Digital Commons Network^™

Fostering Healing Through Reconciliation In The Abernathy Church Of Christ, Randall K. Carr

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project is an exercise in addressing anxiety as a result of unresolved conflict in the Abernathy Church of Christ. In 2009 emotions escalated to a climactic point, leading a group of participants to separate from the Abernathy Church of Christ. The events surrounding this episode have played an influential role in shaping the narrative of the Abernathy Church of Christ. This project seeks to identify areas of residual pain in the existing narrative and move the congregation into a narrative of hope for the future of the Abernathy Church of Christ. The central theme is reconciliation and results from …

Second Criticality— An Interdisciplinary Approach To The New Testament And Its Contexts, Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

In my just-released introduction to the New Testament published by Abingdon1 I find myself trying to make several contributions that make this something of a new and serviceable approach. First, I proceed in canonical order, dividing the book into three parts (the Gospels and Jesus, Acts and the writings of Paul, General Letters and Revelation) beginning each chapter with laying out from three to six crises or background issues that help the reader appreciate the contexts in which the twenty-seven books of the New Testament were written. Nearly sixty crises and contextual issues are outlined overall, and I feel this …

Cultivating The Practice Of Missional Hospitality For Small Groups At West Houston Church Of Christ, Kevin Stewart

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project in which I led a team to develop a plan to cultivate the practice of missional hospitality for small groups at West Houston Church of Christ. I used missional theology as a framework to give shape to the practice of hospitality. The project team met for nine weeks in the fall of 2014. The team practiced lectio divina focused on Luke 10, participated in theological reflection on missional hospitality, and fulfilled assignments to practice missional hospitality. These activities helped form the group spiritually and informed the development of a …

Evaluating An Oral Draft Of Luke 8:4-15 In Uduk, Jeremy N. Harrison

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the findings of a project in which I led a group of immigrants from South Sudan through the process of generating and evaluating an oral draft of Luke 8:4-15 in Uduk. The aim of this project was to provide a substantive field test of an oral translation methodology conducted among immigrants living in the United States who speak a language that lacks a translation of the entire Bible. The project involved facilitating basic translation training and conducting an oral drafting process with a team of three Uduk speakers. This project also involved evaluating the …

The Tower Of Babel Account: A Linguistic Consideration, Dallin D. Oaks

Faculty Publications

The biblical account of the Tower of Babel has generally not been taken seriously by scholars in historical linguistics, but what are regarded by some as problematic aspects of the account may actually relate to claims that have been incorrectly attributed to the account. In fact, the account may not be reporting a sudden· and immediate confusion of languages, or even a sequence in which a confusion of languages led to a scattering of the people. Indeed, a close examination of the account seems to allow an interpretation of events that is compatible with what linguists have observed about [how …

How To Read The Book Of Revelation In The Local Church: Overcoming Obstacles And Revealing Messages, Daljin Kim

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Making “An Unknown God” Known: A Narratne-Critical Reading Of Paul’S Areopagus Speech (Acts 17:16-34) In Light Of The “Ignorance-Knowledge” Theme Of Luke-Acts, Hyo-Jong Kim

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Kim, Hyo-Jong. "Making 'An Unknown God' Known: A Narrative-Critical Reading of Paul's Areopagus Speech (Acts 17: 16-34) in Light of the 'Ignorance-Knowledge' Theme of Luke-Acts." Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2015. 324 pp.

This dissertation argues that a reading of Paul's speech in Athens (Acts 17:16-34) through narrative-critical analysis helps the reader see how Lukan narration of Paul's "new teaching" to make "an unknown god" known to the pagan philosophers marks a pivotal point for Lukan presentation of the "ignorance-knowledge" theme in Luke-Acts. This study examines how the speech, in its unique narrative setting and with its subtle rhetorical critique of …

Defeating Naturalism: Defending And Reformulating Plantinga's Eaan, Tyler D. Mcnabb

Liberty Theological Review

Abstract: During the past two decades, Alvin Plantinga has formulated an argument against naturalism that focuses on naturalism’s acceptance of contemporary evolutionary theory. Plantinga argues that given naturalism and evolution, our cognitive faculties have been developed to produce beliefs that meet the Darwinian requirement of survival and reproduction. Plantinga argues that accepting this will lead a naturalist to have a defeater for all of their beliefs, including their belief in naturalism. In this paper, I survey and respond to two types of objections that have been given as a response to Plantinga’s argument. The first objection that I interact with …

Book Reviews

Liberty Theological Review

Review by Timothy N. Mitchell of Inside Roman Libraries: Book Collections and Their Management in Antiquity. By George W. Houston. Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 2014, 327 pp., $59.95.

Review by Timothy N. Mitchell of Orthodoxy and Heresy in Early Christian Contexts: Reconsidering the Bauer Thesis. Edited by Paul A. Hartog. Eugene: Pickwick, 2015, 276 pp., $25.60.

Review by Nicholas Dodson of Oral Tradition and the New Testament: A Guide for the Perplexed. Rafael Rodriguez. New York: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2015, 184 pp., $27.95.

Jesus And Tiberius: An Examination Of Source Reliability, Timothy B. Chrisman

Liberty Theological Review

Since the introduction to the critical method of studying the Old and New Testament in the nineteenth century, doubt has been thrown on the historical reliability of the biblical narrative accounts, especially the four Gospels. Yet, far less scrutiny and denigration have been applied to historical sources written during the time of the Roman Empire. A comparison, then, is proposed. It would be beneficial to compare the sources that detailed the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, namely, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and the four sources which chronicled the life of Tiberius, emperor of the Roman Empire during …

Developing Alternative Leadership Training Model For Evangelical Church Leaders In Ethiopia : An Evaluative Study In The Hiwot Berhan Church, Endale Gebremeskel Ousman

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Gospel Merisms In The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

This study extends previous work that identifies three inclusios in the Book of Mormon, each of which presents the same definition of the doctrine or gospel of Jesus Christ. But none of the three definitions is presented in the way modern readers might expect. Rather, each offers a series of statements focusing on different actions or events that are related to each other as parts of the way that leads to eternal life. On first reading, they could easily seem disconnected or even contradictory. But as these earlier studies demonstrate, when all these statements and their repeated elements are examined …

Illness And God's Will, John Sherret

Senior Honors Theses

Originally, God never put sickness on people. After the fall, the early history of man as recorded in the Bible further demonstrates Him refraining to use sickness. However, once the law was instituted God began to use sickness as a punishment. In the Old Testament, sickness was always defined as a curse and never a blessing. It was used by God to curse people for disobeying the law. In the New Testament, God was seen healing the multitudes instead of cursing them. Through the atonement of Jesus, believers have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). Healing …

The Echo: April 17, 2015, Taylor University

2014-2015 (Volume 102)

Expanding their studies – The three percent – Life After Taylor Part 1 – A wired weekend – In The Loop – Grading The Launch – The congressional Barrier – Spring Fashion – Heirs to the throne – A deep love for music – Busting myths in Indianapolis – The business of respect – A gentleman’s gallantry – Splitting the chivalry bill – Let your voice be heard! – Second-day surge – Weekly Preview – Sprinting to Nationals – Athlete of the Week

Establishing A Solid Foundation Through An Identity In Christ, Matthew S. Pedersen

Senior Honors Theses

An identity in Christ is the only solid foundation on which adolescents or adults can build their life. Identity is a major building block in a person’s life. Individuals with an unhealthy identity as a result of the culture will need to make many changes to this foundation in order to keep an accurate view of their lives. The definition of identity can show examples of negative consequences of an unhealthy identity. An identity based on the views of culture can show areas of weakness. Examining what the Bible says about man before and after a relationship with Christ will …

The Predestination Debate: A Harmony Of Corporate Election And Individual Election, Bradley Smith

Senior Honors Theses

The topic of predestination has been discussed throughout church history in the work of men like Augustine, Pelagius, Calvin, Arminius, and Barth. Corporate election seeks to reconcile some problematic areas of Calvinistic and Arminian theology by arguing that in the same way that God chose the nation of Israel through His election of Abraham, so He also chose the Church through His election of Jesus Christ. Despite this view’s seemingly convincing evidence, Scripture points far beyond its main tenets. God’s unconditional election of individuals ought to be foundational to the understanding of corporate election. This study will discuss and interact …

Two's Company But Three's A Crowd: A Study On The Crowd In The Book Of Acts, Dylan Eagle

Senior Honors Theses

The book of Acts is an entity of its own. While it is a part of the canonical Bible as one of the sixty-six books, it is unique in that it presents the continuation of God’s plan from Jesus Christ to the growth of the early Christian church. More than that, in the book of Acts God further develops his plan of restoration to include not only the Jews but also the Gentiles. With Acts being a unique work of literature, each component of the work uniquely moves the story along. One component is that of the crowd, specifically the …

Luther And The Jews: An Exposition Directed To Christians On Martin Luther's Anti-Semitism, Defense, And Legacy, Megan Wilson

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis is an analysis of the historical relations between reformer Martin Luther and the Jewish people. Its primary purpose is to defend Luther’s image as a prominent figure in Christian history while considering the possibility of his anti-Semitic views. This thesis focuses particularly on a number of Luther’s written works in order to achieve this goal, with a secondary concentration on historical and incidental defenses that can be used to exonerate him. This thesis also serves to inform contemporary Christians of the controversy surrounding these views and the result of his legacy in more recent centuries.

The Old Testament 30 Years Later: Consistency And Change, Alice Laffey

HCAA Continuing Education Day

The answer depends on the question. The question depends on underlying assumptions. The first part of the “class” will describe the methods used to interpret the Old Testament in the early part of the Christian era, in response to the Enlightenment and, for Catholics, Vatican II and, more recently in the developed world, as a consequence of post-modern culture. This first part of the “class” will serve as an Introduction to the second part in which pre-modern, modern, and post-modern assumptions, methods and approaches will be applied to the book of Ruth. “Students” are encouraged to read the book of …

An Evil Threat To Marriage, Children And The Future: Queer Theory, "The Passion Of The Christ," And Evangelical Political Rhetoric, Richard Wolff

Journal of Religion & Film

This article employs queer theory to analyze Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ (2004) for its portrayal of queer characters (Satan and Herod) in contrast with non-queer (Pilate and Claudia, Seraphia, Simon the Cyrene, and Mary, Christ’s mother), and how it depicts the former as evil and the latter as good. In particular, these contrasts involve self-indulgent or predatory sexual expression versus a healthy marital relationship, and evil versus loving influences over children, who represent hope for the future. Finally, the article looks at the film’s heavy marketing to American evangelicals and how the symbolic representations in the …

The Dual Textual History Of The Song Of Hana In The Ethiopic Manuscript Traditions, Brian Christopher Jeanseau

Seminary Masters Theses

In Ethiopia, the Song of Hana has been transmitted in two types of manuscripts—biblical manuscripts and Psalters. This thesis compares the textual histories of this song within both manuscript types and shows that these are actually two separate traditions, not one tradition as previously assumed. Chapter one starts with descriptions of what these two manuscript types are and what the Song of Hana is. In chapter two, we briefly discuss some background issues—the scholarly efforts that have taken place in the Ethiopic Old Testament so far and the history of the Judeo-­‐Christian religion in Ethiopia which has shaped these two …

The Institute Of Archaeology & Siegfried H. Horn Museum Newsletter Volume 36.2, Paul Gregor, Constance Gane, Helena Gregor, Justin Singleton

Institute of Archaeology & the Horn Archaeological Museum Newsletter

The 2015 Excavations at Tall Jalul, Paul Gregor, Constance Gane, and Helena Gregor

Silva Lecture, Justin Singleton

Al-Maktába: The Bookstore

Random Survey

Taylor: A Magazine For Taylor University Alumni, Parents And Friends (Spring 2015), Taylor University

The Taylor Magazine (1963-Present)

The Spring 2015 edition of Taylor Magazine, published by Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

The Moral Conflicts Of A Man After God’S Own Heart, Stephen B. Putney

Eruditio Ardescens

No abstract provided.

Colossians 4:11 And The Ethnic Identity Of Luke, R. Wayne Stacy

Eruditio Ardescens

No abstract provided.

Prepared By Whom? Reprobation And Non-Calvinist Interpretations Of Romans 9:22, Wayne Brindle

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

"Review Of L’Ultimo Nemico Didio: Il Ruolo Deltanticristo Nel Cristianismo Antico E Tardoantico", Michael Patella Osb

School of Theology and Seminary Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Questioning The Plausibility Of Jesus Ahistoricity Theories—A Brief Pseudo-Bayesian Metacritique Of The Sources, Raphael Lataster

Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies

No abstract provided.

The Voice, Spring/Summer 2015: Volume 60, Issue 3, Dordt College

The Voice Archive

• Leading Off With the President: @DordtPresident
• Editor's Notes: Transition
• News: Analyzing What's in the Stuff Around Us; Come and Read What You Want; Faculty Bits; Campus Kudos; Getting It Straight From the Composer; Listening Makes a Difference in Nursing; Ribbon Cutting; Men's Volleyball Eyes First Varsity Season; Seeing Solar Energy Use; Research Opens New Way to Look at Cancer Cells; Grad Ed Bucks the Trend; Standardized Testing, Help or Harm: A Faculty Reflection; Have Quilt, Will Travel; Students Lead Push for Sustainability
• Features: Dordt Takes Its Turn Hosting Concrete Canoe Competition; Ag Students Head to the Feed Lot; Nurturing …

The Bridge Spring 2015 Vol. 55 No. 4, Harding School Of Theology

The Bridge

No abstract provided.