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Front Matter, Spiritus Editors

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Spiritus 5.1 (Spring, 2020)

Full Issue: Volume 5, Number 1 (2020), Spiritus Editors

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Footnotes: Renovating Rushmore + Covid-19, Bob Turner

Footnotes: Curated Resources for Ministers

No abstract provided.

Life With Yahweh After Death: How The Psalter’S References To Life After Death Cohere, Bill Tackmier

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Tackmier, Bill J. “Life with Yahweh after Death: How the Psalter’s References to Life after Death Cohere.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2020. 237 pp.

This dissertation demonstrates how seven Psalms passages that refer to life beyond death reflect a single, coherent view of postmortem existence held in ancient Israel. Although it has been argued by some over the past hundred years that four of the passages (Pss 6:6; 30:10; 88:10–12; and 115:17) reflect a time when Israel either did not believe in an afterlife or had a very limited view of postmortem existence, this dissertation argues that the seven passages …

A Hopeful Eschatology And The Role Of The Ekklesia Prior To The Parousia, Charles Graves

Theology Undergraduate Work

When Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, He did not leave the earth or abandon His mission. Rather, He gave His disciples a commission to go into all of the world and proclaim Gospel of the Kingdom to all creation (Mark 16:15). He gave them an assignment that was impossible to accomplish without the empowerment and enablement of His Spirit. While giving them such a high command, He also gave them beautiful promises about the hope of the resurrection and the coming new heavens and new earth. This future hope motivated them to engage His realities in …

Kāḇôḏ (Glory) RûAḤ (Spirit) And Yaḏ (Hand) Divine Presence And Activity Of Ezekiel (Ezek 1-3; 8-11; 40-48) Thirdspacing The Exile And Its Implications To The Theology Of Divine Presence, Malachy Udochukwu Theophilus

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

In Ezek 1-3; 8-11 and 40-48, Ezekiel saw the ("visions of God"). In these visions one observes that the presence of YHWH is experienced in three different spaces: in the temple, in exile and on the mountain east of the city. These manifestations of the divine presence in different spaces challenged the traditional priestly understanding of YHWH as exclusively "tabernacled" in the Jerusalem temple. Thus in this research, I investigate, not only where God is really found, but also the implication of the movements of the (glory of God) from the sacred space to the non sacred space and back …

Family Fuel: The Church Partnering With Parents In The Spiritual Formation Of Children And Family, Vanessa A. Flores

Selected Honors Theses

American culture is shifting responsibilities away from parents and onto professionals, such as teachers and coaches for the informing and developing of their children. Is this applicable in the church setting, where parents drop off their kids to let the children’s ministry pastors spiritually influence their child? Through the corroboration of theology and social science, it is seen that the impact of children’s pastors is incomparable to the spiritual and emotional influence that parents give to their children. With the enjoin of Deuteronomy 6, churches today are equipping families to become the church so that there is a reciprocated relationship …

Deuteronomy And The City: Characteristics Of The Ideal Urban Environment In Deuteronomy, Parker Bullard

Harding School of Theology Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Bridge Spring 2020 Vol. 60 No. 3, Harding School Of Theology

The Bridge

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Incomplete Spiritual Formation And Discipleship, David A. Mcgee

Faculty Publications and Presentations

John Cole writes, “There exists a serious gap in the mind of the many believers between what they know to be the goal of sanctification and growth and where they know they actually are in their lives.”1 Human observation and the biblical text leave the follower of Christ perplexed about the dissonance between the ultimate sanctified life versus the daily reality of personal experience. The various forms of spiritual formation and discipleship do not adequately account for the gap that exists between a method and implementation in the life of a believer.

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 55 No 1 - April 2020), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

From the Editor: Karin Maag - 9 / Articles: John Webster: A Reformed Theologian on Revelation by Richard Fraser Brash - 11 / Psalm 88: A Validation to Vent by William L. Harris III - 41 / The Loss and Renewal of Calvin’s Eucharistic Theology in Reformed Churches by Leonard J. Vander Zee - 67 / Sermon: “Created to Be Like God”—A Sermon on Ephesians 4:22–24 by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. - 95 / Short Studies: The Role of the Letter and the Lector in Early Christian Liturgy: A Few Examples from Ephesians 1 by David Seal - 101 / The …

Religious Schism: A Case Study Of Social And Political Critique In Sāmoa, Alexis M. M. Zilen

Student Publications

Examining religious schism within Sāmoa in order to demonstrate that schism of Christianity within Sāmoa, of charismatic-Pentecostal churches from traditional mainline churches, represents a social critique. By unifying under a reformed church environment, which mimics existing religious and cultural systems, Sāmoans are challenging their economic, social, and political positionality, while upholding the traditional framework of the fa’aSāmoa, Sāmoan way of life. This work highlights how individuals within Sāmoa navigate increasingly complex social, political, and economic power dynamics. Much of the focus of explores how individuals exercise religious agency, formulated through a created Sāmoan cosmology, to challenge larger structures of oppression …

Better Stewards, Better Givers: What Financial Behaviors Relate To Giving By Christians In Churches, Parachurch Ministries, And Their Alma Mater?, Andre Sergeyev

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The subject of Christian stewardship including financial behavior continues to receive heightened attention due to low giving rates in the ecclesial community and within faith-based academia. The purpose of this correlation study was to examine associations between the most frequently exercised financial management behaviors and giving by Christian devotees. The study identified and explained degrees of relationships among selected financial behaviors of giving, by percentage and amount, by participants to churches, parachurch ministries, and alma maters. A new theory of giving behaviors was introduced to analyze relationships between the giving and financial behaviors of participants who identified as Christian and …

Taylor: A Magazine For Taylor University Alumni, Parents And Friends (Spring 2020), Taylor University

The Taylor Magazine (1963-Present)

The Spring 2020 edition of Taylor Magazine, published by Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

The Pauline Concept Of Discipleship As A Model For Addressing The Youth Dropout In The Twenty-First Century United States Of America Church., Jacob Al Hassan

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The dropout rate of more than five million young adults from faith and church in the last decade, who were originally born and raised in Christian homes, has reached a critical point. The Christian community must rethink its discipleship methods in order to impact the youth of today.

The researcher explored the root causes of the problem and identified that the current discipleship assumptions and strategies, rooted in modern mechanistic mass production paradigm do not work. Therefore, these assumptions and strategies must give way to a personally crafted one-on-one relational fatherly mentorship interconnected approach for the faith formation of the …

Healthy Church Multiplication In Modern Churches, William J. Burns

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 leaves no room for interpretation. The role of the followers of Jesus and of the church is decidedly clear. We are called to make disciples of all nations. An honest assessment of my local ministry context, Access Church, reveals that we, as a church, have fallen short of Jesus’ Great Commission. The intention of this research project is to understand the biblical mandate to make disciples as taught throughout Scripture, study Jesus’ discipleship methods in the book of Matthew, and, ultimately, create a new rubric to help Access Church—and other churches—understand how to measure its …

Denominational Influence In Church Revitalization, Donald J. Immel

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Many churches and denominations in North America have been experiencing plateau or decline for the past sixty years. In recent years, the Assemblies of God has experienced trends of plateau or decline in a majority of their churches. The PennDel Ministry Network, one of sixty-four districts within the Assemblies of God USA, has also observed that a majority of its churches are also in a state of plateau or decline. The primary intent of this dissertation is to explore denominational influence in revitalizing churches. Specific attention is given to the church’s participation in the missio Dei as well as the …

The Sword & The Mask: Toward A Confessional Lutheran Account Of Spiritual Warfare, Jon Furgeson

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Furgeson, Jon C. “The Sword and the Mask: Toward a Confessional Lutheran Theology of Spiritual Warfare.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2020. pp. "[Number of pages]"

This dissertation, a work in Trinitarian & ecclesial theology, seeks to recover the foundations of a full doctrine of spiritual warfare. Considering seeming disparate voices such as Walter Wink, C. Peter Wagner, John Kleinig, Gustav Wingren, and Leopoldo A. Sánchez, this dissertation asserts a constructive and integrative approach to spiritual warfare wherein the warfare is only enacted by the fallen powers of the sinful nature, the fallen world, and the fallen angels. This warfare is …

Alumni Journal - Volume 91, Number 1, Loma Linda University School Of Medicine

Alumni Journal, School of Medicine

Editorials
2 | Guest Editorial: Warren R. Peters '69
4 | From the President
6 | From the Deam

News
7 | This and That
10 | School of Medicine News
12 | Students
13 | Wedding Announcements
14 | Alumni News
15 | AIMS Report

APC 2020
16 | APC 2020 in Review: Featuring photos, alumni honorees, and more

Features
27 | Interview Feature: Columbus D. Batiste '98 shares his thoughts on healthy living
30 | Department Reports: Dermatology and Cardiothoracic Surgery: Harry Doa Jr., MD, and Anees J. Razzouk '82 report on their respective departments
and distinguished faculty …

Enhancing Pastoral Care And Support By Providing Opportunities For Spiritual Growth And Transformation To Crisis And Trauma Sufferers, Angela Roberts Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Trauma experiences are becoming more prevalent in today’s society. For example, each day, the media reports the widespread impact of war, gun violence, domestic and international terrorism, violent crimes, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, mass shootings, and natural disasters in the general population. The church has long been considered a place of refuge, hope, and healing for people who suffer from crises and trauma. It is often the first place Christians and the surrounding community turn in times of distress. Because pastors and churches are often the first responders when people experience crises and traumatic events, there …

A Study On The Evangelism Training Program For Church Growth: The Case Of Bethel Bible Baptist Church In Korea, Sung Hee Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to find an evangelism training program for church growth in Korea. The researcher will study the evangelism strategies for church growth and will suggest effective evangelism training program to churches in order to find effective ways for church growth. The reason for selecting the evangelism training program for this study is to use it at Bethel Bible Baptist Church because evangelism is essential ministry for church growth and lots of churches have been experiencing growth by evangelism. The researcher will take advantages and supplement disadvantages from old evangelism programs to suggest new evangelism …

An Abundance Of Good Things : Paul Ricoeur's Cultural Imagination And A Phenomenology Of Deuteronomism, Tad C. Blacketer

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Touro Torah Volume 4 Issue 11, Lander College For Women

Yearbooks and Newsletters

Divrei Torah Newsletter, Nissan Edition 5780

Asor 2019 Annual Meeting, Paul J. Ray

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reimagining The Imago Dei, Roger Nam

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

Here’s an extremely simple exercise:

1. Go to any CCCU school website.

2. Type the word “diversity” into the search window.

You will undoubtedly get scores of different options and activities designed to reflect an institution’s commitment to racially inclusive diversity. A deeper dive into the institution’s social media accounts will reveal a more extensive portrayal of a commitment to diversity. This can be as simple as posting a meaningful quote from Howard Thurman on Twitter or sharing a lovely picture of Korean fried chicken on Instagram. But why do institutions do this?

Engage With Scripture In A Whole New Way, Taylor University

2020 Website News Stories

No abstract provided.

Skyfall: The "Aliens Sequence" In Monty Python's Life Of Brian, Robert Cousland

Journal of Religion & Film

Despite its brevity and science fiction genre, Terry Gilliam's "aliens sequence" in Monty Python's Life of Brian functions in at least three ways: It is a brilliant parody of Star Wars and other space epics. It addresses concerns that were of profound significance for the religion of Jesus' day and, finally, and it significantly challenges the Christian premise of a divinely ordained purpose underlying Jesus' life.

In Memoriam Terry Jones (1942-2020)

Comparing Literary And Biblical Hermeneutics To Constitutional And Statutory Interpretation, Robert J. Pushaw Jr.

Pepperdine Law Review

Interpreters determine the meaning of language. To interpret literary and biblical texts, scholars have developed detailed rules, methods, and theories of human understanding. This branch of knowledge, “hermeneutics,” features three basic approaches. First, “textualists” treat words as directly conveying their ordinary meaning to a competent reader today. Second, “contextualists” maintain that verbal meaning depends on generally shared linguistic conventions in the particular historical and cultural environment of the author—and that therefore translations or commentaries are necessary to make the writing intelligible to a modern reader. Third, “hermeneutic circle” scholars argue that texts have no objective meaning. Rather, a person’s subjective …

"It Does N'T Seem Like A Big Deal": A Media Ecology Analysis Of Digital Teen Sexuality And Sexting Education, Allison Marie Metz

Theses and Dissertations

In the state of Illinois, any person in possession of sexually explicit photos of a minor, even if the subject is oneself, can be prosecuted as a felon for possession of child pornography and be required to registered as a sex-offender (705 ILCS § 405). Concurrently, the recent trend of ‘send nudes’ depicts humorous ways to request the transmission of sexually explicit photos, increasing this act as a normative practice for young people (Bradford, 2018; Thomas, 2017). This trend is incongruent with Illinois statue (705 ILCS § 405) and school administrative policy about transmitting sexually explicit photos of a minor. …

Divining Gospel. Oracles Of Interpretation In A Syriac Manuscript Of John, Jeff Childers

Graduate School of Theology

Ancient manuscripts of John’s Gospel containing hermeneiai have long puzzled scholars, provoking debate about their origins, purpose, and use. The fragmentary nature of the early evidence has impeded progress towards a better understanding of these specialized books. The present study shows that these books are "Divining Gospels"—editions of John’s Gospel incorporating lot divination materials for use in fortune-telling. The study centers on material presented here for the first time: the text and translation of a unique sixth-century Syriac manuscript, the earliest and most complete example of a hermeneia Gospel. An analysis of the Syriac along with evidence from Greek, Coptic, …