Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Project Portfolio: Questions Leaders Ask As Modeled By Jesus, Kristy Newport

Doctor of Leadership

For people to be seen, heard, and understood, it is important for a leader to ask good questions. If this does not take place in a small group or within an organization, people do not feel appreciated. Often the result is people leaving a small group or organization. In order to address this need I have wanted to educate organizational leaders in the skill of asking good questions. As a marriage and family therapist I have experienced the power that questions bring. It is my hope to empower organizational leaders with tools for them to connect with those they lead. …

The Bourgeoisie Black Church: An Analysis Of The American Black Church's Aspirations And Imagination, Alexander Robert Booker

Seattle Pacific Seminary Theses

I am a product of the Black church. It is my home, my heart, and it has helped me spiritually, financially, and emotionally in many ways throughout my life. However, the church that I love dearly and has provided me with many opportunities has also provided spaces of harm, exclusion, and the promotion of an imperialistic Christ. This tension is not a unique tension for many institutions born in America, but what I see so clearly is the tension between the Black church’s countercultural and resistant roots that started in the brush harbors of the antebellum south and into what …

Holy Body/Monstrous Body: The Life And Practices Of Saint Catherine Of Siena., Melissa B. Miller

Dance (MFA) Theses

This research examines the violent misogyny and contempt for the female body in, but not limited to, Western Christian environments using as a lens the life and practices of Catherine Benincasa, a mystic and tertiary Dominican sainted in 1461 as Saint Catherine of Siena. Further, the research looks at the use of the abject and grotesque in performance, as well as transformative storytelling, as a means of making lived experience visible, and is explored as a liberatory response to such systems of domination and violence. Though this research is framed in a religious context, contempt towards female-presenting bodies is not …

To Whom Is The Chaplain Beholden? Guest Editor Introduction To Special Issue, Jordan Mason

Funded Scholarship

In this issue of Christian Bioethics, we invite chaplains and theologians to examine the role of the hospital chaplain in the contemporary institutional setting of the hospital. The simplicity of the chaplain’s role is often taken for granted; yet, this role is actually multivalent, with duties and loyalties pulling from many different sides. Chaplains are people of faith, ordained and/or endorsed ministers, and pastoral care professionals; they are at once beholden to God, to their own faith expression, and to their sense of vocation, to the hospital, and to the patient. With various loyalties and responsibilities in mind, we must …

Demonstration Of Nonviolence In Modern Day: Through The Lens Of Christianity, Jainism, Hinduism, And Buddhism, Lauren Mertz

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Throughout history, many groups of people have experimented with nonviolent demonstrations and concepts. Religions, countries, and a variety of movements have put the demonstration of nonviolence at the forefront of their reasoning and defenses. When people hear the word nonviolence, there is usually a person or idea that comes to mind. People in the United States often think of figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and his Civil Rights Movement demonstrations. This paper will provide a detailed literary and research analysis of the concept of nonviolence, demonstrating that it is more than just a Christian concept. I will look at …

Come Let Us Reason Together: Promoting Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Clergy And Mental Health Professionals Regarding Demonic Oppression And Mental Illness, Juanda Green

Doctor of Ministry

Within the church, congregants who claim to be oppressed by demonic spirits seek prayer to be set free from their influence. In ministries where this type of prayer is available, ministers report that while the prayers provide relief, relief is often temporary. Consequently, these members continue to seek prayer for deliverance. In these situations, do clergy who provide this spiritual intervention realize that the congregate may have an underlying mental health issue?

Research shows the opinions of pastors regarding the etiology of mental illness; on one end demonic spirits are viewed as the culprit for mental disturbance, while the other …

Incarnational Discipleship: Inquiry Into The Need For For Cross-Shaped Discipleship And Cruciform Spiritual Formation In Charismatic Churches In A Post-Christendom Culture, Wayland Henderson

Doctor of Ministry

A synopsis of the Project Portfolio begins with the NPO statement: This Doctoral Project includes a discipleship model to help the Gathering Kingdom Community be spiritually formed through Pentecostal and Orthodox traditions and shows the relationship between prophetic function and discipleship for members to flourish personally and function as witnesses of the Crucified Christ in a post-Christian culture. Key insights that emerged from the research are that the current discipleship models in many Pentecostal and Charismatic churches are disconnected from how the Early Church viewed discipleship and what it means to be a witness to the culture. My ministry context …

Herding Cats And Other Ironies:A Practical Theology Of Ecclesial Administration, Richard C. Wood Jr.

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement

Pastors of congregational or similarly structured churches are not prepared for theological, philosophical, and Spirit-led oversight of the administrative or business aspects of leading a church.

Key Insight

The key insight is while there are several places pastors can get “how to” information on church administration, there few people talking about church administration as a spiritual or theological topic that is just as important as leadership and biblical studies. The “why” has to be addressed before the “how” in order to break the cycle of having pastors unprepared to oversee the administrative aspects of a local church.

Vocational …

Commonplace: Gathering Families Of Faith Around The Table In The Manner Of The Earliest Christian Communities For The Future Of The Church, Daniel Hues

Doctor of Ministry

It has become evident that American Christianity is declining at a staggering rate throughout the nation. In my own denomination, the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, membership dwindled by 5% even before COVID impacted our churches even more significantly. Over the last decade the amount of non-religiously affiliated persons has increased exponentially as many people of faith are leaving behind their religion altogether. Research suggests that there are various reasons for this decline. This project aims to answer the problem of individuals leaving their churches and their beliefs behind by creating innovative spiritual communities designed to form, integrate, and re-engage …

Dare To Serve: The Importance Of Servant Leadership To Christian African American Women Ceos Within The Nonprofit Industry, Sheila Tolbert

Doctor of Ministry

African American Christian women CEOs of smaller nonprofit organizations face multiple challenges in developing the necessary leadership skills to ensure their organization’s success including a deficiency in formal leadership training, difficulties in balancing Christian beliefs with leadership responsibilities, and limitations in interacting with boards of directors. The lack of appropriate leadership skills hinders their ability to effectively lead their nonprofit organizations, improve their organization’s performance, and limits career advancement.

The current options for leadership training do not adequately address the challenges and opportunities faced by these leaders. The lack in leadership development results in a deficiency of African American women …

Trauma Informed Theology: A Framework For Developing A Culturally Competent African American Intimate Partner Violence Curriculum For The Pentecostal Clergy, Bridget P. Robinson

Doctor of Ministry

The objective of this dissertation study is to increase the awareness of intimate partner violence (IPV) among Pentecostal clergy. African American women experience higher rates of intimate partner violence in the United States. There are unique risk factors for IPV in the African American community, considering the social and cultural context of the African American experience during colonization and post-colonization. Throughout these experiences, the Black church has consistently served as a steadfast source of hope for the community. However, considering the concerning prevalence of IPV among the African American community, church leaders may not be aware of the profound effects …

Regarding The Centrality Of The Covenant Motif In Heinrich Bullinger’S Theological Thought, Isaias D'Oleo Ochoa

CTS Student Publications and Creative Works

This article offers some statistics from Heinrich Bullinger’s The Decades with a brief analysis as evidence that Bullinger must be understood as the forerunner, not the father, of federal theology, since his discussion of the covenant doctrine is limited, inconsistent, exploratory, and slightly integrated with the rest of his theological thought.

The Estonian And Latvian Orthodox Churches Of The Moscow Patriarchate Before And After The Russian War In Ukraine, Priit Rohtmets, Valdis Teraudkalns

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

From the beginning of the Russian war in Ukraine the Baltic Orthodox churches subordinated to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) have gone through considerable changes in their canonical status, but have also stood out with controversial public statements about the war.

In this article we analyse how the Orthodox churches of the Moscow Patriarchate have reacted to the Russian war in Ukraine and what have been the major canonical changes in Latvia and Lithuania. Additionally, we describe the most important narratives, which the churches have used when speaking about the ongoing war and pay attention to the reaction, which these …

Introduction, Dace Balode

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Articles in this special issue of the journal are based on the research project "Living and Believing Gender in a Neo-Conservative Future: The Case of Women's (Non) Ordination in the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church" which was funded by the Latvian Council of Science. They provide in-depth perspectives on how gender equality and the resistance to it are navigated within the religious practices and discourses in Latvia.

Digital Devotion: Marian Shrines Online, Kayla Harris

Books and Book Chapters by University of Dayton Faculty

Using the online components of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, including the website and social media channels, this chapter explores how Marian shrines are occupying digital and e-spaces. This chapter describes these spaces, analyzes the relationship between digital and in-person shrines, and considers how virtual shrines have blurred the line between devotional practice and entertainment. E-shrines raise important questions about the overlap between digital and physical spaces within Catholic practice. Attuned to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this chapter argues that digital devotion has become an increasingly important practice that has pushed Marian shrines …

Papers Of Mardelle Stanger Arc2024-011 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Project Portfolio: Spiritual Sexuality A Guidebook For Parents, Kelly Edmiston

Doctor of Ministry

In this project portfolio, I will address the following NPO: Christian parents of school-aged children don’t know what to teach their children about sex.

As the Lead Pastor of the Vineyard Church of Sugar Land/Stafford, I found that Christians lack integration between sexuality and spirituality. Kids and teens learn about sex from the media, and they learn about spirituality from parents and church. This led me to focus my project on an integration between the two. Spiritual sexuality is a guidebook for parents of school-aged children. In my research, I found that parents feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to lead their …

No Leaders But The Laity: Equipping, Educating, And Training Laypeople To Lead The Local Church, Christian Bass

Doctor of Ministry

The unfortunate story for many modern independent local churches is decline, disconnect, and irrelevance. This was only exacerbated by the 2020 global pandemic. Despite well- intentioned staff and many “church growth” tools, the independent local church saw many pastors and members leave and institutions close. The good news, however, is the church was never intended to be a cookie-cutter home, a franchise, or a satellite location. It was designed to be a contextualized incarnation of the unique Gospel expression of a local community by and for the people. More than ever, the church needs its laypeople to see themselves as …

Project Portfolio: Stronger Together Virtual Clergy Groups In Small Congregations, John Fillmore

Doctor of Ministry

Ministers in small congregations suffer from isolation and a lack of personal and professional relationships that can encourage and equip them for more effective ministry. Ministry in smaller congregations combines the common continuous responsibilities of pastoral ministry in a context in which pastors are often overburdened with competing expectations and demands. Often serving as a solo minister, clergy are isolated in dispersed congregational settings and struggle to find time to participate in supportive relationships with other pastors. Utilizing discovery workshops and numerous qualitative interviews, this project found a nearly universal desire for meaningful relationships between pastors, as well as consistent …

Stop Feeding The Homeless: A Theological And Theoretical Examination Of Reconsidering Homeless Aid Through Informed Collaboration With Faith-Based Organizations, Marci Lynn Jackson

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation examines the issue of homelessness in Dallas, Texas. It argues that simply providing meals to homeless individuals is not enough to address the complex factors that contribute to homelessness. Instead, long-term and sustained solutions are needed, which require the collaborative efforts and substantial involvement of the Church.

This research uses qualitative methods, such as field observations, interviews, surveys, attending webinars, and conferences to examine the homeless ecosystem in Dallas, Texas. It highlights the importance of collaboration and faith-based organizations to address homelessness, emphasizing systemic issues and potential improvements.

This research explores the Church's involvement in addressing homelessness, examining …

Project Portfolio: Connecting Women With God Through Reflective Spiritual Practices, Victoria Niebrugge

Doctor of Ministry

Although there are various learning offerings within the context of the church, women can experience a disconnect between the head and the heart, between knowing about God and knowing God. The women involved in this study hunger for greater intimacy with God. They attend weekend worship services and weekly church Bible studies. Yet, they say they know there is more of God, desire to know Him more profoundly, and are searching for a deeper relationship with Him.

The roots of the practices used for spiritual formation today are found in the ancient rhythms of the desert mothers and fathers of …

A Theological Exposé: A Microcosmic Review Of The Relationship Between The Black Male And The Black Church In The City Of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Danielle L. Paul

Doctor of Ministry

Christianity has a prolific history, including a powerful African presence whereby many of the core tenets of faith originate. Unfortunately, biblical history and the Bible's many references to Black people are often referenced only during Black History Month or specific cultural events. As a result, many Black Christians cannot defend why Christianity is a Black man's religion. The inability to defend, coupled with the notion it has nothing to offer Black men, has created a breach in the Black man and Black church’s relationship. The Black male presence is absent in Sunday meetings, ministries serving the community, and, ultimately, the …

Lifeskills And Generation Z: Equipping For Holistic Development, Societal Engagement, And Post-Pandemic Resilience, Annette Taylor

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation conducts a thorough examination into the integration of life skills with a faith-based approach. Rooted in theological foundations and biblical exemplars, this study explores how these qualities can serve as a catalyst for transformative change amongst Generation Z.

By examining theological principles and drawing inspiration from biblical narratives, this study seeks to demonstrate their practical relevance in addressing the complex socio-cultural and spiritual challenges faced by Generation Z. Moreover, Parachurch ministries play a significant role in fostering these skills, equipping Generation Z to become agents of positive change and social healing, fostering their holistic development, and empowering them …

Befriending Doubt: Finding Freedom And Belonging In The Face Of Uncertainty, Jana Koh

Doctor of Ministry

The NPO for this project is as follows: American Millennials (adults aged 25-45) experience a lack of safety and welcome in their communities of faith during a season of spiritual doubt, causing them to disengage from their communities of faith and falling into risk of negative outcomes.

Throughout history, from Galileo to the American Colonies to present day, the church has not handled those who experience doubt in their faith with care, leaving the doubter feeling unsafe or unwelcome in their community of faith. However, a close reading of Scripture reveals that God is not intimidated or deterred by doubt; …

Intergenerational Christian Community: A Vision For Spiritual Formation For All Ages, Robin Pyles

Doctor of Ministry

For decades, American churches have been struggling with shrinking attendance, particularly among young people. An increasingly polarized society that elevates individualism and secularization, along with widespread escalating age segregation, has contributed to this trend. In response to these societal norms, many local churches have defaulted to a primarily age-segregated programming model. This model results in the absence of a sense of community and belonging, and a lack of Christian spiritual formation growth among both youth and adults within the church. This research revealed that creating regular opportunities for meaningful cross-generational interactions that combine shared experiences of play, creative expression, intentional …

Examining The Synergy Between The Marketplace And The Church In Ghana: Strategies For Enhancing Socio-Economic Development, Grace Opuni-Darko

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation explores the complex relationship between the marketplace and Church in Ghana, seeking to identify collaborative strategies that lead to sustainable socio-economic development. The study aims to unravel the complexities of this relationship and identify effective strategies that can foster sustainable growth and development within the Ghanaian context. At the core of this research is an in-depth historical analysis, tracing the evolution of the Churches' role in the Ghanaian economy from colonial times to the present day. This historical perspective provides a critical backdrop for understanding current dynamics and trends. The study employs a multifaceted approach, incorporating both qualitative …

The Light Shines In The Darkness : Advent Meditations- By Members Of The Faculty, Alumni, Staff And Board Of Trustees Of Asbury Theological Seminary, Tammy L. Cessna

Books

No abstract provided.

Holiness School At Camp Sychar, Camp Sychar

Photographic Material

No abstract provided.

Thin Places: A Six Week Prayer Guide For Experiencing God In Your Everyday, Keith Riley

Doctor of Ministry

My NPO statement is that at Menlo Church, Menlo Park Campus there is a lack of applied knowledge for adults in how to listen to God. My ministry context is at Menlo Church which is a historic presbyterian church set in the highly educated and affluent town of Menlo Park, which is in the San Francisco Bay Area. I began working at Menlo Church in 2019 and found there was a general intellectual knowledge of prayer and spiritual formation. This intellectual knowledge of spiritual formation has been influenced by leadership of John Ortberg as senior pastor, and other voices such …

Applying The Normative Design Approach To Civil Engineering, Justin R. Vander Werff

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

In 1986, the book Responsible Technology [1] was published as an important compilation from a number of thoughtful Christians engaged in technology and engineering in that era. In many ways, this book and those involved with it laid the foundation for what has become the Christian Engineering Society. A particularly valuable aspect of this work was that it laid out a biblically normative framework for doing engineering based on Herman Dooyeweerd’s modal aspects [2], fleshing out how the higher aspects such as faith, ethics, and justice should play an integral role in engineering development, even though we often have a …