Arts and Humanities Commons^™

How The Canaanite Conquest Is An Important Case Study In Understanding The Goodness Of God, Sarah D. Stewart

Liberty Theological Review

This paper attempts to provide a case study to respond to the problem of evil. The paper employs the example of the Canaanite conquest and argues that, contrary to popular attacks against the character of God, this event in scripture actually demonstrates His goodness. It is an example of a time when God delayed His response to the evil perpetrated by the Canaanites as well as His liberation of the Israelites from Egypt because doing so resulted in a greater moral good than would an earlier intervention. In so doing, it examines an issue frequently cited as problematic for Christians …

In The Wake Of Euthyphro's False Dilemma, Gregory S. Mckenzie

Liberty Theological Review

All moral apologists, at one time or another, engage with the Euthyphro dilemma and all theologians engage, at one point or another, the issue of continuity or discontinuity of the Mosaic Covenant and Torah in general. The general view among apologists is that correct theology can be determined by its logical consistency and explanatory power considering philosophical, existential, and scientific principles. This study examines how answering the Euthyphro dilemma as a false dilemma, which is a common position among apologists actually produces theological contradictions primarily in the realm of theology proper and specifically immutability, issues in hamartiology and an improper …

Divine Hiddenness And Middle Knowledge: A Molinist Answer To How An Anselmian God Can Coexist With Reasonable Nonbelief, Brian Gray Chilton

Liberty Theological Review

Within the spectrum of doubt, divine hiddenness becomes a problem regarding the love of God. Why would a loving God allow individuals whom he loves, if he loves everyone, to maintain ? According to philosopher John Schellenberg, the existence of rational nonbelief poses a problem for divine hiddenness which provides a reason to believe that God does not exist.

We argue that the problem of rational nonbelief does not pose a problem for divine hiddenness if one adopts the doctrine of middle knowledge, a belief first proposed by Spanish Jesuit Luis de Molina. We first offers a defense for the …

Ranking Objections To Christian Theism: A Survey Of Subjective Declarations And Their Correlations With Expert Opinions, Ronnie P. Campbell, Kelly Budd, Hope N. Lassiter, Hunter W. Brown, Madison S. Schmidt, Kristen G. Brown

Liberty Theological Review

There have been numerous books written on the top objections to Christianity—sometimes stated as “common,” “major,” “frequent,” “every day,” “cultural,” “tough,” “difficult” objections. However, there is a dearth of behavioral studies in the literature that show how and given population ranks objections to Christianity. As such, the apologist has had to rely on expert opinions from the books that have been authored. These expert opinions are based on familiarity with the literature in the field and contact with laity from university, church, and other speaking engagements. The purpose of this study is to document trends in how people report the …

Barriers To Belief: Why Do The Resistant Resist God?

Liberty Theological Review

Barriers to belief in God and Christianity in an increasingly antagonistic culture are considerable. Reasons for resisting belief were studied in an intellectually-driven population of educated atheists in Western culture (N = 50) through survey and interview analysis. This mixed-method research study evaluated a broad range of functional (socio-cultural, psycho-emotional, existential, experiential, moral, volitional) and substantive (intellectual and spiritual) variables influencing disbelief. Based upon extensive data collection, these findings advance the case for viewing obstacles to belief as diverse, interactive, and complex in nature. These barriers should not be easily reduced to broad brushed presumptions, but should be engaged thoughtfully, …

Blue Christmas, Kara Jasper

Student Work

"Our Savior dwelt among the broken, the directionless, and the melancholy."

Posting about Christmas hope from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/blue-christmas/

《全人領袖》季刊 第一期, Jenny Fang

Whole Leader

The Introduction of Oral Roberts University in the Chinese Language. This is the first publication published by Global Chinese Relations/ORU Press, Oral Roberts University. It introduced the university Leadership team, Chinese Pastor' messages, student transformational testimonies, parents' gratitude letters to the university, and other global collaborations aligning with ORU's vision and mission.

Visual Displays In Space Station Culture: An Archaeological Analysis, Justin St. P. Walsh, Alice C. Gorman, Wendy Salmond

Art Faculty Articles and Research

We offer an archaeological analysis of the visual display of “space heroes” and Orthodox icons in the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station (ISS). This study is the first systematic investigation of material culture at a site in space. The ISS has now been continuously inhabited for 20 years. Here, focusing on the period 2000–2014, we use historic imagery from NASA archives to track the changing presence of 78 different items in a single zone. We also explore how ideas about which items are appropriate for display and where to display them originated in earlier Soviet and Russian …

Heavenly Clothing Liturgically Worn: The Clothing Metaphor In The Book Of Revelation As Exegetically Performed In The Byzantine Liturgical Rite, Elias Issa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Problem

The subject of these hermeneutical and performative approaches to the biblical texts and the liturgical dimensions and metaphors in the Book of Revelation are of particular interest to this dissertation, whose ultimate goal is to ask how the Byzantine rites, as practiced in the Orthodox Church, actualize the liturgical dimensions of the Book of the Revelation. The question will focus on a case study of the clothing metaphor as used in Revelation and related apocalyptic texts.

Method

The question of this dissertation is framed within this context of the liturgical performative exegesis. The question will be approached in its …

A Bible Study Series: The Family-Centered, Church-Supported Paradigm Shift For Raising Children In The Faith At Salem Lutheran Church, Michael J. Nielsen

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Nielsen, Michael J. “A Bible Study Series: The Family-Centered, Church-Supported Paradigm Shift for Raising Children in The Faith at Salem Lutheran Church.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2021. 160 pp.

In many Christian churches there is the question: “How do we keep our children after confirmation?” The answer is a simple one: Parents. This MAP examines the relationship of the family and the church when it comes to raising children in the faith. Biblically parents are called to be the primary faith formers in the lives of their children. A multi-part Bible study was created to teach …

Full Issue Salubritas 1 (2021), Editors Salubritas

Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling

Inaugural issue of Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-empowered Counseling

C. S. Lewis And His Later Respondents: Letting In Fresh Air, Preventing Questions, And Reimagining A Preface To Paradise Lost, David V. Urban

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

This essay chronicles significant responses to C. S. Lewis’s A Preface to Paradise Lost (1942) that occurred from the 1960s into the twenty-first century. Important responses include those of William Empson, Stanley Fish, Stuart Curran, John Rumrich, Peter C. Herman, Michael Bryson, and Joseph Wittreich. All of these scholars challenged Lewis on various points—most commonly concerning matters of Lewis’s analysis of Milton’s Satan, his alleged oversimplification of Milton’s theologically complex epic, the supposed similarities between A Preface and Fish’s Surprised by Sin, and his assumed hegemonic prevention of new avenues of critical inquiry into Milton’s epic. This essay contends …

More Than Lip Service: Coaching As A Christian, Craig Heynen

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"When we help our athletes learn integrity, self-discipline, dependability, humility, and service, we help them develop character."

Posting about growing athletes from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/more-than-lip-service-coaching-as-a-christian/

Fratelli Tutti: Pope Francis And The Catholic Response To Human Rights, Tiffany Hunsinger

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

On October 4, 2020, Pope Francis issued a letter to the world entitled Fratelli Tutti, On Fraternity and Social Friendship.

The document served as a culmination of the Church’s response to the global pandemic, as well as the more considerable perils of throwaway culture. This presentation will explore the specific response of the Catholic Church as it attempts to counter destructive boundaries and structure of its institution.

Pope Francis continues a tradition in pastoral response to the “signs of the times.” However, can the Church respond effectively in this current world?

Or do the needed changes surpass the capability …

Gregory Of Nazianzus And Scripture Engagement, Sam Wolowski, Hank Voss

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Fifty Influential English Spiritual Classics, Jayden Wilhelm, Hank Voss

Presentations

No abstract provided.

The Catechism As Counter-Culture: A Review Of You Are Not Your Own, Donald Roth

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Because it is Christ who we belong to, we can rest in His provision for us."

Posting about the book You Are Not Your Own from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/the-catechism-as-counter-culture-a-review-of-you-are-not-your-own/

Faith In A Faithful God: A Biblical Theological Analysis Of Ezekiel 34:11-24, Jenna King

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Ezekiel 34:11-24 falls in the midst of passages concerning judgment and a future hope for Israel. This paper examines the themes of relationship and faithfulness as they are presented through the motif of God as the shepherd of his people. Furthermore, it examines the significance of the passage within the context of the broader Biblical canon, concluding with a brief examination of both historical and contemporary applications.

Gospel Impact And Stewardship Tool (Gist): Visual Mapping To Discover Gospel Imperatives For Strategic Ministry Decisions, Martin Edward Lee

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Lee, Martin Edward “Gospel Impact and Stewardship Tool: Visual Mapping to Discover Gospel Imperatives for Strategic Ministry Decisions.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2021. 260 pp.

This research project and the resulting Gospel Impact and Stewardship Tool (“GIST”) addresses congregational stewardship deficits from a systems perspective, with a shared-stewardship imperative for all leaders and members of a congregation, instead of focusing stewardship on the individual. The GIST Ministry Map provides a visual picture of how individual ministries are interconnected. This project illustrates how a learning environment, and the GIST visual ministry mapping process, help improve strategic decision-making …

Equipping Lay Elders With The Spiritual Care Skills Of Active Listening, Sharing Scripture, Offering Prayer, And Providing Follow Up At St. Paul Lutheran Church In Wood River, Il, David Martin Arthur Schultz

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Schultz, David, MA. “Equipping lay elders with the spiritual care skills of active listening, sharing scripture, offering prayer, and providing follow up at St. Paul Lutheran Church Wood River, IL.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2022. 122 pp.

Spiritual care is vitally important for all people. Unfortunately, too often those who are commissioned to provide spiritual care lack the necessary skills to help others. This MAP explores how a lay elder seminar might equip the lay elders of a congregation with the spiritual care skills of active listening, sharing scripture, offering prayer, and providing follow up. This …

Review Of Idiocracy, Joshua Matthews

Pro Rege

Reviewed Title: Idiocracy (Beverly Hills, California : 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, [2011]).

Theological Practices For Sustaining Community Renewal At Speedway Church Of Christ, Kent A. Ellett

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project assembled a group of potential small-group facilitators for the purpose of drafting a small-group discussion guide to be used at the Speedway (Indiana) Church of Christ. The guide was intended to aid the discernment of missional practices which sustain the renewal of the wider community. Focusing on the Gospel of John, the intervention attempted to recover a temple Christology, construing the incarnation, ministry, death, and the lifting up of Jesus within the larger story of the temple’s ongoing re-creation of the world. In bestowing his glory upon the church, Jesus sends the church into all the world, as …

Moral Injury In Sexual Brokenness: Using Military Models Of Mi To Address Civilian Issues, Vanessa M. Close

Theology Undergraduate Work

Moral injury (MI) has long been an emotional and psychological wound carried by military servicemembers in response to their experiences during war or active duty. Since the conception of moral injury in the late 20th century, dedication toward researching the topic has increased to provide better psychological treatment to veterans and active-duty military. As a result of an increased understanding of MI, researchers have begun to explore the application of MI models to civilian experiences and traumas. This paper seeks to join the conversation through exploring the occurrence of moral injury throughout a unique state of sexual distress labeled by …

The Work Of The Nazi Special Services Among The Protestants Of The Reichkomissariat Ukraine (According To The Top-Secret Materials Of The Nkvd-Nkgb), Oleksandr Korotaiev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Studying the work of Nazi special services among the Protestant denominations of the Reichskommissariat Ukraine during World War II is an under-explored aspect of modern historical science. The article attempts to fill this gap by covering the work of the Nazi secret services, Gestapo1 and Sicherheitsdienst (SD),2 among Evangelical Christians (EC), Baptists (B), and Christians of the Evangelical Faith (Pentecostals, CEF) of the RKU. The basis of this study is the recently declassified documents and archival materials of the KGB of the USSR. The article first provides a brief analysis of the activities of the Soviet intelligence services (NKVD3) …

Book Review: Looking East In Winter: Contemporary Thought And The Eastern Christian Tradition, James R. Payton

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A review of Rowan Williams, Looking East in Winter: Contemporary Thought and the Eastern Christian Tradition. London: Bloomsbury Continuum, 2021. $30.00 (hardcover). ISBN: 978-1-4729- 8924-6.

Book Review: Die Mehrdeutigkeit Geteilter Religiöse Orte: Eine Ethnografische Fallstudie Zum Kloster Sveti Naum In Ohrid (Mazedonien), Dejan Aždajić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A review of Evelyn Reuter, DieMehrdeutigkeit Geteilter Religiöse Orte: Eine Ethnografische Fallstudie zum Kloster Sveti Naum in Ohrid (Mazedonien). Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag, 2021, 410 pp. €45,00, ISBN 978-3-8376-5519-3.

Reformed Worship (Rw) 142 - Lent / Easter (December 2021), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Good News! by Andrew de Gelder....3

Q&A: The Lenten Practice of Entrusting by John D. Witvliet....15

Formed Together When We're Not Together by Phil Reinders....35

Articles

Editorial: Do I Have to Apologize? by Joyce Borger....2

For Pastors: "Let Us Repent" by Scott Hoezee....17

Baptism, Communion, and the Act of Offering by Lester Ruth....19

Fasting by Deborah Ann Wong....31

Resources

A Holy Meal by Andrew Aukema....21

Becoming the Way by Lee Fennema....39

Not Seeing is Believing by Diane Reed....47

Revise, Reopen by Dean Heetderks....50

The Jesus Bible, Genesis, Niv (Book Review), Gary Fitsimmons

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Barker, Strauss, And Browns' "Niv Study Bible: New International Version. Fully Revised Edition (Book Review), Noelle C. Keller

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Women In Kingly Genealogies: The Queens, Widows, And Prostitutes That Changed The Story, Lydia Dowdell

Senior Honors Theses

While there are creative pieces theorizing about Tamar and her inclusion in both David and Jesus’ genealogies, there is a lack of research comparing King David’s genealogy in I Chronicles 2 with the kingly genealogies of the same time. Comparing the two shows that genealogies in the surrounding nations—Assyria, Babylonia, etc.—are lacking women. In contrast, the Old Testament is filled with kingly genealogical records that list and name women.

This thesis will touch on the differences and similarities between the kingly records/genealogies, theorize and explore the levirate marriage custom and matrilinear descent, and attempt to provide a better understanding of …