Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Faith In Fiction: American Literature, Religion, And The Millennium, Liliana Naydan

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This dissertation examines treatments of religious faith in American fiction written in the 1990s and in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. The springboard for my analysis is what historians have identified as the paradoxical nature of recent religious history in America. By the 1990s, an era marked by millennial anxiety, America can be understood as a nation comprised of devout believers governed by Christian evangelical and fundamentalist ideologies, but it can also be understood as a wholly secular nation that has opted for devotion to the fruits of late capitalism alone. Putting Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, …

The Last Of The Rephaim: Conquest And Cataclysm In The Heroic Ages Of Ancient Israel, Brian R. Doak

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

This dissertation explores the role of giants in the narrative and historiographic worlds of symbol, geography, and religion in ancient Israel. The Nephilim, Anaqim, Rephaim, Emim, Zamzumim/Zuzim, some Gibborim, and other individuals (e.g., Goliath) can all be classified as “giants”—not only with respect to their height and other physical properties, but also with respect to the negative moral qualities assigned to giants in antiquity. Previous interpreters have treated giants as merely a fantastical prop against which God’s agents emerge victorious. I argue that giants are a theologically and historiographically generative group, through which we gain insight into central aspects of …

Ears To Hear : Re-Engaging John's Apocalypse In 21st Century Doxological Communities, Chad David Brooks

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Critical Realism In Conversation With Postmodern Theology, Science And Hermeneutics, Matthew J. Graham

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

John Wesley‟S Liturgical Revision: A Pattern For Reshaping Worship For Post-Christian America, Lawrence A. Lacher

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Lacher, Lawrence A. “John Wesley‟s Liturgical Revision: A Pattern for Reshaping Worship for Post-Christian America.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2011. 316 pp.

This project seeks to find a solution to the current malformation of Christian Worship in the American church through re-examining John Wesley‟s Sunday Service for Methodists in North America (1784) in order to extract the underlying pattern. That pattern is then proposed as a paradigm that allows for the contextualization of worship while retaining its historic shape, function and purpose.

John Wesley‟s liturgical advices are examined for several reasons. Since the writer is interested in helping those who …

Thinking Beyond The Scroll: The Ancient Library At Alexandria, Gerald Franz, Phd

The Christian Librarian

The ancient library at Alexandria, Egypt became a unique institution, influenced by Aristotle’s school in Athens and the Greek model of learning. The institution consisted of a museum, which functioned as a learning center, and a library collection. The Library grew under the generous patronage of the Ptolemies and became a thriving center for learning and scholarship. The Christian academic library shares some important similarities, but its starting point for knowledge is quite different.

Practical Strategies For 21st Century Healthy Church Growth As A Model Of A Sung Jin Presbyterian Church, Duksoo Jang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to help Korean pastors to build their churches healthily. This dissertation will attempt to clarify the biblical definition and purpose of the church, and describe the characteristics of healthy church growth suggested by specialists. This dissertation will also provide a brief history, vision, ministry of Sung Jin Presbyterian Church as a model for healthy growing church, and analyze and evaluate the current situation of the SJPC based on Natural Church Development written by Dr. Christian A. Schwarz, who suggests eight quality characteristics of growing healthy Churches. Finally, this dissertation will suggest the twelve strategies …

Luke 18:9-14: An Expositional And Literary Discussion On The Parable On The Pharisee And Tax Collector, Nathan A. Schwenk

Senior Honors Theses

In the third Gospel of the New Testament, Luke consistently writes about the Pharisees and their piety pronouncing woes and judgments upon them. Representing the religious leaders of that day, they exalted themselves above everyone else and most of all, tax collectors, who are the epitome of sinners. However, the principle of the great reversal is a prominent theme in Luke’s Gospel, in which the exalted are humbled and the humble are exalted. Multiple times Jesus uses this principle to completely transform peoples’ mindset on who is greatest in the world.

This thesis will offer an extensive exposition on the …

Discovering And Understanding “Sabbath Rest” In Hebrews 3:7-4:11, Peter Battaglia

Senior Honors Theses

The book of Hebrews is a complex and intricate book full of Old Testament references.  Intertextuality, or the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament, plays an important role in Hebrews, specifically in the context of 3:7-4:11.  In this passage there occurs a phrase unique to the whole Bible, “Sabbath rest” (4:9).  While this phrase seems to point to some sort of eschatological reality, there are numerous factors which play a role in determining what this “Sabbath rest” actually is.  In order to come to a proper understanding of the meaning and significance of this phrase, an analysis of the …

A Fresh Look At Two Genesis Creation Accounts: Contradictions?, Jiri Moskala

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Embracing The Margins: Covenant Faithfulness Over Mainstream Favor, Nathaniel J. Mullen Iii

Doctor of Ministry

Since its origin as a pejorative label for members of the 2nd century church, the word "Christian" has been used to describe Saint, Priest, humanitarian, and martyr as well as murderer, bigot, inquisitionist, republican, and disruptor of peace. This truth is evidence of the ability to misrepresent the Christ of Christ-ian. Right now we are in the position of transforming what images come to mind when people hear the word Christian. In Matthew's gospel, Christ is given the name Immanuel, which means, "God with us."1 The person of Jesus Christ is spoken of as the embodiment of Immanuel in every …

Imagery In Spiritual Formation: Recovering A Lost Art, John P. Stone

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

The Trinitarian Theology Of Irenaeus Of Lyons, Jackson Jay Lashier

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation is a study of the Trinitarian theology of Irenaeus of Lyons. With the exception of two recent studies, Irenaeus' Trinitarian theology, particularly in its immanent manifestation, has been devalued by scholarship due to his early dates and his stated purpose of avoiding speculative theology. In contrast to this majority opinion, I argue that Irenaeus' works show a mature understanding of the Trinity, in both its immanent and economic manifestations, which is occasioned by Valentinianism. Moreover, his Trinitarian theology represents a significant advancement upon that of his sources, the so- called apologists, whose understanding of the divine nature converges …

Miracles, Divine Action, And The Laws Of Nature, Martin Hanna

Memory, Meaning & Faith

No abstract provided.

The Identity Of The Διψυχος In The Shepherd Of Hermas, Jeremiah Mutie

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Developing A Strategy For Planting Southern Baptist Churches In Northeast North Carolina, Jeffery Clark Russell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to determine a strategy for planting new churches in the northeast North Carolina region. This thesis will also consider if there is a certain type of person who might demonstrate a contextual propensity toward a new church by exploring the cultural distinctives found among the people of this region as well as the history of church planting in geographic and cultural context. The thesis will engage in demographic research, and explore resources adequate for the planting of new churches helpful to other Southern Baptist associations and other denominations.

Exploring The Fundamental Paradox Of Being An Organizational Leader, Michael E. Cafferky

Faculty Works

This paper explores a fundamental, universally experienced leadership tension of caring for the needs of the individual and caring for the needs of the organization. The paper draws a distinction between the three concepts of paradox, dilemma and tradeoff. It describes the nature of the individual-community tension. It reviews the tension from the perspective of management scholarship and themes found in Biblical theology. The exploration reviews some of the issues that Christian leaders face as they attempt to manage this tension. It concludes by offering implications for leadership education.

Enclosing In God’S Name, Accumulating For Mankind: Money, Morality, And Accumulation In John Locke’S Theory Of Property, Onur Ulas Ince

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

John Locke's theory of property has been the subject of sustained contention between two major perspectives: a socioeconomic perspective, which conceives Locke's thought as an expression of the rising bourgeois sensibility and a defense of the nascent capitalist relations, and a theological perspective, which prioritizes his moral worldview grounded in the Christian natural law tradition. This essay argues that a closer analysis of Locke's theory of money in the Second Treatise can provide an alternative to this binary. It maintains that the notion of money comprises a conceptual area of indeterminacy in which the theological universals of the natural law …

Analyzing The Applicability Of Preaching The Minor Prophets In The 21st Century, Bruce Mires Moulton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this writer's estimation too many preachers have deemed the prophetic and eschatological Scriptures irrelevant, controversial and hard for preachers to understand as well as confusing for the average church member to grasp. Furthermore, many preachers seem to favor preaching and teaching the New Testament in contrast to the Old Testament. Seemingly, the emphasis today is on evangelism and contemporary issues of life. Consequently, these concerns have caused many to completely avoid or sparingly discuss the book of Revelation, many of the major Old Testament prophetic books and equally as important the Minor Prophets.

Understandably, it is the aim of …

The “Found” World Of Genesis 1: Is Theistic Evolution A Meaningful Option For Seventh-Day Adventists?, Nicholas Miller

Memory, Meaning & Faith

No abstract provided.

Christian Special Educators Responding To The Call To Serve: The Perception Of Disability With A Christian Worldview Lens, Nilsa J. Thorsos

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Most Christian special education teachers respond to a call to teach children with disabilities and are inspired to share the plan, purpose, and perspective of Christ; in other words to have the mind of Christ (Tucker, 1996, p. 29). This paper examines how the Old and New Testament traditions permeate the way people with disabilities are perceived in Western culture. An examination of the Old Testament shows a perception of disability as connected with sin, a manifestation of God’s punishment and exclusion of people with disability from the temple (Winzer, 1993, p. 17). The New Testament provides narratives of compassion …

The Concord, 16 March 2011, Luther Seminary

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Academic Catalog 2011-2012, Luther Seminary

Academic Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Faith Integration Development: Faculty Conceptions Of Faith-Learning Integration, Brandon J. Jacob

Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) Theses

The integration of faith and learning (IFL) is the foundation upon which faith-based higher education has been built. As such, it imperative that educators at faith-based colleges and universities understand and implement this integration effectively. The purpose of this study was to determine how academic and student affairs educators conceptualize and practice the integration of faith and learning. The study also sought to identify key similarities and differences that exist between academic and student affairs educators regarding the integration of faith and learning. To answer these questions, a sample of nine academic educators and four student affairs educators were interviewed …

Telling The Larger “Church History” Story, Louis Midgley

Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011

Review of Christopher Catherwood. Church History: A Crash Course for the Curious.

Conference Participation And Publishing (Chapter Eight Of Prepare, Succeed, Advance: A Guidebook For Getting A Ph.D. In Biblical Studies And Beyond), Nijay K. Gupta

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

Two clear marks of a good scholar or doctoral student are published pieces of research (articles, essays, reviews, etc.) and active participation in academic conferences (presenter, chair, respondent, etc.). Especially for graduate students, the research experience can be very isolated and have a minimal impact without attention to such avenues of dialogue and interaction. Also, practically speaking, when the time comes for the job search, a demonstration of such activity often shows that the prospective professor is a real participant of and contributor to the field of biblical studies. We will begin by discussing how to get involved in conferences.

The Church Going Glocal: Mission And Globalisation, Tormod Engelsviken, Erling Lundeby, Dagfinn Solheim

Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series

'This book provides thought-provoking and inspiring reading for all concerned with mission in the 21st century. I have been challenged by its contributors to re-think our Gospel ministries in our new local contexts marked by globalization and migration. With its biblical foundation, its missiological reflection and interaction with contemporary society I warmly recommend this volume for study and pray that it will renew our passion for the Gospel and compassion for people'.

- Rt Rev Ole Chr M Kvarme, Bishop of Oslo

Seeing The World Through The Eyes Of Andries Van Aarde : Radical Inclusivity : Original Research, Glenna S. Jackson

Religion & Philosophy Faculty Scholarship

In the article the author reflected on her personal and existential experience of a journey to Egypt, and how this highlights radical inclusivity. The article focused on the issues of the violence of poverty, the history of Coptic Christianity and the role of women within this tradition. The article touched on aspects such as 'women monks', ecclesiastical hierarchy in modern Coptic Christianity, and the ordination of clergy. It also considered the perspective of 'social hierarchy' and 'spiritual or divine hierarchy'.

The Difference Creation Makes: Relative Timelessness Reconsidered, Alan G. Padgett

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.