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Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

No abstract provided.

Between Identity And Truth: A Christ-Centered Perspective On Emotion, Mauro Properzi

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

Emotions are receiving a lot of attention in both academic and popular circles. In fact, our culture is increasingly characterized by emotionality in thought, expression, and personal interaction, with some positive but also many negative consequences. How should Christians respond to these developments in the secular culture? A Christ-centered approach to the emotions is the general theological foundation on which we need to ground our reflections and decisions about their nature and significance. Specifi- cally, by deepening our understanding of Jesus’s teachings on His identity, telos, life-giving reality, and sanctifying power, as aptly described in John 14:6, we may experience …

A Disability Theology Of Limits For Responding To Moral Injury, Lisa Hickman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The lament of Jeremiah, “they dress the wound of my people as if it were not serious,” reverberates today as veterans return home from a decade of war, ridden by PTSD and moral injury, only to discover lethargy, lack of seriousness and complacency in societal response. The seriousness of our soldiers’ wounds, to body and spirit alike, demand ethical, societal and theological responsibility. Failure to address the seriousness of these wounds results in distress, depression and even suicide for the soldier. Statistics may describe a portion of the reality, but the degree to which soldiers suffer in silence and the …

Jesus Of Nazareth At The Heart Of Catholic Schools: What Can We Learn About Jesus From The Gospel Women?, Maurice Ryan

eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia

All Catholic schools locate Jesus of Nazareth at the heart of their enterprise. Jesus is their hero and sponsor; their inspiration and leader. Jesus of Nazareth is the key to the identity and mission of a Catholic school. Insights about Jesus provide intellectual, religious and pastoral resources that assist Catholic schools in pursuing their educational goals. Unfortunately, the sources for encountering and understanding Jesus seem opaque and distant rather than immediate and transparent. This paper focuses on the gospel women and what we might learn from them about Jesus of Nazareth. The paper surveys scholarship on the gospel women in …

The Banner - V. 153, No. 11 - (December 2018), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

No abstract provided.

Leadership Matters: The Process Of Leading A Declining Church To Revitalization Utilizing Early Church Principles, Jarvis Baker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A review of current literature that exist details the perpetual decline that is occurring in the local church. Nevertheless, the leadership a pastor provides must not be ignored, when there is an attempt to lead a church from decline to revitalization. The purpose of this project is to assist pastors who lead declining churches to revitalization by examining the principles of the early church, which was a church that was vibrant in the area of growth and spiritual life. Based on questionnaires sent to pastors and other ministry leaders, the project will reveal the need for a practical Biblical plan …

Leveraging A Massive Open Online Course In The Local Church To Teach Hermeneutics, Howard Dale Tryon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The increase in massive open online course (MOOC) offerings in theological higher education presents unique equipping opportunities for local churches, providing high-quality instruction from authoritative scholars. The purpose of this project is to facilitate participation in a MOOC to equip members of Calvary Baptist Church, Lynchburg, Virginia, with basic hermeneutic principles in order to enrich personal Bible study and prepare for teaching the Bible. A pretest and posttest assess the effectiveness of the program to impart knowledge of hermeneutical concepts and skills. A concluding survey determines the extent to which participants plan to use learned hermeneutic methods and principles in …

My Eyes Have Seen Your Consolation_ Παρακλησις In Luke-Acts, Alexandre Vieira

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Vieira, Alexandre Teixeira. “My Eyes Have Seen Your Consolation: Παράκλησις in Luke-Acts.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2018. 216 pp.

Luke describes Simeon as a faithful Jew who was “awaiting the consolation of Israel.” Many interpreters say that this description conveys Luke’s idea that there is a separate hope for the nation of Israel, which would be made manifest at some point in the future when the Messiah would bring about political deliverance for them. Others argue that, although Luke himself did not think that was the case, Simeon and other Jews in Luke’s narrative did, but the narrative Luke writes …

Pastoral Burnout Of African American Pastors: Creating Healthy Support Systems And Balance, William E. Johnson Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastoral self-care is critical in minimizing the symptoms of burnout in ministry. Caught up in the daily demands of ministry, pastors are under tremendous stress as they try to serve God’s people in multiple roles in ministry. Often, pastors are called upon to be counselors, preachers, project managers, students, social activists, and a moral compass for those they lead. Too often, pastors are expected to perform duties with superhuman perfection, life and ministry can get so crowded with obligations and emergencies that pastor’s maintenance of a healthy lifestyle can become unbalanced or cease to exist. This research study will complement …

Technology And The American Criminal Justice System, Taylor Hunt

Information Systems Undergraduate Honors Theses

The American prison population has grown to over 2.3 million citizens incarcerated (“United States of Incarceration,” 2016) and there are more than 900,000 police officers in the nation (“Law Enforcement Facts,” n.d.). These over 3 million people use technology every day in either their work or incarcerated lives. As the effectiveness of the criminal justice system is being questioned, now is the time to perform an assessment of the technology used and make technological recommendations to lower crime, incarceration, and recidivism rates simultaneously. To obtain that technology assessment, a student research study was conducted and consisted of research and interviews …

Christ-Centered Worship: Five New Testament Principles For The Korean Church, Hallellu Choi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Protestant church of South Korea witnessed remarkable growth since the Gospel was first preached in Korea in the nineteenth century; growth in the second half of the twentieth century was particularly strong. The Presbyterian church in South Korea, however, experienced decline since 1995: this was mainly due to Christians’ lack of good influence toward the non-Christians in their lives. Their good influence on non-Christians in the world can be restored first by re-educating them with biblical principles of worship and by encouraging them to live out those principles. The purpose of this thesis is to suggest five principles of …

The Myth Of “Righteous Anger” What The Bible Says About Human Anger, Jeffrey Gibbs

Concordia Pages

It is hard not to draw the conclusion that we live in a society that is characterized by constant anger and outrage. While it may not be unique to our current age, what is new is the way in which social media has provided a megaphone for expressing our anger, often to shame others into thinking and acting in ways we find acceptable. Of course, Christians are not immune either to feelings of anger (in so far as we are shaped by original sin) or the use of social media to express our outrage (in so far as we are …

What Is Old Testament Theology?, Roger W. Uitti

Consensus

No abstract provided.

The Gospel-Centered Christian, Timothy Saleska

Concordia Pages

When I was a seminarian back in 1980 we were less than six years distant from the synodical upheavals that came to a head in 1974. One of the documents that every seminarian was required to read in those days was the 1970 report of the LCMS Commission of Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) entitled, Gospel & Scripture. Prof. Harry Huth of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, who served as the primary drafter for the report, penned what is arguably one of the most important reports ever put out by the CTCR. Or at the very least, it was a …

Situational Hermeneutics In The New Testament's Use Of The Old, William Boyd

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The New Testament’s use of the Old Testament presents some unique hermeneutical challenges. New Testament authors utilize Old Testament texts in ways that do not seem to strictly adhere to modern interpretive methods, and they seem to exhibit multiple hermeneutical methods in their usage of scripture. This study seeks to explore the relationship between these various ways of interpreting scripture, and to propose a consistent way of evaluating the hermeneutical validity of varying usages which can apply to the New Testament’s use of the Old as well as to modern interpretation of the Bible. It begins by discussing the problem …

An Evaluation Of The Masterlife Christian Discipleship Program's Influence On The Disciple Of Christ, Leon B. Newton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Important to realize, is the absence of spiritual transformation in the lives of some Christians within the membership of Simon Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The purpose of this study was to discover if the program’s influence on those participants in the experimental group transform into Christlikeness faster than those participants in the control group. This study evaluated transformation of participants in both groups. There were five areas evaluated. These areas included attitudes, behaviors, relationships, ministry, and doctrine. The findings from this study provided credible and convincing evidence which can be used to encourage mass participation in the MasterLife …

An Overview Of The Theology Of Oral Roberts, R. Samuel Thorpe

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Oral Roberts’ life and healing ministry were shaped by his theology of God. Roberts viewed God as good, who personally worked in the lives of people in the present, and who had good plans for each believer. The manifestation of these plans depended, however, on the faith of the individual believer. God was affected by events in time, was limited in his ability to act by the cooperation of the believer, and suffered emotional distress even as people do. The overriding element in all of Roberts’ message is that “Something good is going to happen to you.” Christians should expect …

The Future Of Undergraduate Biblical Higher Education: Abhe And The Bible College Movement, T. Scott Womble

Doctor of Ministry

The Bible college movement can trace its roots to the late nineteenth century and was given greater credibility when the accreditation era began in 1947. Today, the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) is still the leader of the Bible college movement. But a quick glance at the sixty-three ABHE institutions (64%) with undergraduate enrollment under 250 raises concern. Furthermore, 31 percent have enrollment under 100.

Rising costs and escalating student debt are creating enrollment challenges. The smallness of most Bible colleges makes them particularly vulnerable, especially since many lack endowments. Adding to the problem is the changing landscape of …

The Two Shall Become One: A Comparative Exegetical Study On Marital Unity From The Genesis Garden Narrative To Ephesians 5, Abigail M. Diaz

Selected Honors Theses

In light of a cultural world in which both real-world marriages and the scholarly interpretation on marital purpose and process are scarred with dysfunction and division, this thesis attempts to contribute to the discussion on the Scriptural purpose and process of marriage as God intends it. In order to discern a glimpse of divine intention of marriage, an exegetical analysis of its divine beginnings in Genesis 1:27-3:24 is performed. This section addresses the original nature of marriage as well as how it was affected as a result of sin and the fall. The following chapter complements this analysis with exegesis …

The Life Of Donald Mcgavran: Turning To North America, Gary L. Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

The event that put Church Growth on the worldwide map was the Lausanne Congress on Evangelism held on July 14-28, 1974. Then, as the Church Growth Movement took hold around the world, the focus of some faculty at Fuller’s School of World Mission gradually turned toward North America. This article describes the actions and processes that propelled the movement into world prominence.

A Study Of Apostasy Through Scripture: A Biblical Theological Approach, Marissa Fast

Senior Honors Theses

Apostasy is a subject that has been an intriguing question for many biblical scholars. This thesis examines apostasy from a biblical theological approach, meaning the Bible, and not Systematic Theology, has priority. First, the subject of apostasy within the covenantal context of the Old Testament is examined. Examples are given and discussed while the themes that can be gathered from this discussion are also be touched upon. Then texts addressing this issue within the New Testaments are examined and expanded upon. Finally, a conclusion of what the Bible has to say on the subject of apostasy is made.

A Divine Selection: An Exegetical Analysis Of Vocational Calling, Timothy Nguyen

Senior Honors Theses

Within Christian circles, the ‘calling’ of the vocational minister is frequently abused and misunderstood and muddled by the lack of Scriptural evidence for the overused term. The focus of this research is to observe first, the current cultural climate surrounding the nature of calling, and second, to compare this understanding to the authoritative Scriptural teaching on the subject in both the Old and New Testaments. This analysis reveals that the “internal” vocational call to minister is absent from the Bible and must be replaced by an alternative the Scripture directly teaches. It is concluded that God gives man the desire …

Uniquely Gifted: A Theology Of Mental Illness For Inclusive Ecclesiology, Asia M. Lerner

Selected Honors Theses

This thesis surveys the possibility of a theology of mental illness in order to create an inclusive ecclesiology for modern churches. Mental illness is greatly stigmatized in the Church as demonic or spiritual and moral failing. In combat of such stigma and prejudice to create an inclusive atmosphere in the Church, a positive theology of mental illness understood as a unique gifting is argued for. With the elusive nature of mental illness in both definition and experience taken into account, all aspects of mental illness are considered, such as biology, psychology, and philosophy of mental disorder. The thesis understands mental …

The Historic Liturgy: Important Or Adiaphoron? Yes, John Tape

Theological Symposia

I humbly submit to you today that this is the current problem in our beloved synod, concerning the proper role of the historic liturgy. If we are going to begin to have an accurate understanding of the liturgy, we must carefully stay on the tightrope and avoid falling to one side or the other.

Today I would like to focus on two polar elements concerning the historic liturgy and suggest several specific ways they can be kept in balance. In all of this, I hope to present five theological principles (or if you are Waltherian—theses) which will help guide us …

The Historic Liturgy: Important Or Adiaphoron? Yes

Theological Symposia

>p>I humbly submit to you today that this is the current problem in our beloved synod, concerning the proper role of the historic liturgy. If we are going to begin to have an accurate understanding of the liturgy, we must carefully stay on the tightrope and avoid falling to one side or the other.

Today I would like to focus on two polar elements concerning the historic liturgy and suggest several specific ways they can be kept in balance. In all of this, I hope to present five theological principles (or if you are Waltherian—theses) which will help guide …

The Nigeria Civil War Revival And Its Progeny, Dr. Danny Mccain

The WATS Journal: An Online Journal from West Africa Theological Seminary

The Pentecostal and Charismatic outpouring that began during the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-1970, popular referred to as the Nigerian Civil-War Revival, introduced new elements into the experience and practice of Christianity in the country. It was a revitalizing force characterized by a renewed emphasis on prayer, holy living, Bible study, and evangelism. It was also marked by spiritual phenomena such as the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues and the operation of spiritual gifts, particularly healing and prophecy. The movement has gone through several phases since those early days and this article examines …

Missional Partnership: Reframing The Concept Of “Placing Membership”, Steve Cloer

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This essay reframes the process of “placing membership” in a local church with the theological concept of missional partnership. A critical review is offered of the organizational procedure of “placing membership,” its underlying theoretical assumptions, and its deficient theological vision. Then, the practice of joining a local Christian community is reimagined in a missional ecclesiology focusing on the key theological strands of spiritual accountability and equipping for mission. The biblical metaphor of “partner in the gospel” is explored as an alternative to “membership” as a way to adequately communicate what joining, entering, and participating within a church on mission entails. …

A Trinitarian Leadership Model: Insights From The Apostle Peter, Brian Ruffner, Russell L. Huizing

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

The integration of Biblical principles with leadership theory has proven a monumental undertaking. Can such principles actually guide Christian leaders even though they are sometimes in tension with current concepts of leadership? It might seem like a difficult balance to achieve. However, by delving into Peter’s basic and presuppositional commitments, a clear picture of Biblical leadership emerged. Using 1 Peter 5 as the investigative platform, thorough analysis revealed a Trinitarian belief structure underpinning Peter’s concept of leadership. Significantly, the transition from simple fisherman to apostle demonstrated a radical transformation in both thought and application of leadership principles. Ultimately, a precise …

The Banner - V. 153, No. 8 - (September 2018), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

No abstract provided.

The Ethic Of Care And Inclusive Education, David W. Anderson

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

This article deals with the ethic of care in education, with a specific focus on classrooms that include students with disabilities. After a brief overview of historical and legal issues which led to the inclusive education movement, the discussion focuses on what an ethic of care involves from a biblical/theological perspective.