Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year

Articles 271 - 300 of 641

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Effectiveness Of Training Jacksonville Church Of God Seventh Day To Minister Biblical Truth To Seventh-Day Adventists, Dirk E. Anderson Dec 2023

Effectiveness Of Training Jacksonville Church Of God Seventh Day To Minister Biblical Truth To Seventh-Day Adventists, Dirk E. Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addresses Jacksonville Church of God Seventh Day’s lack of understanding of how to communicate biblical truths effectively to local Seventh Day Adventists. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent a training program could improve the confidence of church members to share biblical truths with Seventh-day Adventists. The method of study involved training eleven members of the church. These members were from different races, ages, and genders. The training program consisted of seven one-hour training sessions. The data collection methods included interviews and surveys. The results of this study indicate that a training program can …


A Plan To Counteract The Negative Effects Of Laïcité On Evangelism, Jonathan Brian Laase Dec 2023

A Plan To Counteract The Negative Effects Of Laïcité On Evangelism, Jonathan Brian Laase

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project aims to assist believers in the Eglise Evangelique Baptiste de Draguignan in France to maximize their evangelistic efforts despite the pressures and adverse effects of laïcité. The work rests on the historical and French legal definition of laïcité that parallels the biblical doctrine of the separation of church and state. This doctrine supports the libertarian approach of laïcité and opposes the restrictive definition growing in French culture. A group of eleven individuals participated in an intervention to assist believers in their understanding of laïcité, evangelism, and the practice of evangelism. This six-week intervention combined teaching times, …


A Model For Biblical Worldview Development In Non-Denominational Christian Young Adults: A Dissertation-In-Praxis, Calvin Perry Dec 2023

A Model For Biblical Worldview Development In Non-Denominational Christian Young Adults: A Dissertation-In-Praxis, Calvin Perry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The ideas of worldview and worldview development have not been around long but have been a matter of interest and understanding in the non-denominational area of Christianity, along with the field of scholarly research. Organizational theories play a major role in the development of all individuals. The purpose of this dissertation-in-praxis study was to test and apply a theoretical model for biblical worldview development among non-denominational Christians, ages 24-29. A qualitative method was employed using an applied research design following a deductive research approach. A worldview model was created to help understand the worldview perspective of participants. In qualitative research, …


Intentional Discipleship: Implementing A Theology Of Discipleship For Spiritual Growth, Sheina L. Rivera Dec 2023

Intentional Discipleship: Implementing A Theology Of Discipleship For Spiritual Growth, Sheina L. Rivera

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the greatest needs for the church today is to equip believers to become biblically informed, fully developed disciples so that they are prepared to carry out the mission of Christ. Without fully understanding mature discipleship practices, believers cannot fulfill the Great Commission to “go, teach and baptize” to make other disciples. The failure to understand and teach these practices has led to complacency, lack of interest, and the inability to become disciples among long-term church laity. This dissertation implemented biblical discipleship teachings and practices in a local church through a Sunday School curriculum and was evaluated through participant …


A Cosmic Conflict In Covenantal Literature, Lisa Marie Martinez-Leeper Dec 2023

A Cosmic Conflict In Covenantal Literature, Lisa Marie Martinez-Leeper

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the cosmic conflict that God declared in Genesis 3:15 in the Garden of Eden, and that will not come to fruition until the final judgment articulated in Revelation 20. This raging spiritual warfare can be seen through the lens of the covenants God made with Israel and the administration of God’s purposes through His people. Through God’s sovereign hand over Israel, His providence and grace can be seen throughout the whole of Holy Scriptures. The unfolding spiritual conflict to prevent the “seed of the woman” can be clandestinely observed in the outworking of God’s relationship with His …


Unmerited Inheritance: An Exposition Of The Twelve Divine Elements, Fulfillment, And Typology Of Yahweh’S Tithe To Levi, Noble Sokolosky Nov 2023

Unmerited Inheritance: An Exposition Of The Twelve Divine Elements, Fulfillment, And Typology Of Yahweh’S Tithe To Levi, Noble Sokolosky

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation seeks to advance the academy’s conversation about the Mosaic tithe ordinance by providing the first published reconciliation of what many scholars consider irreconcilable statutes. It does so by providing the first published exposition of the twelve divine elements of Yahweh’s sacred tithe against the land sabbatical and Jubilee statutes. Unless scholars can agree upon its divine elements, there is little hope for unity and progress towards edifying the saints with the typology of Yahweh’s inheritance tithe to Levi (Num 18:26).


A Multi-Case Study Of Church-Based Business Leader Discipleship Programs And The Furtherance Of The Gospel, Robert Cross Nov 2023

A Multi-Case Study Of Church-Based Business Leader Discipleship Programs And The Furtherance Of The Gospel, Robert Cross

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Can ministry and business be integrated within the church so there can be a positive impact in the church and community by business leaders understanding their unique calling in furthering the gospel? This descriptive qualitative multi-case research explored whether business and ministry can be integrated through a church-based business leader discipleship programs that will result in the furthering and sharing of the gospel. Churches with a discipleship program specifically for business leaders in the church and the business leaders who participated in the programs were interviewed to determine if there is a correlation between participating in a discipleship program and …


Air Force Officers' Faith Influences On Enlisted Member's Motivation And Commitment, Christopher D. Doyle Nov 2023

Air Force Officers' Faith Influences On Enlisted Member's Motivation And Commitment, Christopher D. Doyle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The vast amount of current literature in the field of spiritual leadership focuses on corporate settings. The current literature highlights followers’ meaning of work, emotional commitment, and innovative work in spiritual organizations. However, current literature lacks data on leaders’ faith influence on followers in other than civilian organizations. The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological case study was to understand Air Force officers’ faith influence on followers’ motivation and commitment for Air Force enlisted members at an Air Force base in the Northwest of the United States. Nine Air Force enlisted members in the ranks of Airman First Class through Chief …


The Resurrection And The Witness, Michael A. Thomas Nov 2023

The Resurrection And The Witness, Michael A. Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The thesis project aims to educate and equip New Life Christian Church (NLCC) and Eagle View Christian School (EVCS) leaders to use biblically fundamental arguments and theories about Christ’s Resurrection to defend its merits against contemporary cultural objections. The study employed the quantitative design method to gather information through a survey utilizing open and closed-ended questions with a convenient sample of thirty-eight participants from the NLCC and EVCS population. As leaders teach, others become effective witnesses of Christ’s Resurrection, equipping them to implement the teachings of Mathew 28:19-20 and 1 Peter 3:15 in their witness and defense of the gospel’s …


Evaluating Biblical And Theological Training In The Developing World Through The Lens Of Communication Infrastructure Theory, David Keep Oct 2023

Evaluating Biblical And Theological Training In The Developing World Through The Lens Of Communication Infrastructure Theory, David Keep

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research that shows the impact of training throughout the developing world is positive and limited. Informed by Communication Infrastructure Theory (CIT) and framed within the Cybernetic tradition, this study expands communication research to understand the impact of biblical and theological training among marginalized people in San Gabriel Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. Through semi-structured interviews and direct observation, this qualitative research study shows how the curriculum developed by Shepherd’s Global Classroom (SGC) and deployed through Ezra Biblical Seminary in San Gabriel works to equip believers and church leaders in their developing-world context. The storytelling network of CIT is examined and discovered to …


Servant Leadership In African Christian Immigrants As An Organizational Strategy To Mitigate The Great Resignation, Kwabena A. Asenso-Okyere Oct 2023

Servant Leadership In African Christian Immigrants As An Organizational Strategy To Mitigate The Great Resignation, Kwabena A. Asenso-Okyere

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore leveraging servant leadership in African Christian immigrants as an organizational strategy to mitigate the Great Resignation. The theories guiding this study are the Competing Value Framework by Robert Quinn and Kim Cameron (2011), Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions by Geert Hofstede (2011), Social Identity Theory by Henri Tajfel and John Turner (1979, 1986), John W. Berry’s (1992) Acculturation model, and Greenleaf’s (1970, 1998) Servant Leadership. These theories were integrated within the context of faith, culture, and leadership. Study findings indicated that the cultural diversity and basis in faith of African Christian immigrants …


Paul And Economics: A Theology Of The Gospel And Economics, Brent Allen Myers Oct 2023

Paul And Economics: A Theology Of The Gospel And Economics, Brent Allen Myers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

An often overlooked biblical theology that the Apostle Paul addresses is economics. Economics impacts every area of an individual's life and even more so in the ancient world. Paul's chief concern is with the gospel of Jesus and one of the chief components of a believer's new life in Christ is how they handle their own economic situation. This work seeks to analyze the writings of Paul and explore his comments on the economic realities of individuals based on God's authority.


The Faithful Vassal: The Suzerain-Vassal Covenant Relationship As A Biblical-Theological Theme Connecting The Old And New Testament Narratives, Tyler Matthew Brown Oct 2023

The Faithful Vassal: The Suzerain-Vassal Covenant Relationship As A Biblical-Theological Theme Connecting The Old And New Testament Narratives, Tyler Matthew Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Much has been written within the scholarly literature regarding the nature of the Mosaic Law as being one which reflects a suzerain-vassal covenant between Yahweh and the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, and particularly in the book of Deuteronomy. Likewise, it has been well established by scholars that this covenant relationship serves as a key biblical-theological theme within the narrative of the former prophets, the so-called “Deuteronomistic history.” At the same time, however, there have been relatively few attempts to examine the ways in which this critical theme features throughout the remainder of the biblical narratives, from the …


The Online Member’S Experience Of Pastoral Care Through Worship, Ryan Michael Loche Sep 2023

The Online Member’S Experience Of Pastoral Care Through Worship, Ryan Michael Loche

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Online church services are normative for many churches. Given the relentless nature of creating a service every Sunday, church and worship leaders often do not consider how the online participant experiences the service they are viewing. Virtual reality church services are not yet as ubiquitous as online services but also warrant study. Careful attention must be given to how and why a church provides online and virtual services for its members. To not do so is a disservice to congregants and potentially a waste of time and resources for a church. This phenomenological qualitative study through the lens of a …


The Impact Of The Fall On Behavior, Intellect, And Emotion, Robert Monte Nelson Sep 2023

The Impact Of The Fall On Behavior, Intellect, And Emotion, Robert Monte Nelson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this research is to explore theological doctrines surrounding the Fall and to examine the impact of the Fall on human behavior, intellect, and emotion. This research maintains that the Fall of Adam led to the corruption of the volition, intellect, and emotions of Adam and Eve, who were created in the image of a perfect and holy God, without sin, and argues that humanity’s fallen condition impacts human emotions; however, they are distinct from divine emotions and are not an aspect of the imago Dei. Therefore, this dissertation will explore the meaning of the imago Dei, the …


The Long-Term Effects Of Child Abuse And Neglect On Communication And Conflict Management Within The Military Marriage, Gennifer L. Van Pelt Aug 2023

The Long-Term Effects Of Child Abuse And Neglect On Communication And Conflict Management Within The Military Marriage, Gennifer L. Van Pelt

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study utilized a qualitative, phenomenological approach to examine the lived experiences of five active-duty military-affiliated couples within which at least one partner reported a history of moderate to severe childhood maltreatment. The goal was to identify thematic constructs that revealed themselves over the course of five interviews conducted with both individuals as well as with the couple in tandem that identify long-term effects of childhood maltreatment on relational functioning with a specific focus on communication and conflict management within the relationship. Interview data combined with the completion of an attachment questionnaire identified three primary themes and one subtheme including …


Biblical Memorization And Meditation As An Effective Means Of Spiritual Warfare, Scott Ahern Aug 2023

Biblical Memorization And Meditation As An Effective Means Of Spiritual Warfare, Scott Ahern

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project aims to evidence how biblical memorization and meditation are effective means of spiritual warfare. The need for this type of study arises from the neglect of biblical memorization and especially biblical meditation in many evangelical churches. This author hopes the research project will help retrieve these spiritual disciplines for his home church Calvary Chapel of the Hills and broader evangelicalism. To promote biblical memorization and meditation in the author’s home church, he self-published a workbook titled Memorization and Meditation Manual: A Guided Workbook to Memorize and Meditate on Ephesians 6:10-18. This workbook guides readers in a …


Rethinking 2 Peter 3:10–13: An Exposition Of This Millennial Restoration And Eternal State Telescoping Prophecy, Robert H. Franklin Aug 2023

Rethinking 2 Peter 3:10–13: An Exposition Of This Millennial Restoration And Eternal State Telescoping Prophecy, Robert H. Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Second Peter 3:10–13 is one of the most debated passages in Scripture. Understandably, the text concerns eschatology which evokes diverse perspectives. Accordingly, this dissertation will research two majority views on 2 Peter 3:10–13 and one minority view on 2 Peter 3:10–13 for which there is evidence that it was held by a few ante-Nicene fathers. After the ante-Nicene era, expositors have almost universally interpreted 2 Peter 3:10–13 as a single meaning prophecy pertaining entirely to the eternal state. A common agreement in the two majority views on 2 Peter 3:10–13 is that fire will be the means that God will …


The Effect Of Theological Education On The Spiritual Formation Of The Women Of A Local Church, Grace Nkenke Aug 2023

The Effect Of Theological Education On The Spiritual Formation Of The Women Of A Local Church, Grace Nkenke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project seeks to utilize seven weeks of theological training and spiritual discipline practices to facilitate the spiritual formation of the adult female members of Christ the Foundation Church (CFC). The aim is to develop Christians that are hearers and doers of God’s Word. Consequently, equipping them for the Kingdom task assigned to every follower of Christ, recorded in Matthew 28:18-20. Qualitative research with a sample size of 10 participants was conducted. A pretest/post-test questionnaire was used to assess spiritual growth. Bloom’s educational model taxonomy was employed for intervention evaluation. Exposure to sound theology, spiritual formation practices, and the …


Metamorphosis Of The Traditional Church: The Hybrid Church Model, Steven Edward Adams Aug 2023

Metamorphosis Of The Traditional Church: The Hybrid Church Model, Steven Edward Adams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For several decades, Church attendance in America has steadily declined. This observation is corroborated by extensive surveys and academic research analyzing church attrition. The national attendance phenomenon is evident is also evident at Livingwater Church of God. Using the Livingwater Church of God as the test lab, this project utilized and implemented the Hybrid Church Model, and evaluated its effectiveness for improvements. Substantiated by practical research surveys, interviews, and academic research, this thesis addresses attendance decline with a systematic implementation, evaluation, and modification of the Hybrid Model for the local church unique to the Western North Carolina area. This ministry …


Biblical Illiteracy In The Context Of Christian Apologetics: A Response To A Growing Concern At Faith Baptist Church Of Tyler Texas, Maurice F. Mcmillion Aug 2023

Biblical Illiteracy In The Context Of Christian Apologetics: A Response To A Growing Concern At Faith Baptist Church Of Tyler Texas, Maurice F. Mcmillion

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project addresses Biblical Illiteracy in the context of Christian Apologetics: A response to a growing concern at Faith Baptist Church of Tyler, Texas. The focal point of this project is to rectify Biblical Illiteracy in the Context of Christian Apologetics. Pastors across America have not identified that their congregations are uninformed on the basics of Christian Apologetics. This doctoral thesis project aims to give Pastors a structured format for reducing biblical illiteracy in Christian Apologetics with their congregation by providing a curriculum that can be taught and assessed. The methodological approach will be a focus group intervention. This …


Multicultural Worship Studies Of Military Chapels In South Korea, Abbey Nicole Bradley Jul 2023

Multicultural Worship Studies Of Military Chapels In South Korea, Abbey Nicole Bradley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite a large body of literature on Korean/American worship, there is little to no research that addresses multicultural worship of the United States Army Garrison (USAG) in the Republic of Korea (ROK) at the Protestant military chapels. In addition, there is also a lack of research regarding worship ministry at USAG installations in general, aside from general multicultural worship models. Developing a biblical and multicultural worship model for the Protestant USAG chapels in the Republic of Korea is essential because of the diverse ethnicities in the U.S. military and the diverse backgrounds, denominations, and cultures within the military chapel communities. …


A Causal-Comparative Study Of Learner-Centeredness Among Assemblies Of God Clergy By Credential Level, George Rexaville True Iii Jul 2023

A Causal-Comparative Study Of Learner-Centeredness Among Assemblies Of God Clergy By Credential Level, George Rexaville True Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This non-experimental, causal-comparative study sought to evaluate the learner-centeredness of Pentecostal ministers in the Assemblies of God. Building on the foundations of Adult Learning Theory and Pentecostal epistemology, this study examined the instructional practices of Pentecostal clergy. Utilizing the Principles of Adult Learning Scale [PALS] and a survey of basic demographic information, the instructional methodologies of certified, licensed, and ordained clergy in the Northern New England, Pennsylvania-Delaware, Arkansas, and Northwest districts of the Assemblies of God were examined. A Welch’s ANOVA analyzed the relationship between clergy credential level and scores on the PALS. The results of this study revealed a …


The Decalogue Of Justice: A Covenantal Application Of Biblical Justice, Andrew Mark Adil Jul 2023

The Decalogue Of Justice: A Covenantal Application Of Biblical Justice, Andrew Mark Adil

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation aims to establish a biblical theology of justice (מִשְׁפָּט), ascertaining the commands and references to justice in Scripture are comprehensively and exclusively rooted in the Moral Law of the Torah, summarized in the Ten Commandments, and embedded in the Covenant of Grace (Old and New), making it binding on New Covenant believers and inextricably attached to the church’s Great Commission mandate. To this end, the study examines the concept of justice in the OT and the Moral Law, contrasting Reformed evangelical hermeneutics with the modern iteration of Liberation Theology in connection with the application of biblical justice. Additionally, …


Evangelistic Mentorship To Address Youth Decline At Dawn Baptist Church, Rickey Wesley Dover Jul 2023

Evangelistic Mentorship To Address Youth Decline At Dawn Baptist Church, Rickey Wesley Dover

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This paper presents an intervention addressing young adults’ tendency to leave the church after adolescence. This thesis project proposes that false conversion in a person’s formative years drives young adult church departure. For those who have a relationship with Christ, the most probable cause for departure is the lack of sanctification and growth due to an absence of biblical training. Therefore, this project designed and implemented an evangelical mentorship program specifically designed for youth in the church. While the research approach focuses more on quantitative methods, it also has qualitative elements. This research is qualitative in many of the self-reflections …


Cosmic Hamartiology: Using An Apocalyptic Paul Hermeneutic To Exposit Chaos Monster Passages, Peter Terrell Bingham Jr. Jul 2023

Cosmic Hamartiology: Using An Apocalyptic Paul Hermeneutic To Exposit Chaos Monster Passages, Peter Terrell Bingham Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Ancient mythology, precisely that of the Ancient Near East, includes the treacherous characters of chaos monsters who cause disorder due to their destructive supernatural influence in the natural world. Scripture includes chaos monsters of various sorts that cause the same destruction in the wake of their cosmic work. While an array of methodologies has been developed to study chaos monsters in the Ancient Near East considering their sources—i.e., Mesopotamian, Babylonian, Akkadian, etc.—there is a lack of a Biblical hermeneutic to adequately exposit chaos monster passages in Scripture. In the Apocalyptic Perspective on Paul, scholars have sought to develop a way …


The Warning Passages In Hebrews: Exhortations Written Using Deliberative Rhetoric To A Community Of Faith, Edgardo Rafael Báez Jul 2023

The Warning Passages In Hebrews: Exhortations Written Using Deliberative Rhetoric To A Community Of Faith, Edgardo Rafael Báez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Different interpretative approaches (historical-cultural, social-scientific, intertextual, oral-critical, rhetorical) and methodologies are applied when the so-called warning passages in the book of Hebrews get interpreted. Inevitably, these different interpretative methodologies have created different perspectives or views that the original author may not have intended and that the audience may not have gathered. The author of Hebrews was seeking to help the audience of his writings understand a new position through his extensive use of the Greek word κρείττων (kreittōn). Similarly, a Greek background is also evident because of the tremendous use of classical rhetoric within the Epistle. In addition, it is …


Developing Strategies To Implement The D.W.S. Program Of Liberty University In South Korea, Taeseong Kim Jun 2023

Developing Strategies To Implement The D.W.S. Program Of Liberty University In South Korea, Taeseong Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study suggests practical strategies to implement the Doctor of Worship Studies program of Liberty University in South Korea. In the past several decades, Christian worship in South Korea has followed America’s footsteps of worship transition. As many Christian leaders in the U.S. have agreed on the urgency of worship renewal, so have Christian leaders in South Korea. True worship must be relational with the Triune God, which is the core of Christian worship. When worship lacks a rightful relationship with God, it becomes human-centered and ritualistic. Worship renewal must flow from the worship leaders to laypeople, and it is …


Charles Spurgeon And A Biblical View Of Wealth, Robert Sheppard Jun 2023

Charles Spurgeon And A Biblical View Of Wealth, Robert Sheppard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Charles Spurgeon preached wealth as a spiritual commodity based on his Christological exposition which countered the preaching of wealth as a divine right. Some people have come to view earthly wealth as a substance that comes as a result of obedience to God. There are also a number of people that believe that any biblical theology pertaining to wealth is amendable and see no lasting truth in the text. Spurgeon critiques these approaches. He saw earthly wealth primarily as a spiritual commodity and believed it to be a substance that should be utilized for the purpose of bringing glory to …


A Phenomenological Examination Of Church Leaders' Perceived Impact Of Executive Coaching On Organizational Culture, Jerrell Stokley May 2023

A Phenomenological Examination Of Church Leaders' Perceived Impact Of Executive Coaching On Organizational Culture, Jerrell Stokley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The trajectory of the seminary training curriculum has evolved pedagogically at projecting adequate church leadership education and hands-on development. However, empirical research reveals that the seminary struggles with preparing generations of church leaders for modern church responsibilities including executive leadership, tactical performance, administration, and church organizational culture (Crowson, 2021; Costin, 2008). Hicks (2012), as cited by Smith (2017) states, “Recent studies have begun to explore the need for management training for pastors” (p. 2). Graduates as well as current church leaders report feeling ill-equipped for the increasing duties for today’s church culture. This qualitative, phenomenological study evaluated mid-to-senior level Christian …