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Field Notes: Introducing Godly Play In Cross-Cultural Contexts: Notes From A Short-Term Mission Trip In Kenya, Shannon Clarkson Rains

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

This field note explores the use of Godly Play in a short-term mission context in Kitale, Kenya. It focuses on the author’s experience using this method to limit the temptation to impose one’s own theological and cultural interpretation when teaching Bible stories. While Godly Play emphasizes open-ended wondering, participants often hesitated to respond, reflecting familiarity with didactic learning environments. The study highlights how prior knowledge, language, and adult mediation influence theological engagement. It argues that pedagogy itself is culturally embedded and offers practical implications for cross-cultural ministry, including the need for cultural awareness, translator preparation, and realistic expectations for short-term …

The Make And Model Of A Hero: Training And Transformation In Sundiata:An Epic Of Old Mali, Anna Stowe

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper examines Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali through the lens of the hero’s journey, tracing the boyhood, exile, and transformation of Sundiata as he prepares to restore Mali to peace and prosperity. Leadership is both an individual calling and a communal responsibility; true rulers depend not only on personal strength but also on the support and guidance of others. While in exile, Sundiata receives military, political, and supernatural training, all of which shape his identity as the epic’s hero and equip him to achieve his destiny. These trials mirror the stages of growth and preparation found in scripture. …

Grace And Generosity: A Nt Defense Of Christian Giving And Stewardship, Jermaine Mcinnis

Masters Theses

This thesis holds that Christian stewardship and giving remain divinely appointed activities in the NT, despite growing skepticism in modern ecclesial and academic circles. Firmly grounded in biblical theology and canonical exegesis, the research argues that the disciplines of tithing, giving, and sacrificial stewardship are not eliminated by grace but are redirected and intensified with Christ. The research examines OT assumptions, Jesus’ instruction, and apostolic instruction to illustrate consistency in God's expectation of His people's obedience regarding finances. Drawing on current scholarship, the thesis refutes assumptions that giving is optional or less culturally relevant, underlining its vital importance to church …

The Changed Woman: Analyzing Narrative Parallels In The Stories Of Biblical Women And Musical Theatre Heroines, Finleigh Klein

Honors Projects

Musical theatre has become popular with audiences around the world. Many musicals contain stories of hope and overcoming obstacles, especially in narratives concerning young women. Since the Bible also contains a wealth of stories that focus on strong women, it is interesting to consider what connections may be found between the women represented in this ancient text and the female characters in various musical theatre productions.

With these potential connections in mind, I ask the question: how is the Biblical trope of the uplifting of women represented in songs sung by female characters in musical theatre? Furthermore, how can the …

Second Maccabees As A Thematic Bridge To Early Christian Thought, Elizabeth D. Woods

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research on Second Maccabees has increased over the past century, especially since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Much of this scholarship has been confined to discussion of historical, literary, or thematic topics within the confines of the work or in relation to the Old Testament. Little scholarship, comparably, exists regarding the themes of Second Maccabees in relationship to early Christian beliefs expressed in the New Testament.

This body of research seeks to address this gap by tracing the evolution of major themes from Second Maccabees through the first century CE and examining the presence of those themes within …

James And Paul: Conflict Or Continuity, Brian Allan Elensky

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation investigates whether the Epistle of James presents a fundamentally different gospel from Pauline theology, a claim advanced by Robert Eisenman and other scholars who portray James as the leader of a rigorist, non-resurrectional, sectarian movement. The study employs a forensic investigative model shaped by the researcher’s experience as a police officer, combining historical-grammatical exegesis of James with analysis of key New Testament texts, early Christian witnesses such as Eusebius and Hegesippus, and modern scholarship on James, Paul, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The research concludes that James does not oppose Paul but complements him. James 2:14–26 rejects a …

Biblical Leadership And Gender: Balancing Cultural Context And Theological Conviction, Lorie Lynn Heath

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God originally made male and female in His image, imparting to them a shared authority over creation. They were co-heirs equal in purpose, mission, and value. However, cultural practices and patriarchal traditions have long obscured this original biblical design. Consider a qualified young woman in a local church, called, talented, and valued by her congregation, yet repeatedly overlooked for preaching and teaching positions because of her gender. Her story is not unique. This misapplication of Scripture not only harms women but also weakens the body of Christ and impedes the church’s testimony to the gospel. Accurate comprehension of the Bible …

Lived Experiences Of Individuals With Adverse Childhood Experiences And Mitigating Factors Of Personal Spiritual Disciplines, Carolyn Potts Simoneaux

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study sought to understand the impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and what mitigating factors can help alleviate the pain and suffering caused by their residual life-long impacts. A literature review was done, and a gap was found on the subjects of personal spiritual disciplines (PSDs) of prayer, Bible reading/study, public/private worship, repentance and forgiveness as mitigating factors for the impacts of ACEs. This study recruited 15 participants who identified as victims of ACEs and used PSDs as mitigating factors to overcome the lifelong impacts. Interviews were done, using an online forum, to question participants on their …

Nature’S Sovereign: Environmental Archetypes In Isaiah’S Kingship Polemic, Christopher Ryan Sandel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how Isaiah employs environmental archetypes to advance a comprehensive kingship polemic that asserts Yahweh’s unrivaled sovereignty over all creation. The study addresses a gap in scholarship by offering the first systematic analysis of Isaiah’s environmental imagery within a unified rhetorical and theological framework. Drawing on historical, literary, and comparative ancient Near Eastern backgrounds, the study argues that Isaiah’s civilizational, cosmic, and terrestrial archetypes function as strategic instruments that dismantle rival claims to power and reorient the audience toward covenantal fidelity. Civilizational archetypes reveal the fragility of human empires and the futility of political trust. Entities such as …

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Gethsemane: Christian Art And Tradition In The Passion Of Albus Dumbledore, John Anthony Dunne

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This essay contends that Professor Dumbledore drinking a potion from a goblet administered by Harry Potter in the cave from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince evokes Jesus’s prayer in Gethsemane from the Gospels and his request that "the cup" be removed from him. Even though the Gospels portray Jesus all alone, and Dumbledore has Harry with him, I argue that Harry Potter evokes the expanded Lukan account of Gethsemane, which contains a textually uncertain passage about an angel ministering to him (Luke 22.43–44). I argue further that this Lukan text informs Harry Potter specifically as mediated through visual representations …

Grm-179-195 A Retrieval-Augmented Generation (Rag) System For Bible Question Answering Using Scriptural Text And Commentary, Maryam Koya, Pragya Mishra

C-Day Computing Showcase

This project develops and evaluates a question-answering (QA) system designed to address theological and interpretive questions about the New Testament. It uses a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) framework that integrates a pretrained large language model with a structured knowledge base consisting of public-domain Berean Standard Bible (BSB) New Testament and New Testament commentaries. User queries are embedded to retrieve semantically relevant passages, which are then supplied as contextual input for answer generation. The system is evaluated based on retrieval quality, answer faithfulness, and comparison to ground truth. Performance is benchmarked against a baseline BM25 keyword retrieval system without commentary, demonstrating that …

A Study Of Zomi Pentecostalism In Its Social, Cultural, And Political Context: A Pentecostal Quest For The Lost Paradise, Thang San Mung

College of Theology and Ministry Dissertations, Projects, & Theses

This dissertation examines the paradisal quest of the Zomi people, an ethnic Christian minority in Myanmar, through the lens of Pentecostal spirituality. Historically, the Zomi have experienced political displacement, loss of their ancestral homeland (Zogam), and ongoing marginalization. While existing scholarship has primarily interpreted Zomi struggles in terms of ethnic identity, nationalism, and socio-political resistance, this study offers a theological reorientation by interpreting Zomi paradisal longing through the Spirit-Restored Paradise framework, a Pentecostal theological model developed here. Employing a qualitative ethnographic methodology grounded in contextual theology, the research draws on semi-structured interviews with twenty-four Zomi Pentecostal participants from Myanmar and …

The Echo: April 20, 2026, Taylor University

2025-2026 (Volume 113)

No abstract provided.

Overcoming Apathy And Complacency Through Discipleship Micro-Groups At Spencer Church Of Christ, Jerrard A. Davis

Harding School of Theology Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Review Of Ancient Near Eastern Thought And The Old Testament, Walker Sharp

Ex Sapientia Loqui

A relatively short overview of Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament, I attempt to address important aspects of Ancient Near Eastern culture and its relevance to interpreting Scripture. By addressing different aspects of the cultures and by using certain methods to understand them, we can gain a deeper understanding of the contexts of a lot of the Old Testament history.

"A Pre-Eminently Christian Life": The Seventh Earl Of Shaftesbury As A Guide For Modern Political Engagement, Clara Kernodle

Harding Undergraduate Research Conference

Society has suffered in the absence of Christian courage. Today, an antagonistic culture is feeding an increasingly antagonistic government. Christians do not know how to “win” – we do not even know how to engage. Rod Dreher's "The Benedict Option" encourages us to give up and retreat. Andrew Isker's "The Boniface Option" encourages warfare-style aggression. But Dreher’s and Isker’s approaches each take an aspect of the solution and expand it out of proportion. The proper solution is found in the historic Christian tradition. The Church has always understood her role within culture as one not of fear and loathing, but …

The Beacon, April 16, 2026, Beacon Staff

The Beacon, 2025-2026

Club spotlight: Dance Marathon nonprofit; Unique characteristics of Dutch towns; Northwestern’s Literary Arts Magazine; Mario 2: disappointing and boring; Forrest Frank & Noah Hayden’s collab album; 1776: A blast from America’s colonial past; Praise to the King through the arts at NW; Chapel series: the dorms lead service; Is NW still a liberal arts college?; Why asparagus is a finger food; N-Dubs Awards Show set to return; Softball soars against GPAC opponents; Tennis competes against GPAC rivals; Trump announces ceasefire; UN urges Epstein files related investigation

Crossing The Border: A Participatory Action Research Project For The Brentwood Oaks Church Of Christ To Engage With Spanish-Speaking Neighbors Through Missional Hospitality, Charles Johanson

Harding School of Theology Dissertations and Theses

Throughout Scripture, hospitality occupies a central place in the mission of God. Welcoming the stranger across cultural barriers requires the church to practice missional hospitality by playing the role of host and, especially, guest in the neighborhood. Moreover, small group experimentation facilitates the innovation necessary to effectively practice missional hospitality. Through experimentation in cross-cultural situations, church members increase their awareness of cultural differences that leads to opportunities for the congregation to welcome neighbors in loving, sacrificial, and hospitable ways. Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ (BOCC) resides next to a neighborhood with a high population of Spanish-speaking immigrants. The goal of …

Resurrection In Gold, Samantha K. Kelley

Undergraduate Theses

The human experience consistently brings about themes of brokenness, oftentimes leading to feelings of loss, confusion, and a desire for repair. Guided by a metaphor found in kintsugi (a Japanese art form), this thesis aims to explore and illustrate both brokenness and repair, through a lens of Christian theology.

The beginning of this project focuses on brokenness, illustrating the brokenness that is found in life by destroying old artworks in various ways. The method of breaking each piece also aimed to connect to a way brokenness is commonly found in life, for example – society tearing us down, artworks being …

2022-2023 Annual Report, Tennessee. Public Utility Commission.

Public Utility Commission

No abstract provided.

2023-2024 Annual Report, Tennessee. Public Utility Commission.

Public Utility Commission

No abstract provided.

2024-2025 Annual Report, Tennessee. Public Utility Commission.

Public Utility Commission

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: March 31, 1982

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1980s

No abstract provided.

The Shorthorn: February 23, 1982

The Shorthorn Newspaper Collection: 1980s

No abstract provided.

From Apathy To Apostasy: The Danger Of Dullness In Hearing God’S Word, Daniel D. Mann

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation contends that the issue of apathetic hearing among some of the audience in the book of Hebrews is a pivotal aspect in the threat of apostasy. The central theme of Hebrews is that God has spoken in the last days by his Son (Heb. 1:2). Thus, God speaking (1:1–2, 5, 13; 2:3; 3:10; 4:3, 4, 8; 5:5; 10:15, 30; 12:25; 13:5) and man hearing (2:1, 3; 3:7, 15, 16; 4:2, 7; 5:11; 12:25) emerge as twin pillars of emphasis throughout Hebrews. The author’s overarching emphasis is that God has spoken definitively in His Son and that Word deserves …

Sacred Geography And The Restoration Of Divine Presence: The Garden Of Eden, Egypt, The Wilderness, And The Promised Land In The Theology Of The Torah, Gary Ryan Perry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation argues that the Torah presents redemption through a progressive spatial framework in which sacred geography reveals the restoration of God’s dwelling among His people. The narrative movement from the Garden of Eden to Egypt, the Wilderness, and finally the Promised Land forms a theological arc that structures the Torah’s presentation of covenant, priesthood, and divine presence. The Garden of Eden establishes humanity’s original royal priestly vocation within sacred space. Egypt functions as an anti-garden, where abundance and provision exist apart from a covenant relationship with God. The Wilderness represents a redemptive restart, in which Israel is formed through …

Ongoing Exile In 1 Peter, William J. Bynum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In his first epistle, Peter employs the biblical theme of ongoing exile as a controlling metaphor to depict his readers’ circumstances. By doing so, he situates those readers as participants in the overarching biblical storyline of God’s restoring through Jesus Christ what man has lost through sin. The shape of that grand narrative is anticipated in what has called “the Deuteronomic scheme of sin–exile–restoration.” Using the idea of an ongoing exile followed by restoration, the writer of 1 Peter accomplishes two vitally important objectives. First, he shows his mostly Gentile readers’ experiences to be participation in exile like that of …

Utilizing A Small Group In Bible Studies To Bring About The Reconciliation Of All The Groups Of An Ethnic Community Church In Brooklyn, New York, Anthony Ukasoanya E Uwakwe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many local churches in America today have problems in their ministries. The problems may stem from the untimely action or inaction by the church leaders, including ordained pastors and laity. Other problems are simple misunderstandings, such as a congregant not being reimbursed for funds used for a church event. This thesis research project will present biblical teachings on reconciliation, provide a framework for resolving financial misunderstandings in the church, and foster unity among its groups. It is important to know God’s reasons for being reconciled in the fellowship of the church. The triangular methodology employed uses specific scripture passages that …

Words Of A Feather: Mapping Distributional Relationships In Biblical Texts*, Rhys Sharpe, Rhett Seitz, Harvey Alférez

Campus Research Month

Studying the meaning of Hebrew and Greek words, lexical analysis, is a key step of the exegetical study of biblical texts. Meaning is tightly linked to usage, so studying meaning requires a deep grasp of the usage patterns of the word in question and its related words. Mainstream digital platforms lack tools to search for related words. Because of this, biblical scholars must rely on limited references in existing studies or manual review of a word’s occurrences to trace these relationships. To address this gap, we introduce GraphLex, an interactive data visualization app built with Streamlit, Python, and Text-Fabric. GraphLex …

Review Of Christian Conversion And Mission: A Brief Cultural History. By Andrew F. Walls., Misael Cornelio

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A review of Christian Conversion and Mission: A Brief Cultural History. By Andrew F. Walls.