live exchange and its embedded cultural …

Homiletical Aesthetics: A Paradigmatic Proposal For A Holistic Experience Of Preaching, Sunggu Yang

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

The article is a proposal for a paradigmatic change in homiletical pedagogy. In North America today, most homiletical training at the seminary or divinity school is either text-driven or know-how-driven (or, at times, topic-driven). Thus, the homiletical training focuses on (1) how to exposit a text for a key topic, (2) how to structure a sermon, (3) how to deliver a message, and (4) how to analyze the text-driven sermon. While admitting the usefulness of this current textual or know-how pedagogy, the article suggests the addition of a holistic-aesthetic component of preaching, which I will later call numen-participatory education or …

A Terminator, A Transformer, And Job Meet: Creator-Created Relations In Film And Scripture, Edward Allen Jones Iii

Faculty Publications - George Fox Digital

In this essay, I set the book of Job in dialogue with a number of films from the robot science fiction subgenre. It is my intention to show that both sets of literature are deeply engaged with questions related to how creators and created things can interact, and that they deal with these questions in ways that illuminate and complement each other. The study proceeds in three phases. First, I develop a typology of robot science fiction as I see it in Hollywood cinematic presentation. Second, I turn to unpack God’s response to Job’s complaint in Job 38. In this …

Review Of T. Vail Palmer, Face To Face: Early Quaker Encounters With The Bible. (Newberg, Or: Barclay Press, 2016), Michael Birkel

Quaker Religious Thought

Excerpt: "At the present moment, when—as with early Friends when the monarchy was restored and a vengefully conservative Parliament set out to undo all the good work of Friends and other religious radicals during the Commonwealth—political forces are at play to reverse all the efforts of the past half century to further social justice, a book like Face to Face can revive hope in the mighty acts of God. This is good news."

Lead Us Not Into Temptation, Deliver Us From Evil (Chapter In The Lord's Prayer, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary), Nijay K. Gupta

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

I recall, as a young child, having a number of superstitious assumptions. I remember being afraid of the dark, and at night, as I stood in my doorway, I believed that when I turned off the light switch I had to jump to my bed (for some reason thinking that I would be gobbled up by evil if my feet touched the ground in the darkness). Over time, though, I became less concerned about the dark and also about "evil." Even today, as an adult, I do not think much about evil powers or spirits. I may make a one-off …