Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploration Of Musical Influences Throughout Worship: Enhancing Worship Experiences Via Hymns Encompassing Spiritual Gifts, Nina Marie Tedeschi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the most important aspects of the role of worship leader, is that of choosing relevant worship materials. The use of hymns has enhanced worship for ages. The trends of the current age have precipitated a concern and need for conscientious selection of music, along with appropriate application of the singing of hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs. A major consideration in worship planning is to utilize music which reaches all generations. The impetus of this study is primarily based upon biblical, historical, theological, philosophical, methodological, and observational practice of worship. The research focuses upon the importance of planning and …

Reviews, Holy Spirit Research Center Oru Library

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Book Reviews

South German Anabaptist Ecclesiology And Its Present-Day Pentecostal Counterpart, Mathew Clark

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Th is article accepts that twentieth-century classical Pentecostalism originally shared a similar ethos to that exemplified among the South German Anabaptists, and investigates some resonances in ecclesiology between the two. Scrutiny of a selection of early sixteenth-century documents relating to Anabaptism identifies the following: a radically consistent application of sola scriptura, a rejection of the state-church synthesis, a revisioning of sacramental belief and practice that subverts the clergy-laity divide, commitment to the teachings of Jesus as the primary and central guide to discipleship, a sacrifi cial pilgrim mentality of “just passing through this world,” individual choice and responsibility to …

A Student Response To Craig Keener’S Talk On Spirit Hermeneutics, Pamela L. Idriss

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A Student Response to Craig Keener’s Talk on Spirit Hermeneutics by Pamela L. Idriss.

The Spirit And Biblical Interpretation, Craig S. Keener

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

We can hear more clearly what an author wishes to communicate when we understand what the author is addressing. In secondary communication—hearing what an author was saying to someone else—knowing the background of that conversation is important, especially if the culture differs from our own. But knowing the voice and spirit of the author is an important element of background, and with the Bible, we must consider an Author additional to, and working through, the human authors. It is important, insofar as possible, to study the ancient contexts that put the message in its cultural perspective. Yet it is no …

Spiritus 4.1 (Spring 2019) Full Issue, Holy Spirit Research Center Oru Library

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

“Living Creatures Of Every Kind:” An Ecofeminist Reading Of Genesis 1-3, T. G. Barkasy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work will examine the Genesis creation narratives through an ecofeminist critical lens to illuminate the ambivalence regarding both the ecological and feminist concerns pertinent to ecofeminist criticism. While ecology and feminism are major issues in today’s social and political climates, ecofeminism and its presence in biblical scholarship is not as prevalent as one might think. When it is discussed, authors come to varying conclusions on the Bible’s stance about either nature or gender, and discussions that consciously espouse ecofeminist methodology are so far insufficient. This work utilizes the documentary hypothesis in order to examine the parallel narratives of creation …

Fostering Hope: The Christian Healthcare Chaplain In A Caring Relationship, Felix O. Otuorimuo

Masters Theses

In 2017, the data from suicide prevention resource center (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) showed an increasing rate of 10.6 million persons between the ages 18-65 that have had suicidal thoughts, a precipitating factor from hopelessness that triggers the goal of killing themselves. Given this challenge, the study seeks to understand how the Christian healthcare chaplain in a caring relationship, fosters biblical hope as spiritual care intervention to persons with suicidal thoughts to promote recovery, repair and restoration. The research was designed to use purposeful sampling to collect responses by anonymous online survey from 35 Christian healthcare chaplains …

Do Shepherds Make Bad Decisions, Jason Styles

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Complete Issue

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Paul And The Rhetoric Of Insinuatio : How And Why 1 Cor 15 Functions Rhetorically As The Climax To 1 Corinthians, Timothy J. Christian

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ritual Purity And The Origin Of John's Baptisma Metanoias, Benjamin J. Snyder

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Expositional Approach To The Parables Of Jesus And Applications For Unchurched Korean-American Christians, Junyong Cha

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Korean-American churches like many immigrant churches often play a role as the ethical and cultural refuge for members. This failure to be a faith-based spiritual community causes ripple effects, in a negative sense, that pastors should not preach uncomfortable messages to the congregation and not to focus on spiritual matters and that this spiritual downspin leads to conflicts and frustrations in church and ultimately to numeral declining in either form of a church split or leaving church. While the reasons for leaving the church are varied, the ultimate source of individual believers’ healing, restoration, and growth is the Word of …

The Matthew 16:13-18:20 Chiasm As The Fountainhead Of Matthean Proto-Ecclesiology, Nicholas A. Dodson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The only two instances of the Greek term ἐκκλησία (usually translated “church”) found in the Gospels are in Matthew 16:18 and 18:17. These two passages have been examined, debated, and interpreted in a number of ways by various scholars. The present dissertation presents considerable exegetical evidence that these two uses of ἐκκλησία are actually part of a larger literary structure called a chiasmus, which connects the passages in which Matthew 16:18 and 18:17 are found. Because these are highly significant ecclesiological passages, this study further develops the connection of the chiastic structure to other foundational ecclesiological passages, namely the Matthean …

The Unifying Theme Of The Mind Of Christ In Philippians Demonstrated By Paul's Use Of Rhetorical And Linguistic Devices In An Oral/Aural Culture, David Alan Posey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Among the debatable issues arising from Paul’s epistle to the Philippians are questions concerning the structure, integrity and thematic emphasis of the letter. This dissertation argues that the “Christ Hymn” (2:6-11) is the central point of a chiastic structure of the letter, establishing the “Mind of Christ” as the primary and, thus, unifying theme of this correspondence. Four primary fields of research lend support to this hypothesis. First, rhetorical criticism seeks to understand the meaning of the biblical text through recognized persuasive devices utilized within first-century literature and speech. Second, linguistic studies, in its simplest form, examines the selection and …

2019 Seminary Scholarship Symposium Program, Seventh-Day Theological Seminary

Publications

Program brochure.

Missionary Bridges Toward Postmodernism, Bogdan Platon

Seminary Scholarship Symposium

The poster will observe the postmodern spirituality and will describe some possible bridges of connection between Christian mission and postmodern worldview. This will help to develop a better Christian mission with more effective relationships with Postmodern people.

Recognition Assembly, Jiří Moskala

Seminary Scholarship Symposium

Highlighted Projects

Denis Fortin One in Christ: Biblical Concepts for a Doctrine of Church Unity

Denis Fortin, Abner F. Hernández, and Davide Sciarabba, eds. ¿Por qué creemos en E. G. White y el don profético?: Una perspectiva histórica y bíblica

Denis Fortin and Jerry Moon, eds. Enciclopédia Ellen G. White

Richard M. Davidson and Edgard A. Horna, eds. “Me invocarás, y yo te responderé”: Estudios selectos en el Salterio

Ranko Stefanovic The Book of Revelation

Bruce L. Bauer, ed. Finding Freedom in Jesus: A Deliverance Ministry Manual

Gorden R. Doss Introduction to Adventist Mission

Joseph Kidder Out of Babylon

Joseph …

Faculty Achievements, February 2019, Otterbein University

Faculty Achievement Reports

No abstract provided.

Children's Faith Formation As Mutually Transforming Opportunity: Leading Systemic Change, Robin Michelle Turner

Doctor of Ministry

Training congregational leaders in the theological foundations and practical resources of children’s spiritual formation helps them lead congregations to value and nurture the entire communities’ spiritual formation.

An exploration of the role and nature of children from both biblical and theological perspectives reveals they are welcomed and valued members of the faith community and the Kingdom of God. Attempts to welcome and value children in faith communities have focused on their acquisition of religious knowledge rather than their holistic formation. Learning to value their presence, worship, and holistic formation in community requires a shift in vision and methodology.

Children’s sense …

Local Church Revitalization Through Christological Discipleship, Philip Rolsing

Doctor of Ministry

Evangelical churches, in stagnation or decline, can find greater effectiveness by theologically reframing their goals and processes of formation to a Christological discipleship method based on union with Christ. Recent attempts, by Evangelical churches, to spiritually mature its members are proving to be ineffective. Data indicates Evangelical churches desire to disciple their members, however; current approaches initiate congregants into the programs of the church rather than the body of Christ.

The results indicate a growing number of people love the Lord and dislike the church. Studies affirm this to be true and identify growth in America’s religious landscape with those …

My Daily Labor To Pursue: A Wesleyan Perspective On The Integration Of Faith And Work, Jason Wellman

Doctor of Ministry

Work is a central part of being human. Yet, in the Church, few discuss how one’s faith impacts his/her work. Laity struggle with discerning how their faith should be integrated with their career. While this is a problem in many churches and denominations, it is prevalent in churches from the Wesleyan theological tradition. This dissertation lays the groundwork for developing a Wesleyan perspective on the integration of faith and work.

Chapter one addresses the problem many experience in the Wesleyan tradition to find any substantive literature that provides a uniquely Wesleyan perspective on work and faith. This chapter looks at …

Forming Anglican Wayfinders In Aotearoa: A Contextual Approach To Ministerial Preparation, Karen Kemp

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation begins with a Church in crisis and a story of vocation under pressure. It identifies the need for clergy who are resilient and adaptive in the face of change.

Using the four phases of Appreciative Inquiry, Sections Two through Six build a picture of what New Zealand Anglican leaders need today.1

Discover: Section Two surveys bright spots in ministerial education, and exegetes the Rule of Benedict using a leadership lens.

Dream: Section Three identifies key challenges, evaluates emerging models of leadership, and proposes a fresh approach to training.

Design and Destiny phases (Sections Four through Six) present the …

Empowering Christian Widows For Social Change In Northern Nigeria, Sung Bauta

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Book Notices, Danielle M. Barnard, Dominic Bornand, Matthew L. Tinkham

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

No abstract provided.

The Mission-Vision Of John Paul Ii In Redemptoris Missio, James H. Kroeger

Landas

The contemporary Church's missionary consciousness has been shaped by pivotal papal documents, from Benedict XV’s Maximum Illud to Francis’s Evangelii Gaudium. This reflection focuses on Redemptoris Missio (RM), the landmark 1990 mission encyclical by St. John Paul II. Marking the broader anniversaries of modern mission theology and Vatican II's Ad Gentes, this essay offers a medium-length presentation that highlights the core tenets of RM. Despite the original text's length, this study distills its essential insights to demonstrate the enduring importance of John Paul II's vision for the Church's ongoing commitment to missionary evangelization in the contemporary world.

Melchizedek: A Minor Character Of Great Importance To Biblical Theology, Felipe Fruto Ll. Ramirez

Landas

Narrative gaps naturally arouse reader curiosity, inspiring creative expansions to fill historical silences. Just as apocryphal texts imagined Jesus’s "hidden life," the sudden appearance of the mysterious priest-king Melchizedek in Genesis 14:18–20 sparked extensive speculation. During the Second Temple period, this curiosity birthed numerous myths, legends, and midrashim regarding his identity and role. This article retraces the development of these Melchizedek traditions to understand how a minor biblical character attained such theological prominence. By analyzing key historical and recent scholarly works, the essay demonstrates how these evolving traditions ultimately shaped the Letter to the Hebrews' articulation of Jesus Christ’s superior …

Geography And Identity: Spatial Word Pairs In John 8:23 And The Question Of Docetism, Joan Brigida Corazon S. Infante

Landas

In 1966, E. Käsemann provocatively claimed that the Gospel of John’s Christology is “naïvely docetic,” arguing its emphasis on Jesus’s other-worldly nature obscures His true incarnation. While scholars like S. Smalley counter that this contextually reflects divinity alongside humanity, this article bypasses direct debate to investigate whether John's binary cosmological language fosters docetic interpretations. Focusing on John 8:23, the study provides an overview of Johannine docetism before analyzing the text through three lenses: comparison with Old Testament (LXX) cosmology, narrative- critical context analysis, and rhetorical criticism using spatial point-of-view insights to evaluate this cosmic framework.

Full Issue, Volume 33, Issue 1

Landas

No abstract provided.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow: Innovating, Evaluating, And Improving Worship To Participate In God's Mission, Andrew K. Barnett

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This case study asks how a Cathedral might innovate, evaluate, and improve worship to participate more fully in God’s mission. Theoretical frameworks include: Missional Church (Zscheile, Keifert, Bosch), Adaptive Leadership (Heifetz, Linsky), Playful Acts in Scripture (Taylor), Doxology (Anderson), and utilizes Mixed-Methods Social Science Research. The central findings are that participation leads to transformation in worship, engagement helps communities innovate together, and innovation requires prolonged investment. Theoretical codes yielded a model of church as sailing vessel: seeking transformation, balancing identity with financial realities, dependent on trust, steered by a sense of shared purpose, and powered by the Holy Spirit’s wind.