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Gleishcshaltung And The Confessing Church During The German Church Struggle, Emily Jane Darnell

Masters Theses

This thesis analyzes the contributing factors to the actions taken by the churches in Germany during what Karl Barth and others termed the Kirchenkampf, or German Church Struggle. The Kirchenkampf took place mainly in the 1930s and 1940s. As Hitler rose to power, a new term was coined, Gleichschaltung, which described his program for bringing all of Germany and his conquests into line with the worldview of the Third Reich.

The primary sources for research include works by Martin Luther that shaped the mindset of the churchmen, and history texts detailing the Weimar Republic serving as background for the cultural …

Incarnation And The Nature Of Miracle: Thomas Forsyth Torrance’S View Of The Incarnation, Daniel Christopher Samms

Masters Theses

The concept of miracle, especially the miracle of the Incarnation is vital to the Christian faith. However, current approaches to miracle begin with a cosmologically dualist presuppositions rooted in Newtonian physics, which see the universe as a closed mechanistic system on which order is imposed from the outside. Miracles are not possible in this dualist framework that separates God from His creation. The result is incongruent definitions of miracle. Many of these incongruent definitions rule out God’s redemptive self-revelation to human beings. However, Thomas Forsyth Torrance has developed a unitary theological science that understands the universe as “open-up” to God’s …

The Eternality Of The Immutable God In The Thought Of Paul Helm: A Critical Analysis, Ronnie P. Campbell

Masters Theses

Paul Helm, professor of theology and philosophy at Highland Theological Institute, has written extensively on God’s relation to time. Following in the tradition of Augustine, Boethius, Anselm, and Aquinas, Helm upholds God’s temporal mode of existence as timelessness. This thesis seeks to determine whether Helm and other eternalists are justified in holding that God’s temporal mode of existence is atemporal in light of the doctrines of incarnation and creation. Central to this inquiry is whether God is strongly immutable. In conclusion, this thesis argues that while the divine timeless view is coherent, it rests on an untenable notion of strong …

It Was And It Isn't: A Rhetorical Exploration Of Simulacra In Emerging Church Vintage Worship, Kevin Paul Mahan

Masters Theses

Ironically, a new vintage movement of worship was being taught in a certain strand of the emerging church movement. Dan Kimball, pastor at Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California, established his teachings to reach the postmodern generation absent from seeker-sensitive churches in a text called The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations. This text suggested many elements, or symbols, for worshipers to include in vintage faith worship gatherings that would connect with the post-Christian culture. Eight of these symbols were chosen – the band, technology, video screen broadcasts, life-stage groups, ancient structures, light, symbols of the faith, and …

Living Through The Tension: Religion And Public Policy In The Thought Of Gilbert Meilaender, Mark W. Foreman

Faculty Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine and evaluate the position of Gilbert Meilaender on the appropriateness of appealing to religious reasons as support for one's position on issues of public policy. The dissertation establishes that, while Meilaender often discusses public policy issues directly or indirectly from a distinctively Christian perspective, he argues that such discussions are unavoidable, appropriate and consistent with toleration for other views in a pluralistic democracy. While this may create a certain amount of tension within pluralistic democracy, it poses no serious threat to social stability and can be both civically virtuous and respectful of …

The Integrity Of The New Testament Canon, Michael A. Ocealis

Masters Theses

The New Testament canon is authentic and reliable: there has been no exclusion of qualified writings, and the original writings have not been changed.

The Aesthetic Visage Of Nature: A Teleological Argument From Beauty In The Natural World, Derek Bartlow

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Reports Relating To The Fifty-Ninth Annual Meeting Of The Society, James A. Borland

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Relationships Between Cognitive Deficits And Spiritual Development, Charles Nolan Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

An individual’s spirituality is shaped and supported by his or her cognitive capacities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between various cognitive deficits and the spiritual development in individuals who qualified for special education under the category of Specific Learning Disability. Participants were randomly selected through systematic sampling of students and former students of Kellyville Public School who met the criteria. The cognitive deficits were measured by the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (2001) or the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery- R (1989), and spiritual development was measured by the Spiritual Assessment Inventory (2002). The results of …

Enhancing Christian School Experiences For Pre-Service Teachers Through Service-Learning Partnerships, Karen L. Parker, Beth E. Ackerman, Leonard W. Parker

Christian Perspectives in Education

The mission of the Teacher Licensure Program at Liberty University is to develop competent professionals with a Christian worldview for Christian, public, and private schools. To be consistent with the mission, classroom experience in both Christian and public schools should be required for each teacher candidate who successfully completes Liberty’s program. One of the challenges in the implementation of the mission has been an inadequate number of field experience placements available in Christian school settings.

Examining The Septuagint: An Exploration Of The Greek Old Testament's Unique Heritage And Lasting Impact On The New Testament, Cara Lynne Murphy

Masters Theses

The Greek Old Testament has been a focus of speculation and study since its entrance into the religious culture of the Diasporic Jews. Legends and myths surround the creation of the Septuagint, and its use by the New Testament authors only added to the questions surrounding this ancient text. The questions this thesis will seek to address are three-fold. First, what does historical evidence prove regarding the origin of the Septuagint? The dating, the location, and the nature of the Septuagint’s creation are each open debates within biblical scholarship. While this thesis will not attempt to prove conclusively the answers …

Hidden Under A Bushel? Evangelical Journals In An Era Of Web-Based Communication, Gregory A. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Evangelicals face significant obstacles as they seek to make their publications accessible to potential readers. This study measures the extent to which evangelical scholarly journals have made their contents available in electronic form. Thirty-five journals--all active, refereed, evangelical in perspective, and published in English--were chosen for analysis. Two serials management tools and individual journal Web sites provided data regarding electronic accessibility. Twenty-six of the journals are available in some electronic form--most commonly in one or more aggregated databases. Evangelical information professionals could play a significant role in helping to make additional evangelical journal content available electronically.

05-18-07 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 24, Special Issue)

2006 -- 2007

No abstract provided.

The 21st Century Mandaean Diaspora: New Opportunities To Reach Iraqi Mandaean Refugees With The Gospel, Karen Baker

Masters Theses

Introduction This thesis argues that the status of Iraqi Mandaeans, who are fleeing their native country and becoming refugees by the thousands, presents an unprecedented opportunity for the gospel message. The Great Commission requires taking the gospel message to every people group in the world. However, the Mandaeans have been an inaccessible sect until the present time.

The Thesis This thesis evaluates the current situation of Mandaeans through academic journals and books, consultation with missionaries to Mandaeans, and interviews with Mandaean refugees. As a result of their physical isolation, deep within the Muslim world of Iraq and Iran, and their …

An Investigation Of Paul’S Use Of The Word “Type” In Romans 5:12-21: Comparison, Contrast, Or Both?, Laurie Schweinsberg

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate Paul’s use of the word “type” in Romans 5:14. Adam as a “type” of Christ appears incongruent with the rest of the passage, which seems to put Adam and Christ in total opposition.

There is no denying the contrasts between Adam and Christ in their personage, nor in their actions. Even with respect to the actual consequences on those they affected, the differences are obvious, but there are very important comparisons which may be Paul’s true focus in this passage. Paul is comparing the principles of sin and death and the principle …

Enhancing Christian School Field Experiences Through Academic Coaching In A Service-Learning Partnership, Beth E. Ackerman, Karen L. Parker, Leonard W. Parker

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article gives an overview of service learning as it relates to learning and understanding a college student’s field of study. A survey was given to our education candidates who were completing a service learning project in a local Christian school. Results from the survey indicate that students were more likely to work in Christian school after having been exposed to this experience.

Review: Biblical Faith And Other Religions: An Evangelical Assessment, Michael S. Jones

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Review: Paul, Monotheism And The People Of God: The Significance Of Abraham Traditions For Early Judaism And Christianity, Leo R. Percer

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

The Twenty-One Core Values Of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary In The Ministries Of Graduates, H Clayton Anthony

Faculty Dissertations

This dissertation examined how the more recent graduates of The Southern Baptist Seminary (SBTS) are incorporating the twenty-one core values of the institution into their present ministries. The data garnered from this present research will enlighten interested parties to the world of assessment in higher education and the role that core values play in that process. Future graduates of SBTS will be impacted in their education due to the findings of this dissertation.

A researcher-designed survey was placed before the recent graduates of SBTS under the direction of the Office of Institutional Advancement of the seminary. The raw data received …

Resurrection Research From 1975 To The Present: What Are Critical Scholars Saying?, Gary R. Habermas

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

An overview of resurrection research in Europe and North America during the last 30 years indicates some expected as well as some surprising trends. This study highlights six of these major research areas. The works of two representative scholars, J.D. Crossan and N.T. Wright, provide interpretive angles on these subjects. The article concludes with some comments on what is taken to be the single most crucial development at present, that after Jesus' death his followers had experiences that they thought were appearances of the risen Jesus. These early Christian experiences need to be explained viably.

10-19-04 (The Liberty Champion, Volume 22, Issue 6)

2004 -- 2005

No abstract provided.

My Pilgrimage From Atheism To Theism: A Discussion Between Antony Flew And Gary Habermas, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

No abstract provided.

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Isaiah 56-66, Curtis W. Fitzgerald

Faculty Dissertations

This study examines the continuity and cohesiveness of the prophecies comprising Isaiah 56-66, or Third Isaiah (TI). The method used is rhetorical criticism, a discipline set forth by James Muilenburg in his address before the Society of Biblical Literature in 1968. Because of the doubts concerning the authenticity of some of the prophecies in TI, and skepticism from some scholars about an overall theme in TI, the need for studies of TI from a rhetorical perspective are warranted. Using the method initiated by Muilenburg and developed by many able scholars in recent years, this limited examination of TI from a …

Building Your Library Strategically, Gregory A. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Seven principles of library development should enable readers to build effective collections while wasting minimal amounts of time, money, and shelf space. (1) Plan to spend money. (2) Resolve that bigger is not necessarily better. (3) Choose the media and formats that will make up your library. (4) Build your reference collection first. (5) Choose commentaries (and other sources) wisely. (6) Take advantage of local library resources. (7) Collect (and read) across a broad range of subjects.

Marketing God: A Critical Inquiry Into Spirituality In The Workplace, Frederick Milacci, Sharon Howell

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper examines the way spirituality is co-opted and commodified to serve the interests of marketplace from a faith-based perspective.

On The Resurrection Appearances Of Jesus, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

In this essay I will evaluate Evan Fales's approach to the resurrection appearances of Jesus. His strategy is creative and lively, employing a considerably different approach from that of most contemporary scholars, hence its provocative nature.

Buddhism Reconsidered: A Presuppositional Critique Of Theravada Buddhist Philosophy As Interpreted By David Kalupahana And Illuminated By Other Select Buddhist Scholars, Michael Collender

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Rationality Of Religious Belief In A Postmodern Age, Thomas Anthony Provenzola

Faculty Dissertations

Enlightenment evidentialism argues that a belief is rational for a person only if that person has sufficient evidence, arguments, or reasons for that belief. Sufficient evidence under this conception of rationality typically follows a classical foundationalist system which argues that the belief that P is rational if and only if P is (1) self-evident, evident to the senses, or incorrigible, or (2) inferable from a set of beliefs that are self-evident, evident to the senses, or incorrigible. In order to be rational about one's beliefs, a cognizer must be able to trace all of one's non-basic beliefs back to self-presenting …

The Cosmological Argument: A Current Bibliographical Appraisal, W. David Beck

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Historical Epistemology, Jesus’ Resurrection, And The Shroud Of Turin, Gary R. Habermas

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (1973-2015)

In contemporary studies on the Shroud of Turin, much attention, with good reason, has focused on the crucial roles contributed by sciences like physics, chemistry, and medical analyses. Doubtless, these and related inquiries have contributed more than any others in attempting to solve one of the greatest modern puzzles.

Here we will examine another avenue that is seldom pursued, but which offers some crucial insights for this subject: philosophy of history and its cognate, historical investigation. We will argue that well known principles in these disciplines can also assist us in arriving at some significant distinctions that are centrally relevant …