Digital Commons Network^™

The Four Spiritual Laws: An Analysis Of Campus Crusade's Method Of Evangelism, Joshua John Kellogg

Senior Honors Theses

The Four Spiritual Laws is a method of evangelism that has sold over one hundred million copies and has been translated into many different languages. This shows that the Four Spiritual Laws has been effective in its presentation of the Gospel. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the Four Spiritual Laws. This thesis will identify whether the message of the Four Spiritual Laws is biblically accurate. This will be done through an exegetical analysis of the Bible verses that the Four Spiritual Laws cite. Suggestions will be given to improve any weaknesses of the Four Spiritual Laws that …

An Examination Of Newbery Medal Books From The 1920s Through The 2000s: Biblical Perspective, Kimberly Fleming

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Content analysis was conducted to determine the frequency of the presence of positive Biblical virtues and paired opposite traits across 18 Newbery Medal books from the 1920s through the 2000s because the Newbery Award is a prestigious honor bestowed upon children's literature, and the criteria for selection among books specifically precludes the necessity of good character. The fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 served as the rubric by which the characters' thoughts, dialogue, and actions were measured. Consensus data was recorded, and chi-square tests of independence were conducted after three readers examined the presence and frequency of each …

The Dilemma Of Genocide In The Old Testament, Daryl Neipp

Masters Theses

The Old Testament command to destroy every breathing thing within the cities of the Promised Land has long been a problem for those who seek to understand God. In some cases this has become welcome fodder for those who desire to question the credibility of Scripture, while for others it just creates an ethical gap that is simply too far to cross. This thesis will address the challenging issue by demonstrating how God's command to destroy the Canaanites was an essential component of his redemptive plan in that it brought to fruition the goals of the Abrahamic Covenant and established …

The Postmodern Church, Timothy C. Lawless

Senior Honors Theses

Within the past twenty years, the Church (especially in America) has experienced dwindling membership and attendance, along with a host of other problems. Many of these problems are symptomatic of a massive cultural shift toward postmodernism, leading to discontentment with the Church. In attempting to respond to these challenges, the emergent Church has arisen as a major element of American religious culture. Their methodology and doctrine is heavily influenced by postmodernism, which presents a further challenge for Christian leaders and ministers. This paper will survey the challenges facing the Church, will describe the emergent Church’s origin and response to these …

An Examination Of Key Foundational Elements For Pastoral Identity As Found In The Life And Writings Of The Apostle Paul, Carl Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The challenges of pastoral ministry can be seen since New Testament times. Studies reveal that an alarming number of pastors leave the ministry each year. Those that remain in ministry often see their families in turmoil as a result of the hardships of ministry. The Apostle Paul's ministry challenges are detailed and described for today's pastor through the New Testament. Today's pastor can learn a great deal from Paul's example in regard to how to finish the race of ministry. Through an examination of Paul's writings, writings about Paul in the book of Acts, surveys with pastors, and a review …

Farewell Letter From The Managing Editor

Liberty Theological Review

Farewell Letter from the Managing Editor

Letter From The Managing Editor

Liberty Theological Review

Letter from the Managing Editor.

Correlating The Nevius Method With Church Planting Movements: Early Korean Revivals As A Case Study, Wesley L. Handy

Liberty Theological Review

John Nevius served as a missionary to China in the late nineteenth-century. From his field experience, Nevius argued for radical changes in missionary methodology. His greatest influence may have been on the mission to Korea beginning in the 1890s. David Garrison, currently serving in South Asia, served for several years in influential administrative roles within the International (formerly Foreign) Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He studied and advocated Church Planting Movements [CPM], necessitating a change in contemporary missionary methodology. Both men have made major contributions to the practice of missions. This article endeavors to show the similarities between …

An Application Of Discourse Analysis Methodology In The Exegesis Of John 17, Thomas W. Hudgins

Liberty Theological Review

This study applies discourse analysis methodology to the study of the seventeenth chapter of John. Instead of adopting the typical three-fold division of Jesus' prayer based upon the three referents (Jesus, the immediate disciples, and future disciples), greater attention is given to Jesus' requests and final commitment, the mainline verbs. By giving more structural significance to the mainline verbs, the structural division and natural outline of Jesus' prayer become more evident.

The Burden Of Knowing: Camus, Qohelet, And The Limitations Of Human Reason, Justin K. Morgan

Liberty Theological Review

In one of the most influential works of the twentieth century, The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus writes this: “This heart within me I can feel, and I judge that it exists. This world I can touch, and I likewise judge that it exists. There ends all my knowledge, and the rest is construction.” Here, Camus addresses what he believes to be one of the main sources of the absurd: the limitations of human reason. He claims that his inability to fully understand human reality creates a gap between his existence and its meaning, and, in effect, renders the …

Book Reviews

Liberty Theological Review

Review by Russell Meek of Existential Reasons for Belief in God: A Defense of Desires and Emotions for Faith by Clifford Williams. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011, 188 pp., $22.00.

Review by A. Chadwick Thornhill of The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited by Scot McKnight. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011, 177pp., $19.99 USD.

Holistic Healing Ministry: A Practical Guide For Korean Presbyterian Churches, Yanghyun Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study attempted to provide practical and effective advice to Korean Presbyterian churches (KPCs) for adapting Holistic Healing Ministry (HHM), not as an optional ministry but a necessary ministry for all local churches through the exact biblical concept about HHM. Through the analysis of survey for HHM conducted in many congregations of KPCs, this thesis evaluated the present reality of HHM ministered to KPCs, examined holistic health conditions of the congregations of KPCs, and identified which domain of health - physical, emotional, or spiritual - KPCs are currently interested in. Moreover, this thesis drew up a plan for KPCs to …

Love In A Fallen World: Further Toward A Theology Of The Song Of Songs, A. Boyd Luter

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Jesus And The Land: The New Testament Challenge To "Holy Land" Theology, A. Boyd Luter

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

The Land As Covenant Backdrop: A Modest Response To Burge And Waltke, A. Boyd Luter

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Alive In The Spirit: A Practical, Biblical Insight Into The Person And The Work Of The Holy Spirit, Gene L. Jeffries

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

The world is a stage. Yet the principal players are not men and women... The three principal players are the members of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Alive in the Spirit answers questions that many Christians struggle with, including "who is the Holy Spirit, and what does He do?" Gene Jeffries illuminates the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life and encourages readers to understand His influence in their lives. Jeffries also explores the role of the Holy Spirit in biblical topics such as speaking in tongues, gifts of the …

Book Review: Three Views On The Rapture, A. Boyd Luter

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Confidence In Christ And The Sin Unto Death -- When Should A Believer Not Pray? 1 John 5:13-21, Leo R. Percer

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

“Read, Hear/Heed” (Rev. 1:3): Obeying An Exegetical Clue To Understand The Overall Practical Messages Of The Apocalypse, A. Boyd Luter

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

The Meaning And Fulfillment Of The “Preaching Texts” Of The Apocalypse (Daniel 7:13 And Zechariah 12:10), A. Boyd Luter

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Surrejoinder To Gary Burge—“The Land As Covenant Backdrop”, A. Boyd Luter

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Severe Grace: An Examination Of The Benevolence Of The God Character In The Ten Plagues In Exodus 7:1-12:32 And In The Book Of Jonah, Paul Faust

Masters Theses

In Exodus 34:6-7, God claims to be "a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty." This claim to coexistent mercy and wrath figures as a central claim regarding the benevolence of the God character in both the Ten Plagues Narrative in Exodus 7:1-12:32 and in the Book of Jonah. This thesis examines the God character's claim to benevolence in those two passages and claims that, based upon the literary data of those primary …

Divorce And Remarriage: Applying Biblical Standards To A Modern Culture, John E. Grab Jr.

Senior Honors Theses

Divorce rates in America have reached historic levels. The American home has been exposed to disruption and fragmentation that has radically changed the culture of the American family. Furthermore, the uniqueness of the American situation resides in the near-apathetic approach that the American public has taken to the issue. Divorce rates are historically high and the American home is drastically changing, yet the American culture neglects the issue both in the local community of the church and the home and in the public arena of politics and government. By examining the biblical foundation of marriage, one can transition from principle …

A Study Of John Piper’S Sermon Preparation: A Model For Pastors Who Emphasize The Supremacy Of God In Expository Preaching, Sunghyun J. Pae

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation aims to answer the question, How can the preacher complete the process of his expository sermon preparation to manifest God's glory and exalt His supremacy in preaching by studying Piper's life and methods? Based on an analysis of Piper's writings and selected sermons, this project investigates Piper's background and influences on his God-centered life and theological system. It then discuses Piper's principles and skills of biblical exegesis, and it looks into the major influence on Piper's biblical exegesis. It also describes Piper's philosophy of preaching: Piper's motivation and purpose of preaching, and it investigate great preachers who impacted …

Becoming The Message: Using Jeremiah To Develop The Personal Aspect Of Expository Preaching, Thomas Sanford Hensley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Word of God was given to the world to move human beings to faith and obedience. It is the role of the expositor to release that Word with all of its potency by faithfully communicating every aspect of every passage. Each passage of Scripture has a personal aspect designed to radically change both the heart and life of the expositor so that he becomes the message to his hearers. Among the Old Testament prophets, Jeremiah particularly models and informs this personal aspect of Scripture. The purpose of this paper is to show that using Jeremiah to develop the personal …

Review: The Facilitator Era: Beyond Pioneer Church Multiplication, Edward L. Smither

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

Lessons From A Tentmaking Ascetic In The Egyptian Desert: The Case Of Evagrius Of Pontus, Edward L. Smither

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

In this article, an invitation is given to modern practitioners and thinkers on missionary tentmaking - especially those from the majority world- to reflect on the apparent tentmaking approach of the fourth-century monk Evagrius of Pontus (c. 345-399). Though not a missionary himself, Evagrius proved to be innovative in his approach to work, which sustained his primary spiritual calling- monasticism. After exploring the necessity and context for his manual labor, his theology of work and the relationship between physical and spiritual labor will be considered. Finally, some suggestions for applying Evagrius' tentmaking principles will be offered.

An Examination Of Key Foundational Elements For Pastoral Identity As Found In The Life And Writings Of The Apostle Paul, Carl Jason Taylor

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The challenges of pastoral ministry can be seen since New Testament times. Studies reveal that an alarming number of pastors leave the ministry each year. Those that remain in ministry often see their families in turmoil as a result of the hardships of ministry. The Apostle Paul's ministry challenges are detailed and described for today's pastor through the New Testament. Today's pastor can learn a great deal from Paul's example in regard to how to finish the race of ministry. Through an examination of Paul's writings, writings about Paul in the book of Acts, surveys with pastors, and a review …

The Biblical Use Of Rewards As A Motivation For Christian Service, Bill Fredric Korver

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current cultural trends and Christian literature reveals very little writing and preaching about a motivation for personal obedience in general and vocational ministry in particular. The purpose of this project will be to demonstrate how one's motivation for service to Christ will be greatly enhanced when considering the possibility of gaining, or losing, rewards from Jesus Christ both in this life and more specifically at the future judgment seat of Christ. It will be the intent of this project to demonstrate conclusively that not only is this a scripturally sound motivation, but also that it is a …

Cyprian And His Role As The Faithful Bishop In Response To The Lapsed, The Martyrs, And The Confessors Following The Decian Persecution, Gordon D. Harris

Liberty Theological Review

In 249 A.D., in an attempt to bring about a renewal in the devotion to Roman authority and the Roman gods, Roman Emperor Decian issued an edict. The edict called for Roman citizens to take part in a simple sacrifice to the Roman deities. Cyprian, the recently named bishop of Carthage, opted to flee the city and avoid the persecution. Upon his return to Carthage in 251 A.D., Cyprian was forced to deal with the results of the persecution among those who had given in to the edict and those who had resisted. He did so with his now famous …