Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Theology Of The Laity: The Lutheran Way, Brian M. Mosemann

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

The distinction between the laity and clergy has been a contributing cause of disunity within the church because the clergy and laity are often pitted against one another with one or the other being elevated to the detriment of the other. This problem has plagued the church from the middle ages until the present day. Since the definition of the term “laity” is vacuous, the laity are generally defined relative to the clergy, specifically in reference to their authority and duties. This results in a negative definition when the laity are defined as the opposite of the clergy. The laity …

From Vice To Virtue: Contours Of Idolatry And New Obedience, Michael Fieberkorn

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Fieberkorn, Michael T. “From Vice to Virtue: Contours of Idolatry and New Obedience.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2021. 290 pp. What are the specific contours of life lived in accordance with God’s will? That is the primary question this dissertation seeks to answer. Discerning the particular shape of Christian sanctification is difficult. Radical Lutheranism attempts to define sanctification simply as “love,” which lacks the specificity necessary to adjudicate between competing and mutually exclusive claims concerning Christian morality. Theologians attempting to address this insufficiency by incorporating virtue ethics within a Lutheran theological construct must clearly articulate the particularly Christian telos.

Reading …

Truth And Reconciliation In Light Of The Cross: Martin Luther’S Theology Of The Cross In Relationship To The Current Ubuntu Theology Of Desmond Tutu, Nokukhanya Pearl Shabalala

Master of Art Theology Thesis

Shabalala, Nokukhanya, P “Truth and Reconciliation in Light of the Cross: Martin Luther’s Theology of the Cross in Relationship to the Current Ubuntu Theology of Desmond Tutu.” Master of Arts Thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2019. 97pp.

The issue of suffering in Africa has resulted in Africans attributing suffering to God’s work, ancestors’ anger and evil spirits or witchcraft’s work. This is a skewed understanding of suffering. And not only that, the suffering that has been perpetrated by the civil war has birthed the phenomenon of child soldiers resulting in Africa casting out its children. In both of these presented issues sub-Saharan …

Expository Preaching At The Dawn Of The Reformation: An Evaluation Of Martin Luther As Preacher In Light Of Modern Expository Theory, Randall Rozelle

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This thesis examines Martin Luther as an expository preacher. Contemporary authors such as Ewald Plass, Peter Brooks, Fred Meuser, Sydney Greidanus, James MacKinnon, John MacArthur, and Hughes Oliphant Old describe Luther as an expository preacher, yet none of them clarifies how or in what way they reach that conclusion. To that end, chapter 1 introduces Luther as a preacher and the need for this study.

Chapter 2 defines modern expository theory and presents a four-fold method for creating faithful, expository sermons.

Chapter 3 tracks Luther’s change in hermeneutic from a medieval, allegorical approach to a Christ-centered, historical-grammatical method. Luther’s postils …

Advancing The Cause Of The Gospel Pastoral Blogging By Luther’S Heirs, Robert Stroud

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Stroud, Robert C. “Advancing the Cause of the Gospel: Pastoral Blogging by Luther’s Heirs.” D.Min. diss., Concordia Seminary—St. Louis, [2016]. [353] pp.

The purpose of this study was to explore whether provision of a digital Handbook for Pastoral Blogging would be of value to pastors who had never before blogged. A draft Handbook was provided to thirteen LCMS clergy from across the United States who were serving in parish ministries. They proceeded to begin blogs and maintain them over a period of three months.

Data was collected from the participants at three points. The first was an online survey prior …

Johann Walter- Pioneer Church Musician, Arthur Eichhorn

Master of Art Theology Thesis

The intent of this paper is to show how the practical aspects of church music in the Reformation Era and in succeeding generations proclaimed the Word of God. During these early years of Lutheran music development, the music demonstrates how it was being shaped and formed by Lutheran thought. The music of Johann Walter is a prime example. As a composer who served the Reformation, he had a profound influence on the generations that followed. To understand the context of his music, we first look at the history of this era as well as the style of music being composed …

Helping Contemporary People Use Historic Liturgy, Richard Wolfram

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

This project proposes that contemporary people need help understanding and utilizing historic liturgy. It shows how historic liturgy is contemporary by nature, and can be used in a modern and relevant way. Educational tools were developed for use in both the worship and classroom settings. Survey results provide information toward tool development and effectiveness. The result of the project and its implementation in a parish setting waste elimination of the request for a "contemporary" worship from those exposed to the project tools.

A Study Group Examines A Paradoxical Vision Of The End Times, Peter Kurowski

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The purpose of this study was to show how the use of paradox is a valid, essential tool for the expression of certain Christian truths in general, and for end-times teachings in particular. In light of the approaching millennium, Biblical end-times paradoxes will help counter prophets who seize this moment to tickle ears and generate fears. A congregational study group served as the means to test these assertions. Questionnaires filled out by this study group served as an evaluative tool. The findings reveal the correlation between the right use of paradox and a Gospel-centered view of the end-times.

Celebrating God's Grace: An Adult Information Course Which Teaches The Doctrine Of The Church As It Is Expressed In The Worship Of The Church, James Heining

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The writer did a thorough study of the ongoing relationship of worship and doctrine as an influence in the formation of Lutheran worship practices.

He developed a class entitled "Celebrating God's Grace," which summarized the basic teachings of the church as they are expressed in the worship of the church. This was part of a revamped adult education program in his congregation.

In addition to the obvious benefits for those attending the class, the writer came to better understand the centrality of grace in the Christian faith and is now better able to plan and lead worship.

The Educational Needs Of The Adult Layperson Concerning The Mission Of God_Research Towards Writing An Introductory Adult Mission Education Course, Stephen Gaulke

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

What are the educational needs of an adult layperson concerning world mission? What ought an introductory adult mission education study course attempt to teach? This thesis endeavors to answer the question in three chapters.

Chapter One articulates a concise theology of mission. Rooted in Scripture, especially the mission commands of the risen Savior, and drawing on the Apostles' Creed, The Book of Concord, and Martin Luther, Chapter One sketches the "who, what, where, when, why, and how" of God's mission.

Chapter Two surveys mission professionals to discover what they believe an introductory adult study course on world mission ought to …

A Study Of German Lutheran Communion Hymnody The Early Years, Paul Becker

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The goal of this thesis is to demonstrate that in the early years of Lutheranism, what the faithful sang and confessed about the Sacrament of the Altar is dangerously close to being forgotten by American Lutherans in the latter half of the twentieth century. What Christians sing about as they are given the body and blood of their risen Lord reveals both their confessional stance and their piety. By digging into the treasure-store of German Lutheran Communion hymnody, the theology of the Sacrament as confessed in the early years of Lutheranism will be brought to light and offered to the …

The Theology And Practice Of Individual Confession And Absolution And Its Application To Pastoral Care From An Early North American Lutheran Perspective, Breno C. Thome

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The two subjects of this study^ namely, pastoral care and Individual confession and absolution, have traditionally been seen as closely connected. Each has also a unique character. In this study both subjects will be focused on from the perspective provided by the historical analysis of their development within the Lutheran context, specifically that of North American Lutheranism in the nineteenth century. Pastoral care has been greatly developed, particularly in the area of pastoral counseling, in the last fifty years. This parallels the increasing development of the behavioral sciences in this century. The causes and consequences of such rapid growth in …

Secularization And Challenges Which Confront Contemporary Brazilian Lutheranism: Some Insights In The Light Of Boaventura Kloppenburg And Some Lutheran Theologians, Gerhard Grasel

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In order to find out some answers to the issues, problems, challenges and questions, the writer of this study chose to study the universal phenomenon of secularization based on many different scholars; the Brazilian culture; Boaventura Kloppenburg's view of secularization, and some responses based on Luther and some Lutheran theologians to the issues which appeared in this study.

New Testament Prayer As Found In The Epistle Of James, Mark Whitsett

Master of Divinity Thesis

Perhaps one may question, "Why another study on prayer?" Indeed volumes have been written on the subject much more eloquent and thorough than this study. But this may only further underscore the importance of the topic. In the New Testament alone there are well over 250 direct or indirect references to prayer. The commands to pray and the promises attached to prayer are many. This writer is convinced that as long as there are Christians in the world they will need to study this thing called prayer. And as long as there are Christians praying, prayer and its applications can …

The Doctrine Of Man In William Golding's Lord Of The Flies, Howard W. Kramer

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Since Lord of the Flies is so frequently found on the required reading list of English literature courses, it is to be expected that the theme of the novel is the subject of frequent discussions in literary circles and perhaps even in gatherings of much less sophisticated readers. One would, then, be inclined to examine seriously the theme of a novel as widely read and discussed as is Lord of the Flies. Since the theme of the novel involves so fundamental a concept as the doctrine of man, one may surmise that the average reader finds an unusual attraction in …

An Examination Of The Motivational And Judgmental Functions Of Conscience, C Rodger Meyer

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The paper deals with the two areas in which disagreements have been noted. It seeks to determine whether conscience:
1. judges the ethical quality of an action prior to the action or decision to act, or whether it judges only after an act has at least been decided upon.
2. has a positive motivational function.

It is to be recognized that the concept of conscience has both a popular usage, and also a rather precise scientific, psychological usage. This paper is an attempt to clarify at least one aspect of the precise meaning and usage of the concept.

Luther's Principles Of Teaching As Reflected In His Preached Sermons 1528-1532, Franklin Ritthamel

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

This thesis will explore the educational development and teaching activities of Martin Luther against the background of the Reformation. It will bring some understanding of the importance of education in the Lutheran Reformation, the scope of Luther’s educational activities, the necessity of education for the success of the Reformation, and the objectives which marked the educational activity in the Reformation. It will show the theological development of Martin Luther and how this brought about educational reforms. This study is especially directed toward relating these items to Luther’s preaching in the period of 1528-1532.

Law-Gospel-Oriented Preaching In Martin Luther's Theology Of Preaching, Chul Hwan Kim

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The Goal of this thesis is to study Luther's theology of preaching. As we have already seen above, the first chapter outlines the world of Luther's preaching. The second chapter explores Luther's preaching, focusing on his specific concern for preaching. In it, we can see that Luther regards preaching as the oral Word of God. Luther believes God is speaking when the preacher preaches. This chapter will show us that Luther's understanding of preaching is concentrated upon the Lord, Christ who is the content of Gospel.

Education In Meaningful Worship For The Confirmation Class, Paul Wagner

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The problem undertaken by the thesis is tied to this need for meaningful worship and the lack of materials. While books and articles have appeared from time to time, they have all been concerned primarily with phases of parish education other than the confirmation class. In Missouri Synod circles there have been only a very few significant works on worship education at any level. The purpose,, therefore, was to survey as many works in this area as time would permit and synthesize the findings into a workable approach toward the teaching of worship and the Liturgy in the confirmation class.

Luther's Principals Of Education, Eldor Richter

Master of Divinity Thesis

The title of the research is ''Luther’s Principles of Education.” The problem was to learn what the basic educational principles of Luther were. Through general reading, the writer had come to look upon Luther as a great educator as well as religious reformer. The purpose of this research, therefore, was to gather enough data on Luther’s educational views as to be able to draw specific conclusions as to his over-all principles. After the data were gathered, the writer arranged these views under headings of major principles in a systematic manner.

Luther's Principals Of Education, Eldor Richter

Bachelor of Divinity

The title of the research is ''Luther’s Principles of Education.” The problem was to learn what the basic educational principles of Luther were. Through general reading, the writer had come to look upon Luther as a great educator as well as religious reformer. The purpose of this research, therefore, was to gather enough data on Luther’s educational views as to be able to draw specific conclusions as to his over-all principles. After the data were gathered, the writer arranged these views under headings of major principles in a systematic manner.

The Practice Of Hymn Singing During The Sixteenth Century, Theodore Paul Klammer

Bachelor of Divinity

If this work of restoring an intelligent appreciation and usage of the Lutheran musical heritage and traditions is to continue and become increasingly effective, it becomes apparent that every minister of' the Church, whether pastor, choirmaster, or organist, must to a greater or lesser degree study and become acquainted with the musical principles and usages of the Church in her golden age, the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. This thesis is an effort in that direction.

The Soteriology Of The Lutheran Chorale Of The Sixteenth And Seventeenth Centuries, Norbert Mueller

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

There may be, and probably are, a variety of reasons why the chorale has not become popular in America. However, one of the more serious which has come to my attention, and I cannot say how wide spread this charge is, is that the chorale doesn’t contain enough Gospel if it contains Gospel at al1. The study which this paper embraces is a result of this charge.

Tapeinophrosyne, Praytes, And Makrothymia In Paul's Theology- With Special Reference To Ephesians 4:1,2, Robert Elosser

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Many have, indeed, described and defined humility, but they have not at all correctly defined the nature and characteristic of humility as it is set forth in Holy Scripture. The aim of this thesis, therefore, has been to set forth the Biblical teaching on humility, as far as possible, in harmony with the clear Word of God. Whatever value this thesis may have, therefore, will depend on the degree to which it has succeeded in realizing this aim.

Johann Von Staupitz : His Life, His Writings, His Influence Upon Luther, Martin W. Heinicke

Bachelor of Divinity

Before despair and doubt could completely wreck his mind and life, a new influence entered into his life - a person who was to bring about the new appreciation of God and His Son, Christ. Pointing him to the wounds of Christ and the love of God, taking his mind from the despairing and damning thoughts of predestination, giving him courage and advice when needed, and stimulating him in his search for truth and assurance, was Johann von Staupitz, the Vicar-General of the Augustinian Eremites of Germany, Luther's friend and spiritual father.

Martin Luther's Hymn Texts, With Special Reference To Their Use In Some Hymnals, Luther Engelbrecht

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

'The purpose of this thesis is to make a general study of the hymn texts of Martin Luther and then, having set the stage, to make ~ a specific study of their use in English-language hymnals today, with a view toward determining the status and possible influence of this small but very important segment of ·the work of the great Reformer. In doing this, I shall attempt to show Luther’s close relationship with and heavy dependence on the past and his great contribution to his own day and.to the future

Characteristics Of The Pre-Reformation Age As They Are Reflected In Some Selected Preaching Of The Age Particulary In Germany, Henry H. Wilhelms

Bachelor of Divinity

The history of preaching, the full record of which remains to be written, will also prove to conform to the above assertion about history in general. Its course corresponds, however, to a masked degree with that of general and ecclesiastical history. The outward events with which church history deals are often reflected in preaching; it bears the impress of the various forms of thought known to us as philosophies; the prevailing heresies affect it, either in the way of a traction or repulsion.

Lutheran Principles In Government, Walter M. Lossner

Bachelor of Divinity

Any theory that overlooks the hand of God in government is untenable. The same is true of any of the acceptable theories, if they are viewed as excluding the consideration of God. A contract between men, for example, can never overlook the aim of God. We must remember, however, that though civil government is ordained by God, it did not come immediately from Him, but came, in one manner or another, through the people.

The Background And Objectives Of Luther's Formula Missae And Deutsche Messe, Thomas Reuther

Bachelor of Divinity

There have been many movements and trends within the Lutheran Church since the time of the Reformation, and these have inevitably effected aspects of Church life and practice to some degree, depending on the type of the movement. In the twentieth century, with its great and influential world events, there has arisen a new Lutheran consciousness which reveals itself in many ways in various countries. This consciousness, in some countries, shows itself in a new liturgical interest, an interest which, while attempting to be specifically and definitely Lutheran; is attempting to be creative and to add to the cultus of …

Developments Of The Youth Programs Of The Lutheran Churches In America, Clarence Peters

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

We are going to describe the youth programs of the Lutheran churches in America in this thesis. These churches are seeking to achieve a purpose for their young people. That purpose is to salvage and to protect· their young people against the inroads of the destructive forces ot our age and to enlarge their usefulness in the service of Christ, the Church and their fellowmen.