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Aquinas’S Four–Fold Senses Of Scripture: Harnessing Metaphysical Analogy For Theological Exegesis, Susanna Edmunds O.P. Sr.

Theses

This thesis seeks to contribute to the integration of exegesis and theology called for by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in his 1988 Erasmus address, “Biblical Interpretation in Crisis.” While much progress towards this integration has been made, limited attention has been given to Ratzinger’s recommended philosophical framework, the metaphysics of participation and analogy as formulated by St. Thomas Aquinas. This thesis builds on the contemporary revival in Aquinas’s approach to Scripture to propose a metaphysical framework for theological exegesis. This framework will be based on three claims. First, that the hermeneutic of faith adopted by the Pontifical Biblical Commission, among others, …

If N. T. Wright Is Right, How Then Shall We Do Theology?, Howard A. Snyder

The Asbury Journal

In November of 2022, theologian N.T. Wright gave a series of lectures for the Centennial Celebration of Asbury Theological Seminary. In this response from Asbury Theological Seminary’s Howard Snyder, the implications of Wright’s lectures are explored and expanded. In particular, Snyder explores the meaning of Scriptural Theology as opposed to Systematic Theology. He explores how Systematic Theology came to be the dominant way of reading scripture, and then proposes ten principles for doing theology rooted in scripture instead of any human system.

Psalm 1a–B (1:1–2:12 As Combined And A Chiasm): What Yhwh Knows About People’S Paths And Plans That Will Perish, W. Creighton Marlowe

The Asbury Journal

This article seeks to explore whether a division really exists between Psalm 1 and Psalm 2. The author argues that the presence of a chiasm which extends throughout the two psalms gives potential further evidence for the argument that the two psalms where once part of one continuous literary creation. The themes involve the laws of YHWH and the consequences of breaking these laws both for individuals and for nations.

A Spirit-Filled Christian-In-The Making: E. Stanley Jones's Views On Entire Sanctification, Kirk S. Sims

The Asbury Journal

With his educational formation at Asbury College, E. Stanley Jones was a scion of the Wesleyan Holiness Movement of the early twentieth century. In his early years, he seems to be a champion for entire sanctification and one may have concluded that he would have fought

the same fights for this doctrine in Methodist circles as his mentors had done. However, after he set off to India as a missionary and later become a formidable Christian leader on the world stage, he appears to eschew his preaching and teaching on "entire sanctification," except when addressing people in the Wesleyan Holiness …

Sidney W. Edwards: Early Holiness/Methodist Missionary Pioneer In Cuba, Puerto Rico, And Costa Rica, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

Holiness missions is an area of mission history that is often understudied, yet it can provide insight into the growth of the Church in various parts of the world. This article examines the life of Sidney W. Edwards, a Holiness missionary who was a key part of H. C. Morrison’s missionary efforts. He served as the missionary of a mission H. C. Morrison founded in Cuba, as one of the first Holiness missions in the Caribbean. He then went on to serve in Puerto Rico with the Methodist Episcopal Church in planting churches in some of the mountainous regions of …

Sidney W. Edwards: Misionero Pionero En Santidad / Metodista En Cuba, Puerto Rico Y Costa Rica, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

Las misiones de santidad son un área de la historia de las misiones que a menudo no se estudia lo suficiente, pero que puede proporcionar información sobre el crecimiento de la Iglesia en varias partes del mundo. Este artículo examina la vida de Sidney W. Edwards, un misionero de Santidad que fue una parte clave de los esfuerzos misioneros de H. C. Morrison. Sirvió como misionero de una misión que H. C. Morrison fundó en Cuba, como una de las primeras misiones de Santidad en el Caribe. Luego pasó a servir en Puerto Rico con la Iglesia Metodista Episcopal en …

Dr. David Reese And The Three Errors Of Phrenology: Religion, Anatomy, And Moral Insanity, Philip Hardt

The Asbury Journal

Today, phrenology is a mostly-forgotten and thoroughly medically disgraced theory of human behavior. Yet, in its mid-nineteenth century heyday, it not only claimed to explain one’s personality based on the size of the bumps on one’s head but also (scarily) attempted to push prison reform in a less punitive direction. Somewhat surprisingly, as phrenology crossed the Atlantic in the 1820s, a number of doctors, professors, and ordinary citizens accepted and promoted its rather startling claims. At the same time, traditionalists response is exemplifies by Dr. David M. Reese, a highly regarded physician in Manhattan who opposed its attack on (mainly …

Book Reviews

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Books Received

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Dispositions For Christian Witness Among Theravada Buddhists, Stephen Bailey

The Asbury Journal

This article reflects on communicating the Christian gospel appropriately and effectively among Southeast Asian Theravada Buddhists (SEATB). It is concerned with contextualizing the means of communication rather than theological concepts. Contextualization is often discussed with little reference to the level of contextualization, including: the content of the gospel, liturgical forms, social rules for relating, and dispositions shaped by Buddhist virtues used in communication. Examples are given of contextualization among SEATB, and then descriptions of how communicators of the gospel can use dispositions shaped by key Buddhist virtues. An argument is made that among SEATB, the means of communicating the gospel …

Equipping Marketplace Ministers For Unity: The Need For Ministry Leaders To Model Interdenominational Partnership, Eric Laudenslager

The Asbury Journal

In recent decades, the marketplace ministry (MPM) movement has made significant progress. A predominant theme in the current discussion is a focus on how to support individuals in their place of work. While this renewed attention to supporting laity is an important change, it should be asked whether strategies that focus on the individual alone reflect the pragmatic needs of MPMs or the role models put forward in the NT. This paper will review a case study of a MPM team and how a team based approach contributed to the longevity of the ministry. It will then examine the responsibility …

The Bible For All: Biblical Interpretation As A Grassroots Movement, Hannah L. Hopkinson

The Asbury Journal

In Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza’s proposed emancipatory paradigm, the biblical scholar must both analyze how the Bible is used to subjugate and imagine how those texts could form a more just world. If tenants of this emancipatory paradigm were practiced in the local church, the Bible’s power could nurture a more just society. This paper explores how an emancipatory paradigm could be applied in local churches through analyzing the structure of its grassroots inspiration, Consciousness Raising Groups of the American Women’s Liberation Movement, and also a similar South African method, Contextual Bible Study. In contrast to other models like the pastor …

Training Faithful Disciples To Meet The Challenges Of The Church In The World: Applying Bonhoeffer’S Seminary Vision To Hybrid Education, Myra L. Watkins

The Asbury Journal

This article will first examine Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s philosophy and practice of theological education to train faithful ministers of the gospel for the service of the Church. Particular attention will be given to Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together which he wrote while directing one of the underground seminaries for the Confessing Church in Nazi Germany. Second, this article will explore Paul House’s argument for a personal, incarnational, rather than a distance learning, approach. Using a small seminary for a global family of churches, Every Nation, as a case study, this article will present relational discipleship as a central, …

Faith, Knowledge, And Virtue: John Wesley’S Concept Of Faith As A Conscious State, Kenny Johnston

The Asbury Journal

It is well established that John Wesley’s understanding of faith shifted radically between 1735 and 1740. The nature of that shift is variously understood, but most agree that Wesley shifted from defining faith as assent only to faith as a heartfelt trust; from faith as a bottom-up effort to faith as a top-down gift. What is often overlooked is that Wesley’s new version of faith was influenced by his previous epistemological commitments. Faith, accordingly, is defined in terms of a conscious state, something not deducible by inference but directly available to its subject, and located epistemologically at the forefront of …

2 Kings 5: A Chiastic Quintet, David J. Zucker

The Asbury Journal

2 Kings 5 recounts the healing of the Aramean general Naaman through his encounter with Elisha the prophet of YHWH, and what then ensues with Elisha’s attendant Gehazi. As structured the chapter reflects five sets of chiasms. This article breaks down those chiasms as it seeks to examine the story’s focus in scripture.

Δικαιοσύνη Θεοῦ: The Holistic Connotation Of The Term ‘Righteousness’ And Its Implications For Social Service, Uma John

The Asbury Journal

The concept “righteousness” is weighty and indispensable in the biblical tradition and understanding the concept has changed and developed through the centuries. The current article explores the topic from the ancient to modern canonical and non-canonical literature on the concept of righteousness to seek its wide range of meanings. Traditionally, the term “righteousness” has forensic, and religious connotations, but this paper argues that alongside these, the legal and social aspects of human beings i.e., the aspect of fulfilling communal obligations and the acts of philanthropy to those who are poor, oppressed, and deprived are standard expectations connoted into the term …

Mediating Role Of Transformational Leadership On The Relationship Between Pastors’ Training And Healthy Congregations, Paul Ekal Lokol

The Asbury Journal

The church remains a solid center for transformational leadership, bringing the required light to today’s increasingly troubled world. Therefore, this study’s objective was to establish the mediating effect of transformational leadership traits on the relationship between pastors’ training and church congregational health in urban churches of the African Gospel Church, Kenya (AGC-K). The study adopted a descriptive survey design and correlation methods targeting 44 pastors, 44 LCC members, and 383 members in urban churches of AGC-K. Data was collected using pretested questionnaires and was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The findings revealed that while not all pastors manifested …

Books Received

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews, Michael D. Simants, Alberto I. Bonilla-Giovanett, Kenny R. Johnston, Zachariah S. Motts, Tyler Hallstrom, Marshall C. Johns

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Volume 33, Full Contents, Jhcs Staff

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

No abstract provided.

The Canonization Of The New Testament, Daniel Becerra

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

By the end of the first century AD, all of the twenty-seven documents that now constitute the New Testament were written and had begun to circulate among early Christians. However, it was not until centuries later that these texts were collectively named as part of the authoritative body of Christian scripture. The process by which this occurred is called “canonization.” The term canon comes from the Greek word kanōn, meaning “measuring rod” or “measuring stick,” and was frequently applied in the ancient church to the collection of texts that informed the beliefs and practices of the Christians who read them.[1] …

Learning From People Of Other Faiths, Joshua M. Sears

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Among all the religions in the world, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is unique in providing Restoration scripture, apostolic leadership, priesthood keys, the covenants and ordinances constituting the new and everlasting covenant, and a distinctive understanding of the plan of salvation.[1] However, when the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles released the bicentennial proclamation “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ” in April 2020, their affirmation of the unique gifts of the Restoration opened by declaring that “God loves His children in every nation of the world.”[2] Implicit in this declaration …

What Salvation Means For Human Beings: Metaphors Of Salvation, Trevor O'Reggio

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Capitalism And Distributive Justice: Musings Of A Mormon Economist, Shinji Takagi

Mormon Studies Review

In this forum essay, I discuss capitalism and distributive justice from the standpoint of a neoclassical economist. I am motivated by the conflict between the purported virtues of a free-market system (and the income inequality such a system is known to generate) and the egalitarian principles espoused by Latter-day Saint scripture. This is a complex subject upon which no easy closure can be expected. Part of the difficulty comes from the fact that capitalism itself is an ill-defined concept. I use capitalism and free-market system almost interchangeably, consistent with the way they are generally understood in everyday discourse. It bears …

Bibliography, James W. Barker

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by James W. Barker.

He Said, She Said : Source Usage In Diogenes LaëRtius With Some Implications For The Historical Interests Of The Gospels, Kevin M. Southerland

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Toward A Biblical And Missiological Framework For Transformational Advocacy In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Michelet William

Dissertations

Problem

Adventists have been inconsistent in dealing with inequality and injustice in society, swaying between silence, accommodation, positional statements, and direct advocacy approaches. Although advocacy has become more prominent among Adventist thinkers since the end of the twentieth century, there is a lack of empirical data which answer questions related to contemporary Adventists' beliefs and practices in relation to advocacy in the context of mission. Concomitantly, there does not yet exist a documented or articulated Adventist missiological perspective on advocacy.

Research Questions

(1) What part, if any, has biblically-based social advocacy played in Adventist mission history? and (2) What do …

Between Script And Scripture: Performance Criticism And Mark's Character(Ization) Of The Disciples, Zechariah Eberhart

Dissertations

This project reimagines a first-century reception of the Gospel of Mark within a historically reconstructed (yet hypothetical) performance event. In particular, it considers the disciples' character and characterization through the lens of performance criticism. Questions concerning the characterization of the disciples have been relatively one-sided in New Testament scholarship, in favor of their negative characterization. This project demonstrates why such assumptions need not be necessary when we (re-)consider the oral/aural milieu in which the Gospel of Mark was first composed and received by its earliest audiences. In this project, I demonstrate that despite its "relative" newness, the primary tenets of …

Artapanus And Greek Colonial Poetics, Scott Harris

Dissertations

The fragments of Artapanus have proven to be enigmatic for most scholars over the years and as such have not been treated in significant detail. Most scholarship has been restricted to two separate lines of enquiry: genre and ethnicity. I suggest that the resonance between Greek colonial poetics sheds new light on Artapanus's literary agenda: namely, that Artapanus is constructing and representing the memory of Jewish cultural and political foundations using broader Greek poetics which were used to describe the civic, cultic and geographic foundation of a colony. In this way, Artapanus is no longer an outlier within the Hellenistic …

Leading In Liminality: Implications On Individual And Collective Identity, And Knowledge Creation For School Leaders, David Sorkin, Melodie Wyttenbach, John Reyes, Michael Warner

Journal of Catholic Education

In the spring of 2020, schools of all sectors across all nations were forced to close their doors as COVID-19 rippled through communities. Drawing upon the concept of liminality, which refers to a stage, state, or period of transition (Soderlund & Borg, 2017), this study investigated the intersections of the experience of liminality during the pandemic and functioning for Catholic school leaders. Interviews with urban school leaders were analyzed to understand key characteristics of liminality as experienced by school leaders within organizations. Findings indicate that school leaders responded to the liminal experience by sharpening the focus of work, which simultaneously …