Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Role Of The African Church In The 21st Century Global Mission: A Case Study Of The Eecmy Global Mission Venture And Economic Mindset, Wondimu M. Game

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Jesus Christ inaugurated and commissioned his church to be a missionary until the end of the world. Thus, the church is missionary by her very nature. The modern mission paradigm was from the West to the rest. But, in this 21^st century, the mission has shifted from the global North to the global South; this massive shift has anchored the global South as the heartland of Christianity and the force of mission. This mission shift also demands the paradigm shift of both global north and south. Although the African church has played a pivotal role in the church history, …

“I Said, You Are Gods”: Pastoral Motives Manifest In Patristic Citations Of Psalm 82:6, Charles Schulz

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

The early church fathers frequently cited Ps. 82:6 (LXX 81:6), “I said, You are gods and all sons of the Most High,” a passage Jesus himself quoted (John 10:34) to defend his own title as the Son of God. Scholars agree that the patristic use of verse underwrote the developing doctrine of deification, which promised that Christians would become “gods” in some sense by bearing God’s image and likeness and participating in Christ and his saving work. In order to deepen and focus our understanding of the significance and role of this passage for patristic theology—and particularly for pastoral practice—this …

Parechesis In The Undisputed Pauline Epistles Definition, Identification, And Discovery, Kevin Gingrich

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Throughout the undisputed Pauline epistles (UPE), the author employs ancient rhetorical figures of soundplay. In particular, this dissertation focuses on a stylistic device known since Homer and named, a century or so after Paul, “parechesis.” Parechesis is sophisticated alliteration and refers to similar sounding words of different lexical roots that lie in some collocation. The device is so pervasive in Paul as to be deemed a defining characteristic of Pauline style.

Let Me Serve Your Majesty: Psalm 8, Matthew Fredrickson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The speaker in Ps 8 proclaims a desire to serve Yahweh’s heavenly power/victory by appealing to humanity’s status as God’s images (Gen 1:27) and accepting the role of Yahweh’s new servant (Isa 55:3), as a priest/minister of God (Isa 61:1-6; cf Isa 42:1). This thesis translates אשר תנה as one word in verse 2b (אשרתנה), rendered, “May I serve your heavenly power/victory!” This is illustrated (in part) by two participles in Ps 8, ינקם (v. 3) and עבר (v. 9), which refer to cosmic foes of Yahweh—“the ones who nurse” (the goodly gods in CAT 1.23) and the “one …

Formulating A Communal Covenant For The Elders And Ministers Of South Fork Church Of Christ, Drew Baker

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This project addressed the lack of a communal covenant for the elders and ministers of South Fork Church of Christ. The purpose of the project was to formulate a covenant that would promote the spiritual discernment and leadership of the elders and ministers. For the theological framework, I relied upon Mark’s portrait of Jesus. I looked at Jesus’s lived example as well as his teachings to discern values and practices that defined his leadership and should therefore be normative for Christian leaders. These values and practices were analyzed according to three relational categories—relationship with God, with each other, and with …

Improving Upon Traditional American Premarital Counseling Methods: Teaching A Foundational Theology For A Marriage Of Servanthood, Gregory D. Milewski

Masters of Theological Studies

The intention of this thesis is to stir up marriage counselors into taking a fresh look at their methods for preparing and educating American couples for marriage, as the research will show that couples need much more than mere test results and analytics. Couples need more than a diagnosis; they need the prognosis of the path for healing. The programs developed by Christian therapists that are used in many churches in America do a great job at showing areas where couples are strong and where they need work, but too little is done to address their core beliefs about marriage …

Women In Pastoral Leadership Within The Assemblies Of God: How Can The Numbers Advance?, Carolyne D. Butler

Selected Honors Theses

The number of women in pastoral leadership within the Assemblies of God grows by the addition of credentialed women. While the numbers seem increasingly exponential, their validity in credentialed growth of women is staggered, lacking true egalitarian equality. It is questioned how many credentialed women are actually in an active, executive role of leadership within the A.G. Data from the A.G. examines the increase in female credentialing and ministry status over a fifteen-year span and its contribution to the total number of female ministers. Biblical theology and historical examples enhance the credibility and authority of female leadership while gender roles …

God’S Forgiveness As Expressed In The Gospels, Rod Womer

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the twenty-two passages in the Gospels in which God’s forgiveness of human sin is explicitly addressed. Using modern textual, literary, form, redaction, and historical criticisms as exegetical tools, the examination maps out the development of these biblical vignettes so as to extract from the process an understanding of what the Gospel writers wanted to convey to Jesus’ followers about God’s forgiveness. Four distinct forgiveness modes were discovered: repentance leads to forgiveness (e.g. proclaim repentance and forgiveness to all nations in Lk 24:47), faith acts as a conduit to forgiveness (e.g. sinful woman kissing Jesus’ feet in Lk …

Talk This Way: A Look At The Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop And Christianity, Joshua Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Christianity and Hip-Hop culture are often said to be at odds with one another. One is said to promote a lifestyle of righteousness and love, while the other is said to promote drugs, violence, and pride. As a result, the public has portrayed these two institutions as conflicting with no willingness to resolve their perceived differences. This paper will argue that there has always been a healthy conversation between Hip-Hop and Christianity since Hip-Hop’s inception. Using sources like Hip-Hop lyrics, theologians, historians, autobiographies, sermons, and articles that range from Ma$e to Tipper Gore, this paper will look at the conversation …

Following The Guide: A Wilderness Theology Of Youth Ministry, Rachel M. Weisz

Honors Projects

Scripture offers readers a unique characterization of wilderness spaces and provides us with a great deal of information about what to expect. This discussion traces various scriptural narratives of encounter with God in the wilderness, offering the reader a model for what a wilderness experience of God may entail, and then turns to more current conversation about wilderness youth ministry. The project traces current research of fields that are tangentially related to wilderness youth ministry including wilderness therapy, outdoor adventure education, and camp ministry, and seeks to highlight the ways that they can enhance, alter, and confirm various practices within …

Reclaiming Lilith As A Strong Female Role Model, Kendra Levine

Senior Theses

We live in an increasingly patriarchal society, and in order for women to not only survive in our society, but thrive, they need strong female role models. Now the question is, how do we find strong female role models? The field of Religious Studies can be used to uncover said female role models by way of examining mythology and ancient texts. Perhaps one of the most unexpected role models to come out of this examination is Lilith. She is unexpected because her story is often told in a deeply negative way, and her portrayal in both mythology and rabbinical …

Effects Of Participation In The Summit Learning Platform By Gender On Student Academic Achievement, Taryn Enjoli Echols

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the effects by gender of the Summit Learning Platform on student achievement in mathematics, English, reading, and Science measured by the ACT Aspire Summative Assessment for ninth-grade students in four schools in Arkansas. This study provides an in-depth study of mastery learning versus personalized learning through the Summit Learning Platform. The theoretical framework is centered on the comparisons of the mastery mode of learning. Schools A and D participated in the Summit Learning Platform for 2 years. Schools B and C did not participate in the personalized learning platform. Scores from 120 …

Astral And Angelic Powers In Romans 8:38-39, Frederick Christian Wright

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Divine Suffering And Passibility: Terence Fretheim And Jürgen Moltmann, Alicia Williamson

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Holy Spirit And Biblical Interpretation: Alexander Campbell And Contemporary Hermeneutics, Ladye Rachel Howell

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Consistent Histories Quantum Divine Action: A Constructive Proposal In Conversation With John Polkinghorne, Robert Russell, And Alvin Plantinga, Derek Preslar

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Divine Impassibility: A Definition And Defense, Elisha Randolph

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Lantern And The Sword, Michael Chisholm

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

A creation myth of a new universe where brother deities of light and darkness battle for dominance. Light creates a Lantern to illuminate all reality and Darkness creates a Sword to help control the extent of the light. The god of light then creates a champion to lead his forces against his dark brother and the war intensifies. In his struggle the champion discovered he could control not only light but the darkness as well. He created a dark fire with great power to match the deities. Light and darkness come together and create peace and a balance. The champion …

Piety And Mayhem: How Extremist Groups Misuse Religious Doctrine To Condone Violence And Achieve Political Goals, Noah Garber

Religious Studies Honors Papers

This thesis examines the way in which various groups have used religion as a justification for violent action towards political ends. From the Irgun, which carried out terrorist acts in Palestine, to the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas, which has waged war on Israel, to the Buddhist leadership of Myanmar, which has waged a genocidal campaign against Rohingya Muslims living in the country, these groups have employed a narrow interpretation of their religious texts as a means to justify the actions they take. It is explained that it is not the compulsion of religious doctrine itself that is to blame, rather, …

In Controversy Oft: James David Bales And The Sharp Decline Of The Apocalyptic Worldview At Harding University, Cory Spruiell

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

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

Doctor of Ministry Theses

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 …

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 …

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 …

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

Doctor of Ministry Theses

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 …

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 …

Growing Old And Getting Sick Are Dangerous In Prison: A Moral And Legal Argument For “Justice, Not Vengeance”, Jillian Sauer

Undergraduate Theses

In 2017 the Kentucky DOC reported that Kentucky prisons housed 2,521 persons categorized as “elderly”. Even though individuals in this population are more susceptible to violence and risk developing age-related illnesses the care of these individuals is not a financial priority for those in power. These individuals occupy a unique position as a marginalized group within a marginalized group, and one which is growing rapidly. As a result, it is necessary to develop a response drawing from Catholic social teaching and criminal justice ethics which addresses the unique problems faced by this population. At the core of this response is …

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 …

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

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

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 …