Digital Commons Network^™

Hans-Georg Gadamer: His Philosophical Hermeneutics And Its Importance For Evangelical Biblical Hermeneutics, Russell Meek

Liberty Theological Review

Hans-Georg Gadamer’s influence on hermeneutics can hardly be understated.  This article offers an evangelical perspective on the importance of his work and how it can be used to interpret the biblical text more faithfully.  It discusses his influences and some of the major aspects of his work and offers suggestions for applying his work to biblical hermeneutics. The article concludes that his work is vitally important and should be utilized by the biblical interpreter, though not without caution.

An Effective Internet Ministry Strategy For Church Evangelism Through A Case Study Of The Sarang Community Church, Dae Suk Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purposes of this dissertation are to shed light on the essence of the church internet ministry from the biblical and ministerial angles and to suggest effective strategies for churches launching an internet ministry. In the thesis, I conducted a literary review of online ministry and a case study of the Sarang community church. Basic Web analysis, an interview, and a survey were performed to analyze Sarang's case and to draw lessons from it. I sincerely hope my suggestions on internet strategies can become a compass that points churches to the right direction as they navigate through the wave of …

Reading Literature Through The Eyes Of C. S. Lewis, Lauren L. Umstead

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis examines the reasons why Christians should read literature, how they should read, and what they should read through the perspective, literary vision, and imaginative genius of C. S. Lewis. Reading a variety of literature, particularly classic literature, not only does not contradict a biblical Christian worldview but also has the potential to enhance the Christian faith.

This thesis explores the unique approach of C. S. Lewis, one of the literary giants of the twentieth century. Through his perspective, this paper will examine the value of literature, the proper way to determine what constitutes a “good book,” and how …

Non-Traditional Entrants To The Profession Of Teaching: Motivations And Experiences Of Second-Career Educators, Darrell Lee, Ed.D., Mark A. Lamport, Ph.D.

Christian Perspectives in Education

Individuals entering the teaching profession from other fields have much to offer in terms of practical experience in fields such as business, private industry, law enforcement, and the military. The authors examine the phenomenon of second-career teachers with specific emphasis on the motivating factors, common experiences, and reflections concerning the decision to leave already established professions in order to pursue a career in teaching. This particular issue of life vocation has particular interest for the Christian, who wishes to discern and follow the call of God in their personal and professional commitments. The article surveys research into second-career teachers and …

You've Got A Friend In Me: An Analysis Of Coworker Friendship Relationships, Ebonee Johnikin

Masters Theses

Relationships between individuals fashion themselves in many settings and on various levels. Friendships are pivotal relationships that significantly contribute to social life, health and well-being, job satisfaction, and workplace interaction. More specifically, coworker friendship relationships are unique in their length, measurement, development, and maintenance as their formation occurs within mutually shared environments outside of family relationships. This study employed a mixed methods procedure to specifically examine these relationships. Three research questions guided the first study in an attempt to find if gender and length of friendship relationships significantly affect strength measurements of the relationship. The second study was guided by …

An Inquiry Into Contextualized Christian Expression In North India, M. J. Gracin

Masters Theses

The riches of India's ancient and diverse culture are proclaimed from the music that communicates the heart of Bharat Mata - Mother India. This sentiment resounds across the vast geographical area of India in songs from Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Bollywood composers. The question of how Christians might express their faith in light of societal, historical and religious amalgamations is the topic of discussion for this project. The inquiry will focus on the music culture of North India, specifically as it is expressed in the city of B_____, Uttar Pradesh. A six week field study was conducted in …

Self-Directed Learning And The Impact Of Leadership: Analyzing Keys For Success From A Covenental Perspective, David Duby, Kahlib J. Fischer

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current state of education seems to beg for visionary changes to truly impact students and prepare them for the future. Self-directed learning models purport to do just that, by preparing students to be self-motivated, lifelong learners. While many educators seek to apply self-directed practices, research reveals that there are several obstacles that can hinder self-directed learning. Duby’s 2006 study of schools employing self-directed learning investigated how leaders successfully overcome these hindrances via specific leadership attitudes and behaviors that not only effectively overcame these obstacles, but are also reflected in the covenantal perspective of leadership. Using content analysis, this paper …

Zionism: An Ethnic Nationalist Movement Of The Late 19th And Early 20th Centuries, Emily Michele Michalek

Masters Theses

This research traces the cultural, religious and organizational roots of the Zionist movement from the First Zionist Congress in 1897 through the Balfour Declaration in 1917. Using newspaper articles, diaries and journals of Zionist leaders, archives from the World Zionist Organization, and various secondary sources, this thesis argues that the Zionist Movement from 1897-1917, should be considered one of the ethnic nationalist movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It addition, it seeks to show that religion has a unique and essential role in unifying people groups toward nationalist tendencies. Using key elements of religious and cultural tradition, …

Social Tensions And Acculturation: Portrayals Of German Integration Discourse, Soeren Wendland

Masters Theses

This Master Thesis deals with the portrayal of social tensions and acculturation perceptions resulting from German integration discourse. Wester, Pleijter, and Renckstorf's (2004) model for interpretative content analysis was applied to examine the portrayal of migrants and integration from three German online magazines. Germany's struggle with its multicultural aspect is described, a history of Germany as a multicultural society is provided, acculturation theory is described, the meaning of integration in Germany is illustrated, perceptions of Germans and foreigners on life in Germany are explored, and the role of the media in the integration discourse is introduced. Results show magazine portrayals …

Tickled To Death: The Consistency Of Tones In The Arts Of Eudora Welty And Flannery O'Connor, Ramona Dale Myers

Masters Theses

Eudora Welty and Flannery O'Connor are two southern authors who are well-known among American Literature enthusiasts. Although their overall tones and styles are not often very similar, they definitely had similar expectations of and explanations for how they wrote. Not only did Welty and O'Connor impart to the literary world a variety of fictional works, they also wrote essays, letters, and introductions which provide background information about their own framework of time and place, the relational conflicts within their fiction, and the importance of figurative language in literary art. Though they were sixteen years apart in age and came from …

Holy Horror: A Quantitative Analysis Of The Use Of Religion In The Yearly Top Grossing Horror Films From 2000 To 2009, Jason Duane Wheeler

Masters Theses

The yearly top-grossing films from 2000 to 2009 were analyzed to see if correlation exists between overt religious content and box office success. Also, the films were analyzed to see if correlation exists between overt religious content and IMDb.com user ratings. Neither box office success nor IMDb.com user ratings were found to be correlated with over religious content.

An Analysis Of Starbucks As A Company And An International Business, Lauren R. Roby

Senior Honors Theses

The researcher examines a detailed synopsis of the specialty coffee industry and the role that Starbucks plays in it.  Starbucks is in a growth market, and it has a good relative overall position.  The researcher will examine the business structure of Starbucks and the future implications of its current business strategies.  By examining the strategic imperatives such as how to expand abroad and understanding the international context, the researcher will determine strong and weak business strategies of the company.  Starbucks has overcome organizational and managerial implications that will serve as a strong model for international businesses.  The researcher will then …

The Media’S Influence Over Americans’ Views Of The United States Constitution As Evidenced By The Federalist Papers And Editorials Written Regarding The Modern Tea Party Movement, Kathryn E. Bell

Senior Honors Theses

America has been built by a series of monumental events. The press has been there to capture them all. The American mainstream media have indeed served as the rough draft for historical textbooks. The Declaration of Independence was reprinted in many newspapers on July 5, 1776. Evidence of this fact is on display at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.  The media have been a present force in all aspects of American life since colonization.  One of the most unique aspects of that force is the editorial page.   The editorial page played a distinctive role during the crucial time of America’s …

The Cnn Effect: Mass Media And Humanitarian Aid, Jared R. Bredeson

Senior Honors Theses

Mass media have great power and great responsibility. The CNN Effect states that when news media broadcast emotionally driven stories of human crisis, this provokes a major response by domestic audiences and political elites. This power to influence public policy can help save people from danger and even death. Acts of massive genocide were committed in Rwanda and Darfur. Because the media failed to act quickly and report accurately on these situations, many people lost their lives due to slow international reaction. News media need to learn from these tragic mistakes and never let genocide go on unnoticed by those …

China And The New Asia: Policy Recommendations, Tasha N. Haug

Senior Honors Theses

The People’s Republic of China is an indispensable political and economic force in Asia. With the majority of the United States’ foreign economic interests invested in the Asia-Pacific region, the leading role that China is taking is a major concern. The Asia-Pacific region is strategically important to the US. How US policy makers craft foreign policy toward Asia has a direct impact on US involvement in the region. Unless the US becomes more invested in Asia, develops a comprehensive understanding of China’s role in the region, and proactively pursue strategic relationships, US influence in Asian affairs will become a thing …

Reconfigurable Systems: A Potential Solution To The Von Neumann Bottleneck, Damian L. Miller

Senior Honors Theses

The difficulty of overcoming the disparity between processor speeds and data access speeds, a condition known as the von Neumann bottleneck, has been a source of consternation for computer hardware developers for many years.  Although a number of temporary solutions have been proposed and implemented in modern machines, these solutions have only managed to treat the major symptoms, rather than solve the root problem.  As the number of transistors on a chip roughly doubles every two years, the von Neumann bottleneck has continued to tighten in spite of these solutions, prompting some computer hardware professionals to advocate a paradigm shift …

New Media In Missions, Mallory Barks

Senior Honors Theses

Throughout modern history, missionaries have communicated with people at home and with nationals through print and electronic media, including television and radio. Today, the emergence of digital communication technologies is changing the way missionaries communicate internationally, allowing them to exchange personalized information immediately.

This project explores how several of today’s missionaries utilize print, electronic, and digital media in the practice of their calling. This study bases its findings on the content of interviews with ten missionaries. Though their specific practices differ slightly, all use some or all of these digital media types for missional purposes on a daily basis. As …

Incidence And Prevention Of Injury Of The Anterior Cruciate Ligament In Females, Arielle E. Gillie

Senior Honors Theses

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, women are two to eight times more likely to sustain an anterior cruciate ligament injury than men at the same level of performance. This high incidence of women with an ACL injury is thought to be due to a number of gender differences. This study examines the research that has been conducted to determine the reason for the disproportionate incidence of anterior cruciate ligament in female population. The study encompasses anatomical structure of the knee joint, structural differences in the male and female knee, hormonal influences, biomechanical influences, neuromuscular influences, and strategies …

The American Dream: An Illusion Or Reality For Latino Immigrants, Jessica L. Del Cid

Senior Honors Theses

Many Latinos from Mexico, Central America, and South America have made the decision to immigrate to the United States in recent years—whether legally or illegally.  In the literature, stories of immigration and hopes for the American Dream proliferated; however, varying degrees of racism and anti-immigration sentiment were also revealed.  Interviews of first-generation Latino immigrants and American citizens that were both attendees of a local Hispanic church in southcentral Virginia showed that Latino immigrants had hopes of achieving what they believed to be the American Dream, while realizing they had a long journey ahead.  American citizens were more certain of having …

A Global Approach For The Local Church As Mission Agent And Agency, Jonathan Edward Stairs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to reclaim the local church's mandate to mobilize disciples to complete the Great Commission. It appears that the evangelical church has abdicated its responsibility of reproducing disciples to other ministries and needs to re-establish disciple-making as its primary focus. Therefore, the project will outline how one church, Calvary Baptist Church in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, intends to realign itself with the New Testament paradigm of the church as both a mission agent and agency. The potential value will be the development of a clear and effective discipleship pathway leading churches toward a Biblically-balanced "commissional" movement.

Determinants Of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking And The Urgent Need For A Global Cultural Shift, Karen M. Hoover

Senior Honors Theses

In the United States, an overtly selfish and sexual culture contributes to the spread of human trafficking, thereby requiring a complete culture shift in order to diminish this modern day slavery initiated by the aberrant culture. Sex trafficking of minors in the United States encompasses a variety of factors that facilitate the bondage and brutal enslavement of American children. These children are bought and sold hundreds of times, with no regard for their personal well-being. Major factors such as demand, vulnerability, and America’s induced culture of sex serve to increase the environment that trap children and youth in commercial sexual …

The Corporate Social Responsibility Debate, Zachary Cheers

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the arguments concerning corporate social responsibility (CSR). The two sides of the debate are stakeholder theory and shareholder theory. Proponents of stakeholder theory support providing for the discretionary expectations of society. On the other hand, advocates of shareholder theory maintain that businesses should simply obey the law and maximize shareholder wealth. Although CSR is enthusiastically espoused by many social progressives, it is not a panacea for society’s ills. The conclusion of this study is that corporations should focus on legally maximizing shareholder wealth based on ethical principles. CSR should only be pursued …

Confused Or Multicultural: A Phenomenological Analysis Of The Self-Perception Of Third Culture Kids With Regard To Their Cultural Identity, Andrea Marcilio Moore

Masters Theses

This study investigated whether Third Culture Kids, defined as people who lived in a country other than their passport country during their developmental years, perceived that their cross-cultural experiences during childhood produced in them a sense of confused cultural identity or a multicultural identity and whether they are able to successfully alternate between their two or more cultural identities and achieve intercultural communication competency in multiple cultures. Existing literature on TCKs focuses on the negative aspects of a life on the move and does not view TCKs in light of having a multicultural identity or multiple cultural identities. This study …

Individualism And Collectivism In Chinese And American Advertisements, Siu Yu Hsu

Masters Theses

This study examined the different values in TV advertisements targeting younger Chinese (13-29), Older Chinese (55 or above), Younger Americans (13-34), and older Americans (55 or above) using Hofstede's (1984) individualism-collectivism dimensions. With the open door policy imposed in China, younger Chinese became Westernized. A content analysis of 566 TV ads was examined to test the degree of individualism, collectivism, modernity themes, and traditional themes in TV ads among the four target groups. Three hypotheses and one research question guiding this study proposed that TV ads targeting younger Chinese would score higher in individualism and modernity; TV ads targeting older …

The Ilrc Connection, Volume 1, Issue 5, Liberty University

Jerry Falwell Library Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Dancing Through Life: Symmetry And Balance Within Dance And The Form Of Jane Austen's Novels, Elizabeth Ellen Jones

Masters Theses

This thesis looks at the presence of symmetry and balance in Jane Austen's novels, especially as it is realized through period dance. In the Georgian period, the ideas of symmetry were an important aspect of both the political and aesthetic culture. Likewise, dance, often used as metaphor for courtship, reflected this societal emphasis on order and balance. As such, symmetry and its related principles, namely balance, repetition and order, are all principle themes expressed through patterns of dance in Austen's novels.

The first chapter briefly addresses Jane Austen's social position within the Regency era and her view of daily life …

The American Dream: An Illusion Or Reality For Latino Immigrants, Jessica Leigh Del Cid

Senior Honors Theses

Many Latinos from Mexico, Central America, and South America have made the decision to immigrate to the United States in recent years—whether legally or illegally. In the literature, stories of immigration and hopes for the American Dream proliferated; however, varying degrees of racism and anti-immigration sentiment were also revealed. Interviews of first-generation Latino immigrants and American citizens that were both attendees of a local Hispanic church in southcentral Virginia showed that Latino immigrants had hopes of achieving what they believed to be the American Dream, while realizing they had a long journey ahead. American citizens were more certain of having …

Humor And Brand Image-Shaping: A Content Analysis Of "America Runs On Dunkin" Campaign Television Advertisements, Yilin Fang

Masters Theses

This study examines the role of humor in television advertisements of Dunkin' Donuts "America Runs on Dunkin" campaign to find out how humor is used to shape the brand image. Eight Dunkin' Donuts coffee television advertisements were analyzed to find out the role of humor. The results showed that humor variables, such as ludicrous humor, satire, intent humor, audio and visual humor, are used in this campaign advertisements. The study also found out that the advertisements are intentionally message dominant advertisements; structurally, they have syntactic relatedness; and they are thematically related. With the findings, the study concludes that humor in …

While The Nation Looked On: A Framing Analysis Of Print News Media Coverage Of Terri Schiavo's Final Days, Aubrey Blankenship

Masters Theses

One of the richest areas of current research in mass communication involves framing theory. Originally developed by Erving Goffman (1974), framing is used by the media to organize content. As such, it has implications for the values, beliefs, and actions of those exposed to that content. This study attempts to apply framing theory to a controversial issue and event profusely covered by American mass media: the case of Terri Schiavo. To accomplish this, coverage of her final month by two print newspapers, The New York Times and the New York Post, was analyzed for prevalence (present or absent), level …

Singing From The Village, Bonnie Lynn Bost

Masters Theses

Singing from the Village brings to light some basic problems in education for a village school near Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, South India. While problems of poverty, social strife, possible over use of rote learning, lack of critical and creative thinking are discussed, the focus of this study is the problem of how the children hear western melodies differently because of the musical vocabulary their ears and brains have become accustomed to in their village. Singing from the Village attempts to examine village songs and compare them to a western children's song, Praise Him, Praise Him sung each day at the …