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Rethinking The Structure Of The “Farewell Discourse” (John 13–17) Through A Chiastic Lens, Wayne Brouwer

BYU Studies

Briefly stated, my thesis is this: although it is very difficult to read the mind of the Evangelist, or the redactor who brought elements of previously written material into the shape of the gospel as we have it today, it appears that the repetitive and reflexive elements of the Johannine farewell discourse fit together into a large chiasm1 bounded by expressions of spiritual intimacy with God on either end (the foot washing episode of ch. 13 and the prayer of ch. 17) and channeled toward the challenge to “abide” in Jesus at the center (15:1–17). In outline, it could be …

At The Intersection Of Scribal Training And Theological Profundity: Chiasm As An Editorial Technique In The Primeval History And Deuteronomy, Bernard M. Levinson

BYU Studies

There can be little doubt that ancient Near Eastern scribes, including those in ancient Israel, were well-trained in a wide range of technical devices associated with the composition, copying, transmission, editing, collation, revision, reworking, and interpretation of texts.1 My focus in the present study will be on one of the most interesting of these devices, the literary chiasm, in which textual content is ordered in an ABC::CʹBʹAʹ chiastic, or “x-shaped,” pattern. In many cases, once this pattern is recognized within a chapter or literary unit, an ostensibly haphazard or difficult to follow textual sequence gains a sense of order, as …

From “Linguistic Turn” And Hebrews Scholarship To Anadiplosis Iterata: The Enigma Of A Structure, Gabriella Gelardini

BYU Studies

In 1963, when the “linguistic turn” had evidently taken hold of New Testament studies, Albert Vanhoye, a linguistically trained Catholic priest, published a monograph entitled La structure littéraire de l’épître aux Hébreux.¹ The manifold reactions to his refined literary-rhetorical approach and conclusions in favor of a concentric structure oscillated between euphoric approval and offensive disapproval. Along with its translation into German (1979/1980) and a decade later into English (1989), Vanhoye’s study influenced and stimulated Hebrews scholarship like none other in the twentieth century.

Erasmian Humanism And The Utopias Of Thomas More And John Milton, Aneeka Usman

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The thesis examines the influence of Erasmus’s Christian Humanism on the political thought of John Milton and Thomas More, and argues that Milton’s politics was utopian like More’s. In true Erasmian spirit, their utopias blend classical ethics and Christian beliefs and emphasize education and training in virtue. However, virtue was significant to their utopian models for different reasons: More encourages virtue as a corrective and advocates a collectivist culture which restricts individual liberty; Milton, on the other hand, champions individual liberty and argues that only through freedom true virtue can be attained.

Introduction, Donald W. Parry, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

This book comprises fourteen of the papers presented at “Chiasmus: An Open Conference on the State of the Art,” held at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, on August 15–16, 2017. That date marked the fiftieth anniversary of events in Germany and Austria which soon grew into the publication of Chiasmus in Antiquity: Structures, Analyses, Exegesis (Hildesheim: Gerstenberg, 1981), edited by John W. Welch. Generated forty years ago, that widely-cited volume with a preface by David Noel Freedman featured contributions by authors including Yehuda T. Radday, Jonah Frankel, Bezael Porten, Wilford G. E. Watson, John W. Welch, and Robert F. Smith, …

Chiastic Structuring Of Large Texts: 2 Nephi As A Case Study, Noel B. Reynolds

BYU Studies

In 1967, John W. Welch was serving as a missionary in Germany and noticed a scholar’s explanation of chiasmus as a rhetorical structure that recurs in various parts of the Bible. While the penchant for parallelism that characterized Old Testament writers was widely recognized by that time, the discovery that reverse parallelism was also commonly used by New Testament writers was relatively recent and not yet widely accepted. Welch was no ordinary missionary in terms of his scholarly and scriptural preparation, and he immediately saw the possibility that Nephi and his successors may have been familiar with that rhetorical pattern …

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Recovering The Historical Practice Of Delayed Baptism And Pre-Baptismal Instruction For The Purpose Of Restoring The Standard Of A Regenerate Church Membership In Southern Baptist Churches, Alan Clayton Mccullough

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The recovery of the historical practice of delayed baptism for the purpose of pre-baptismal instruction will better ensure a regenerate church membership, thereby promoting more faithful church members. This study argues that reform is needed in Baptist churches in the preparation for believer’s baptism. As Baptists are “people of the Book,” it is most appropriate to survey what the Bible teaches about the meaning of baptism. The first chapter addresses the biblical texts commonly agreed upon by Baptists regarding baptism, as well as those most commonly disagreed upon. Attention is given to the texts used by opponents of delayed baptism …

Adolescent Spiritual Formation: Practical Theology As A Filter For Youth Ministry, Jeremy Smith

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

There seems to be a disconnect between the practice and scholars of youth ministry. Historically, the practice of youth ministry has been overly concerned with method, creating multiple approaches, each with its own inherent shortcomings. Responding to this overemphasis on method, scholars of youth ministry have argued for a more theological framework, assuming that the problem lies within a lack of theological education among youth ministry practitioners. In 2001 youth ministry scholarship made a case to place the field of youth ministry under the discipline of practical theology in hopes of grounding the practice of youth ministry in theology. Over …

Cultivating Virtue: Developing A Guiding Document For Youth Ministry At Cookeville First United Methodist Church, Adam Daniels

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to produce a guiding document of virtues that represented the type of Christ-like character qualities desired in youth at Cookeville First United Methodist Church. The six virtues chosen in the document represent a comprehensive vision for character growth over the course of students’ time in the program. To provide a theological foundation for this project, I examined the idea that virtue has a narrative shape where words find their meaning in a story. For our purposes, this story is generally stated as the story of Jesus at first but is then seen as best …

World Assumptions And Growth From Adversity In Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Karina L. Peters

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Research on trauma and adversity has become increasingly focused on factors associated with posttraumatic growth (PTG). One of the factors identified in research that is associated with PTG is world assumptions, implicit assumptions about the world that facilitate a sense of security. One theory is that trauma and adversity prompt a shift in world assumptions, which in turn influences the development of PTG. While this research body has included various populations (military veterans, cancer survivors, bereaved parents, natural disaster survivors), there has been little research on the relationship between world assumptions and PTG for parents of children with Autism Spectrum …

Malaria Risk On Ancient Roman Roads: A Study And Application To Assessing Travel Decisions In Asia Minor By The Apostle Paul, Daniel C. Browning Jr

Master's Theses

This study models malaria risks for travelers on ancient Roman roads with the goal of providing a tool for historical assessment of travel accounts from antiquity. The project includes: identification of malaria risk factors and associated spatial datasets, malaria risk model construction, verification and validation against available pre-eradication data, overlay of ancient Roman road data, and an initial case-study application to the journeys of the Apostle Paul, as narrated in the New Testament book, Acts of the Apostles (Acts). The project is intentionally cross-disciplinary in bringing the technical capabilities of GIS to the task of evaluating nuanced textual sources for …

The Enduring Hold Of The Bible On Modern Literature: Exploring The Fall Narrative As A Conceptual Metaphor For American Literature In John Steinbeck’S East Of Eden, Lauren Stotsky

Undergraduate Honors Theses

There is no greater work of literature, perhaps, than the Bible. The Bible has shaped and influenced more literature, art, and culture than any other work in our time. The effects of the Bible’s words are still woven into modern literature today, illustrating that the Bible’s themes, allegories, parables, fables, metaphors, and characters are things that we humans are unable to depart far from even many decades later. One of the very first stories in the Bible, found at the beginning in Genesis, tells of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve’s depiction as the first kind of our species and …

Expanding The Reach And Impact Of Hope For All Nations Ministries International In Zimbabwe Through A Women's Mentoring Initiative, Nhira Constance Ngoni

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Female leaders serving in strategic mentoring roles are critical to the work of equipping women to serve in local churches and para-churches. As demonstrated through scripture in Titus 2:3–5, women in positions of influential leadership have vast opportunities to prepare younger generations of women through strategic mentoring efforts. This study analyzes the significance of the mentoring process utilized by Hope for All Nations Ministries International (HFANMI) to equip women in their efforts to impact the nation of Zimbabwe. The goal for this project was to develop women leaders who were able to walk in freedom, experience God, grow in their …

Multigenerational Worship: Liturgical Dance And Mime Within The African American Baptist Church, Lydia Marie Toliver

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Historically, the African American Church has utilized movement to express personal faith. As attitudes towards movement changed, many churches limited or banned the use of dance in worship. Currently, many African American Baptist Churches have developed liturgical dance teams, providing a ministry for a variety of generations. These lyrical movements are danced to live or recorded music, usually contemporary Gospel music. Popularity of the liturgical dance teams has expanded to include mime, also known as Gospel mime. Many churches that worship in a multigenerational model provide relevant and transformational opportunities for all ages. Incorporating liturgical dance and mime as worship …

Helms' "Prayer 101: What Every Intercessor Needs To Know" (Book Review), Nancy Warwick

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Increasing State Restrictions On Russian Protestant Seminaries, Mark R. Elliott

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"In sum, Russian Protestant seminaries are presently undergoing a trial by state inspection that threatens their very existence. Academics Perry Glanzer and Konstantin Petrenko are correct in asserting that the Russian state’s “power to license and accredit” is “the power of life and death” over any educational institution.

State justifications for close oversight of Protestant seminaries appear overstated at best and lack credibility at worst. As regards state concerns for quality control, should not the Russian constitution’s requirement for separation of church and state take precedence over a secular government’s presumption to instruct believers on how best to train their …

Translation Technique And Versional Evidence: The Syriac Peshitta Version Of Colossians As A Witness To Its Greek Text, Ryne Alan Parrish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Syriac Peshitta version of the New Testament holds great potential for NT textual criticism, but its value to this field is partially dependent upon the ability to deduce the particularities of the Greek text from which it was translated. To assess this ability, a thorough understanding of translation technique in each NT book is required. Toward such an end, this thesis provides a detailed study of the translation technique of Peshitta Colossians (PCol) and an evaluation thereof as a witness to its Greek Vorlage. I argue that the translation technique of PCol does not consistently allow confident conclusions to …

When Students Follow Jesus : Toward The Christian Life, Ty Benbow

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Basis For Continuing Homiletical Education : The Development Of A Preaching Training Program For Lay Pastors In The Province Of Cebu, Philippines, Soo Young Lee

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Role Leadership Can Play In Consolidating Relationships For Peacebuilding : Building A Healthy Relationship Between The Abudu And The Andani Royal Families Of Dagbon Traditional Area, Ghana, Abukari S. Yakubu

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Young's "Abigail’S Story: Biblical Wisdom From A Woman Of Strength And Faith" (Book Review), Cynthia Hammell

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Long And Sawyers' "The Bible In Music: A Dictionary Of Songs, Works, And More" (Book Review), Timothy L. Skinner

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Keener's " Christobiography: Memories, History, And The Reliability Of The Gospels" (Book Review), Jeff Gates

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Deal's "Daily Encouragement For The Smart Stepfamily" (Book Review), Elizabeth A. Nolan

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Keller And Kellers' "God’S Wisdom For Navigating Life: A Year Of Daily Devotions In The Book Of Proverb" (Book Review), Timothy Skinner

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Brake And Beachs' "They Called Him Yeshua: The Story Of The Young Jesus" (Book Review), Cathie Chatmon

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Fazio's "Two Commissions: Two Missionary Mandates In Matthew’S Gospel" (Book Review), John Jaeger

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Sihon, Pools, And Disaster: The Memory Of Biblical Heshbon, Alma Nizaye Cortez Alvarez

Honors Theses

Cultural memory is a recent development within biblical studies. Recent research advocates the observance of the biblical text as a basis for the study of cultural memory, in order to engage its historical value. The biblical site of Heshbon in TransJordan serves as a case study to examine how cultural memory interacts with the Bible. In a content analysis design, I engage the biblical cultural memory of Heshbon by evaluating the themes in the text. Based on data collected from the 38 references to Heshbon within 19 passages across the Hebrew Bible, I conclude that the biblical text reflects different …

Editor's Preface, Samuel Mitchell

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.