Digital Commons Network^™

The Quest For Sacred Truth In A Secular Society What Is Fueling Gen Z’S Return To Faith And Church Attendance In America?, William W. Dornbush

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This dissertation investigated the Critical Research Question: What are the key external factors influencing Generation Z’s internal quest for spiritual renewal? The study examined biblical, historical, and contemporary revival movements, including the Exodus, Pentecost, the Great Awakenings, the Jesus Movement, Charismatic Renewal, Brownsville, Toronto, and Asbury, to identify recurring patterns linking external pressures to spiritual awakening. Using a qualitative design, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve Generation Z participants who experienced spiritual searching, renewal, or a deepened faith between 2020 and 2025, exploring how contemporary external pressures influence spiritual openness and transformation. The findings revealed six major themes: (1) …

Crossing The Border: A Participatory Action Research Project For The Brentwood Oaks Church Of Christ To Engage With Spanish-Speaking Neighbors Through Missional Hospitality, Charles Johanson

Harding School of Theology Dissertations and Theses

Throughout Scripture, hospitality occupies a central place in the mission of God. Welcoming the stranger across cultural barriers requires the church to practice missional hospitality by playing the role of host and, especially, guest in the neighborhood. Moreover, small group experimentation facilitates the innovation necessary to effectively practice missional hospitality. Through experimentation in cross-cultural situations, church members increase their awareness of cultural differences that leads to opportunities for the congregation to welcome neighbors in loving, sacrificial, and hospitable ways. Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ (BOCC) resides next to a neighborhood with a high population of Spanish-speaking immigrants. The goal of …

A Contextual Proposal Toward Ministerial Competency: The Theological Education Of Pastors In The African American Baptist Churches Of Central Mississippi, Kevin Thomas

Doctor of Ministry

There is a critical issue affecting some African American Baptist churches in Central Mississippi: the absence of formal theological training among a significant number of pastors. While these ministers are spiritually mature and deeply committed to their congregations, the gap in theological preparedness tends to pose challenges to doctrinal accuracy, exegetical soundness, and the long-term effectiveness of their ministries. This study aims to address the following question: How can a contextually informed and practically accessible theological education model equip African American Baptist pastors in Central Mississippi for faithful ministry? The argument presented asserts that theological education is not a luxury …

Faith, Formation, And Formalization: Entrepreneurship Development Among Women In Ghana, Patricia Adams-Williams

Doctor of Ministry

The problem addressed in this study is the absence of a unified, faith-centered framework that equips single mothers in Ghana to build sustainable livelihoods while strengthening their spiritual identity. Although Ghanaian women demonstrate remarkable resilience and entrepreneurial drive, many remain confined to informal markets without access to business training, mentorship, or systems that connect their work to their calling. This dissertation argues that integrating spiritual formation with entrepreneurship training creates a pathway for lasting transformation. The thesis of this study is that Kingdom-centered entrepreneurship, rooted in biblical identity and supported by communal mentorship, empowers women to move from survival to …

Realizing And Practicing Teaching As A Calling: Narratives From Black Women Teachers In Urban K-12 Public Schools, De'ana Renee Mauldin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Research and scholarship frequently ignore and dismiss the unique experiences and perspectives of Black women teachers. They bring with them a unique angle of vision through various race, gender, cultural, and historical intersections that inform their spirituality-based pedagogy and outlook while providing instruction in urban public schools.The purpose of this qualitative dissertation study is to examine the narratives and amplify the voices of Black women K-12 teachers in urban public schools to address how they realized teaching as a calling. Teaching as a calling is more than simply a job and source of income for these teachers. Understanding of this …

Between Borders And Belief: Perspectives Of Aid Workers On Religion In A Migrant Shelter In Mexico, Kendall O. Roy

Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to understand the significance of religion in the Central American migration context through the eyes of humanitarian aid workers. It is based on interviews that I conducted in May of 2024 with staff members at a migrant shelter in Mexico, analysis of prior scholarship, and building upon an understanding of relevant religious history in Latin America. I will delve into trends that the aid workers observed in areas such as religious practices and beliefs of migrants, shelter functions that addressed and nurtured spiritual well-being, and the influence of the Church as an institution on humanitarian aid work. …

An Examination Of The Lived Experiences Of Black Women In Senior Leadership Roles At Cccu Member Institutions, Tuccoa Polk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This narrative inquiry qualitative research study explored the lived experiences of Black women in senior leadership roles at Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) member institutions. Using Black feminist thought as the theoretical framework, this research study centered on the voices of 10 current or recently retired Black female senior-level leaders at CCCU campuses. The research study focused on one central research question and three subquestions that examined the challenges and barriers experienced by the participants, the role of mentorship in their leadership journey, and the impact of the participants’ Christian faith in their career trajectory to senior leadership …

Christotechtonics: Dildonic Prostheticity In Theological Formulation, Evan Taylor Marsolek

Dissertations

This dissertation asserts the following claim: Christ is a dildo. This project brings Paul B. Preciado into conversations with contemporary philosophies of religion and interrogates a hegemonic Christian theological political matrix. This project articulates a hermeneutic of christotechtonics, which studies appearance, formation, and utilization of Christ. This project is twofold. It begins with a transdisciplinary exploration that entangles queer and trans theories, religious studies, secular studies, and philosophy of religion to position reading queer and trans theories as forms of counter political theologies. The work then transitions into dildonic prostheticity in theological formulation. The 2019 Vatican document “Male and Female …

Ecumenical Diplomacy: The Art Of Welcoming Dialogue For The Sake Of Mutual Christian Collaboration Toward Peacemaking, Justice, And Ethical Citizenship, Tiffanie Paige Wilson

Doctor of Ministry

The project was developed in response to the NPO: How can we become proficient in better listening to and learning from each other to understand the ethical and intellectual commitment and stakes behind theological, political, and social perspectives different from our own? In a pluralistic society, such deep understanding is necessary to enable working together toward ecumenical diplomacy. A key insight emerging from research was just how impactful the path of ecumenical diplomacy would be for participants. People are truly weary of the polarization experienced in the United States, particularly theologically and politically, and are eager to learn a new …

Building Zion: Sacred Space, The United Order, And Mormon Successor Groups, Stephen Cameron

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Building Zion, for Mormonism, is a crucial element in both temporal and spiritual matters. Joseph Smith established the foundation upon which the religion would build decades after his death. Three successor groups, each claiming to be the true inheritor of Smith's prophetic mantle, from Brigham Young and the Utah Pioneers to the early Short Creek fundamentalists and lastly, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, took on the challenge of creating Zion on earth through the creation of sacred spaces and sacred communities. By using Mircea Eliade and Mary Douglas to frame the discussion, this study will …

Toward An Anti-Racist Theology: American Racism And Catholic Social Thought, Douglas J. Cremer

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In the writings of the Vatican, the United States and Latin American bishops, and various theologians since the 1950s, Catholic social thought has generally failed to understand the pernicious depth of the system of racial classification, discrimination, and violence in the Americas. Catholic social thought still sees racism as based on the pre-existing, valid category of "race," requiring individual conversion and social effort. What is required instead is seeing the very concept of " race" as what must be rejected as the product of a racist ideology of politico-economic oppression and developing an anti-racist theological response that overcomes and eliminates …

From Bible College To University: Factors Related To Institutional Change During The Leadership Of Three University Presidents From 1979 To The Present, Rustin B. Lloyd

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Higher education is known for its slow rate of change, but as the 21st century continues institutions of higher education (IHEs) are feeling the pressure to adapt. In addition to the pressures faced by higher education at large, Christian IHEs faces increasing secularization. This qualitative case study examined the underlying history and rationale for transition and change during the administrations of three presidents. Using organization change theory, three administrators were interviewed to determine the factors that influenced change at a Christian IHE from 1979 to 2019. The institutional changes in Christian higher education provided rich areas for research on leadership …

"En El Poder Del Espíritu": A Qualitative Research Study On Social Ethics/Theology Among U.S. Latina/O Pentecostals, Néstor A. Gómez Morales

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Are most US Latina/o pentecostals concerned about sharing the gospel without having any interest in the reality of oppression, discrimination, and marginalization? Are they just dancing and singing in their temples, having ecstasies and emotional experiences while ignoring the poor and their social struggle? Many scholars see US Latina/o pentecostalism as a tradition with an anemic social ethic, one that lacks any significant interest in the needs of the poorest in society. However, new research on progressive pentecostals shows a different panorama. The theological perspectives and social ethics of a vast sector of US Latina/o churches have changed considerably since …

And Their Eyes Were Opened: The Call To Paradox, Bruce L. Jacobson

Master of Arts Theses

No abstract provided.

Providential Capitalism: Heavenly Intervention And The Atlantic’S Divine Economist, Ian F.P. Green

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Providential capitalism names the marriage of providential Christian values and market-oriented capitalist ideology in the post-revolutionary Atlantic through the mid nineteenth century. This is a process by which individuals permitted themselves to be used by a so-called “divine economist” at work in the Atlantic market economy. Backed by a slave market, capital transactions were rendered as often violent ecstatic individual and cultural experiences. Those experiences also formed the bases for national, racial, and classed identification and negotiation among the constellated communities of the Atlantic. With this in mind, writers like Benjamin Franklin, Olaudah Equiano, and Ukawsaw Gronniosaw presented market success …

Triplex Enim Eleemosyna Est, Cordis, Oris, Et Operis: Pope Innocent Iii’S Spiritual And Rhetorical Approach To Almsgiving, Thomas J. Maurer

Masters Theses

The Libellus de Eleemosyna is a short work by Pope Innocent III on the topic of almsgiving. Historians have used this "little book" to understand better Innocent‘s thoughts on the virtue. I have discovered, however, that the Libellus was not originally a "little book", but rather a sermon. In this thesis I attempt to describe and understand the Libellus not as a "libellus" but as the preached sermon: Date Eleemosynam. No other historian has approached the Libellus this way. In the first chapter I examine the previous short studies done on the Libellus, how contemporaries viewed Innocent as …

"Gladly To The Truth": The Role Of The Bishop In Shaping Late Antique Imperial Orthodoxy, Aaron L. Mcnully

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Strategic Lay Leadership Involvement In The Social Mission Of A Western Ontario Denomination, Isaac Osei-Akoto

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Several Ontario communities face challenges requiring harnessing multisectorial partnerships to bring about community transformation. The church has the capacity to contribute to the community transformation needs of its community, but a particular denomination in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) appeared to be unaware of how to fulfil its social mission of community transformation. The purpose of this case study was to understand how members of the clergy perceived the lay leadership vacuum in the denomination and how these perceptions appear to inhibit the denomination's achievement of its social mission. The theoretical framework was Akingbola's strategic nonprofit human resource management theory. …

Perspectives Of Secular Counselors Regarding Christian Counseling Forgiveness Therapy, Tezonia Rushan Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Forgiveness is a concept that is strongly rooted in Christianity. Forgiveness therapy was developed with Christian principles and has proven to be successful for Christian counselors. However, forgiveness has not been explored from the perceptions of secular counselors. Specifically, it is not known if secular counselors are using concepts that are similar to Christian forgiveness therapy. Using forgiveness therapy, this qualitative grounded theory study described the experiences, thoughts, and understanding of forgiveness from the views of secular counselors. Research questions addressed if secular mental counselors have a concept similar to forgiveness therapy as defined in the Christian counseling literature. Individual …

19th Century Gothic Inspiration: Investigating The Next Generation Of Poes, Alexandrea L. Horton

All Student Theses and Dissertations

The objective of my study is to examine specific works by Edgar Allan Poe that best emulate his literary obsession with insanity and the grotesque, arguing that these elements of his literature serve as the source of inspiration for many 20^th and 21^st century gothic literature writers. Two of Poe’s poems that will be analyzed and critiqued include, “The Sleeper” which was originally published in 1831 and “The Raven” published in 1845. There will also be two of Poe’s shorter fiction pieces that will be analyzed and critiqued, which include, “Berenice” published in 1835 and “The Black Cat” …

Love Of The Law: The Ethical Christology Of Southern Baptist Rhetoric And Language Concerning The Lgbtq Community, Alexander James Ward

Honors Theses

The connection between society and a group is a complex and often tangled relationship. The division between the two can be blurred in many cases and therefore the movement of individuals within a particular group within a larger society is something that cannot always be immediately apparent. However, group identity and personal identity play an integral role in understanding how movement and action occur by individuals as they attempt to make sense of culture and its connection to their personal identity. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and its members are no different. This Protestant denomination is one of the most …

The Myth Of A Secular Economy: Capitalism's Unarticulated Theology, Daniel F. Sebastian

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The discipline of modern economics has been categorized as based in mathematics and thus dealing only with facts. Religion, on the other hand, is considered one of the primary institutions in society that engenders different values. The stark separation between these two fields is typical of the modern fact-value distinction. The goal of this project is to provide, relying heavily upon Peter L. Berger, a detailed analysis of the value-laden social functions of religion and consider whether economics, specifically capitalism, also carries out these functions. The thesis blurs the lines between economics and religion by showing that capitalism engages in …

More Than A Pretty Face: Using Embodied Lutheran Theology To Evaluate Community-Building In Online Social Networks, Joel Oesch

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Oesch, Joel, C. "More than a Pretty Face: Using Embodied Lutheran Theology to Evaluate Community-building in Online Social Networks." Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2015. 264pp.

The human body holds a special place in Christian theology. Jesus gives of his body in the crucifixion and experiences bodily resurrection on Easter morning. The sacrament of Holy Communion is a common partaking in the actual body and blood of Christ. But what of the human body for the Christian, and of what import does this have for the broader community? The dissertation seeks to build on these facts and make a case for …

Sending Students: Addressing Barriers University Students Face In Going To The World As Missionaries, Shane Sebastian

Doctor of Ministry

"The Bible recounts how God has used people of all ages and backgrounds to advance His purposes. Many of the most remarkable events of the biblical story involved young people. It should not be surprising to find that in recent centuries, many of the greatest things God has done to fulfill the Great Commission have been done with university students." —David Howard

University students on campuses today will be leaders tomorrow. According to recent statistics, there are approximately 150 million college students in the world today, roughly 2% of the world’s population. Though this may be a small fraction of …

Golden Mouth, Empty Pockets: An Investigation Of The Motivations And Aims Behind John Chrysostom's Theology Of Wealth And Poverty, Matthew Ingalls

Seminary Masters Theses

This thesis seeks to master the field of scholarly discourse surrounding John Chrysostom's motivations and aims for his theology of wealth and poverty. The study takes care to situate Chrysostom in his social, political, and theological contexts. Then the paper sets out to examine ancient attitudes toward Chrysostom and his theology. Then a comprehensive description of modern Chrysostomic studies is attempted. These approaches are grouped into three broad categories. The first is the theistic factor category, which encompasses scholars who understand Chrysostom primarily from a theological standpoint. The second category is the social-scientific approach. Practitioners of this method seek to …

Unified Variance In The Local Church : Fostering The Harmonics Of Difference By Following Christ, Valuing Relationships, And Rallying Around A Common Mission, John C. Tittle

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Are Politics Good For Your Health? Adolescents’ Political Ideology And Health Seeking Behavior, George Olekson Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Political ideology is now considered a factor that can influence one’s self-rated health status. However, to date, no studies have assessed the relationship between differences in political beliefs and a person’s health behaviors with respect to prevention of acquiring influenza. In the present study, college undergraduates were surveyed to determine how their political ideology, political associations, perception of influenza as assessed by the Health Belief Model (HBM) - here meaning perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits of and perceived barriers to treatment, and self rated health status (measured by the Short-Form 36 Health Survey) would influence their likelihood of taking …

Problems In The Renaissance Motet, Wojciech Tomasz Odoj

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The first part of this dissertation is about some chosen motets by Costanzo Festa (c. 1490-1545), the first important Italian renaissance composer, while the second is devoted to the anonymous six-voice motet Ave rosa speciosa in the manuscript VatC 234 (“Chigi Codex”). The aim of this study is to investigate the motets in liturgical, political, and artistic context as well as to raise some questions concerning their attribution and dissemination. Chapter one draws together the most important evidence from a variety of secondary sources in order to point to problems concerning genre definition, designation, function, and characteristics of the motet …

"Welcoming The Stranger": A Dialogue Between Scriptural Understandings Of And Catholic Church Policies Towards Migrants And Refugees And Pastoral Praxis In The Migrant And Refugee Pastoral Care Bodies Within The Archdiocese Of Perth, Judith M. Woodward

Theses

Growth in human movement around the world has been one of the phenomenal aspects of globalization since the Second World War. Among these ‘people on the move’ those whom the United Nations Humanitarian Commission for Refugees has described as ‘persons of concern’ – refugees, displaced persons etc. – have increased at an alarming rate. They are now well in excess of the global population growth rate over the same period Many of these have moved into adjacent poorer developing countries but increasingly many are seeking asylum, either through official United Nations’ channels or through on-shore arrivals, in developing nations. This …

Surviving The "Cultural Genocide" Of The "Peace Policy" In Northeastern Dakota Territory, Todd Maxwell Pelfrey

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.