Arts and Humanities Commons^™

On Dionysian Theological Methodology, Joseph Arrendale

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite was an anonymous theologian who likely lived in Syria around the sixth century CE. He is primarily known for his advancements in the field of apophatic, or negative, theology. However, far from being against positive statements about God, Dionysius viewed them as necessary springboards for the worship of a God that is beyond word or concept. The structure of the Dionysian method for doing theology allows for the avoidance of idolatry as well as for sidestepping the charge of onto-theology in Christian God-talk. Thomas Aquinas and Hans Urs von Balthasar are theologians that each appropriated the Dionysian …

An Examination Of The Teaching Of Missional Concepts Of Christian Discipleship And Their Potential For Creating An Attitudinal Change At Berea Lutheran Church, Richfield, Minnesota, Kevin Tiaden

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Tiaden, Kevin N. “An Examination of the Teachings of Missional Concepts of Christian Discipleship and their Potential for Creating Attitudinal Change at Berea Lutheran Church, Richfield, Minnesota.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2017. 132 pp.

The purpose of this study is to examine the teaching of missional principles of discipleship at Berea Lutheran Church. I examine the attitudinal changes that take place as a result of this class. The first step in this process is looking at what those missional and Biblical principles are and then creating a method of teaching them in a large group setting …

The Shunned Speak Out: Former Members On Life In The Jehovah's Witnesses And After, Nour Saudi, Joy Notoma

Capstones

"The Shunned Speak Out" is an interactive feature that explores the practice of religious shunning among Jehovah's Witnesses. When Jehovah's Witnesses opt to leave the group or are punished for an indiscretion, they are shunned and have to completely start their lives over without their families and the only community they have known. This piece profiles 13 former Jehovah's Witnesses, including their journeys and the emotional repercussions of shunning. Their personal stories are weaved in with expert voices and research on the organization.

https://jwshunning.github.io/jw/

“I Am The Handmaid Of The Lord”: The Spiritual Development Of Mary Ward Amidst English Catholic Clerical Crisis, 1585 – 1630, Alyson Borowczyk

History Theses

In late Tudor and Stuart England, exercising one’s Catholic beliefs could potentially lead to a martyr’s reward. Since the practice of Catholicism was clandestine, homes became parishes within themselves, with the woman of the house serving as pastoral administrator. She was charged with taking care of the priests she was illegally harboring, and she was also responsible for educating the young in the ways of the Faith to ensure it did not die with her generation. These were indeed subversive acts, because she defied the State and its laws. Mary Ward, foundress of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, …

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 …

My Brother’S Keeper How American Lutherans Fought To Preserve The Evangelical Lutheran Church Of Russia In The Ussr, 1921–1939, Matthew Heise

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail

The years between 1939 and the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 were bleak for Christians. Surrounded by the daily drumbeat of atheist propaganda, many kept their faith underground, not just figuratively but literally by hiding Bibles under the floorboards. World War II enacted a severe toll upon the nation as well as Christians, whether underground or open about their faith. Friedrich Wacker had survived the Great Terror and the closing of the churches, but when Nazi Germany invaded the USSR on June 22, 1941, he knew his family would suffer as …

Faith Comes By Hearing: The Interrelationship Of Theology, Faith, And Practice, Nathan Olson

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Olson, Nathan, J. “Faith Comes By Hearing: The Interrelationship Between Faith, Theology, and Practice.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2017. 202 pp.

This work provides a constructive systematic framework which sets forth a conception of faith as Trust in a Promise, utilizing an understanding of justification as God’s declaration of man being made right with Himself, a theology of the Word as an effectual promise and effectual act, and a pneumatology which acknowledges the Spirit’s role to elicit faith by killing and making alive in those who hear the gospel. Through a critical assessment of selected church practices and of the …

The Declining Presbyterian Church, Joshua A. Edwards

Religious Studies

In this thesis I will discuss how the Presbyterian Church has been declining in membership and in the number of people attending weekly services. Within this study, I use my own church, Niagara Presbyterian Church in Niagara Falls, NY as a case study to further prove what is happening within the Presbyterian Church. Though the trend of declining church attendance can be seen across most denominations, I will show how the Presbyterian Church specifically is struggling and show why it is unique in its situation along with other characteristics of the decline that have happened across the denominations. I close …

Re-Interpreting The "Will Of God" In The Discernment Of Spirits According To Ignatian Tradition For Young Women In Vietnam, Tran Thi Linh Chi

Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations

Young Vietnamese women seeking to discern a religious vocation often confuse their own unconscious motivations and desires with what they perceive as the “will of God” for their lives. This study argues that a clearer understanding of the “will of God” will lead young women to a more mature decision-making process when discerning a vocation to religious life. The thesis investigates how the “will of God” has been interpreted and understood in the Christian tradition and uses these insights to develop a systematic structure aiming to assist young Vietnamese women in their life discernment.

It first examines how the will …

Conceptualization And Measurement Of Spirituality: Towards The Development Of A Nontheistic Spirituality Measure For Use In Health-Related Fields, Valerie M. Hoots

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Relationships between spirituality and health outcomes are well supported in research; however, measurement of spirituality often reflects a Judeo-Christian framework and is predominantly theocentric, neglecting the increasing religious pluralism and non-traditional expressions of spirituality in the United States. A new measure of spirituality was based on a conceptualization of nontheistic spirituality that is understood to be a relatively stable motivational process entailing a search for sacred connection, with “sacred” being defined by individual perceptions and not necessitating divine association. Item development for the current instrument included an initial pool of 65 items and two phases of revision and content validation. …

The Pulpit And The People: Mobilizing Evangelical Identity, Tim Moser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Using ten sermons from five prominent and politically active evangelical megachurch pastors taken from the 2016 presidential campaign season, this case study utilizes frame analysis to understand the political relevance of modern evangelical sermonizing. An inductive frame analysis allows the concept of a collective action frame to be observed as a process and for patterns to emerge from the source text. Within these sermons, ministers offer self-identifying evangelicals a vocabulary with which to understand and describe their own identity. In this context, the Bible is a powerful cultural symbol that represents an allegiance to traditions that are framed as the …

Early Restoration Councils, 1830–1838: A Tool To Refine Individuals, Nicholas Andrew Davis

Theses and Dissertations

When Joseph Smith founded the Church of Christ in April 1830, he also established the framework for councils, the decision-making mechanism of the early Church. Early councils included a group of men holding the priesthood and often included a congregation. They would gather and make authoritative decisions, including if someone accused of wrongdoing was guilty and should receive formal disciplinary action. As the Church grew, Smith further developed this council system. Elders and high priests frequently formed councils, which gradually gave way to bishop's councils. In 1834, high councils began to establish an appellate court where disgruntled Church members could …

A Phenomenology Of Calling Among Undergraduates At A Public University: Reliance On Faith During An Intentional Career Decision-Making Process, Justin Arnold

Dissertations

Recent studies in vocational psychology and student development have discussed the fact that many college students value spirituality, and that a spiritual calling is positively associated with desirable work traits (Astin, Astin, & Lindholm, 2011; Chickering, 2006; Dik & Duffy, 2012; Duffy & Dik, 2013; Hunter, Dik, & Banning, 2010). What has yet to be deeply explored is how undergraduates at a public university who believe they are called explore careers and make vocational decisions.

The purpose of this phenomenology was to describe and interpret the lived experiences of emerging adults at a public university who believe they are called …

Learning To Pray The Lord’S Prayer For Spiritual Transformation At Tachikawa Church Of Christ, Naoyoshi Fukushima

Doctor of Ministry Theses

ABSTRACT

This thesis describes a project to lead the members of Tachikawa Church of Christ to learn and experience the power and blessings of praying the Lord’s Prayer for spiritual edification and maturity. The program consisted of eight weeks of learning the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer and doing spiritual exercises. To provide a theological foundation for this project, I delivered eight sermons on the Lord’s Prayer with strong emphasis on the relational nature of the prayer.

Those who engaged in the spiritual exercises were given opportunities to experience joy, peace, and correction as they tried to live in harmony …

Since The Time Of Eve : La Leche League And Communities Of Mothers Throughout History., Joanna Paxton Federico

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

La Leche League International (LLL) is the oldest and largest breastfeeding support group in the world. This thesis examines how, beginning in 1956, seven Catholic housewives from suburban Chicago built up the institutional knowledge to sustain a cohesive global network of breastfeeding mothers. It also explores how LLL managed this knowledge over time in response to developments in scholarship and changing social conditions. Based on a narrative analysis of LLL publications, this thesis argues that the League’s founders drew selectively from existing bodies of knowledge and from their own cultural perspectives to establish a sense of community among breastfeeding women. …

The Otaku Phenomenon : Pop Culture, Fandom, And Religiosity In Contemporary Japan., Kendra Nicole Sheehan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation centers on the otaku subculture and their subsequent incorporation of Japanese religious elements into their consumption of Japanese popular culture. This phenomenon highlights the intersections of popular culture and religion in Japan, which is emerging in religious sites. Shintō shrines and Buddhist temples are incorporating popular culture as a means to maintain relevancy, encourage growth of parishioners, and raising revenue by capitalizing on the popularity of manga and anime. The relevance of this research connects to the continued impact of Japanese popular culture through globalization. The first chapter provides a theoretical background examining this socio-religious …

Southern Veils : The Sisters Of Loretto In Early National Kentucky., Hannah O'Daniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the experiences of Roman Catholic women who joined the Sisters of Loretto, a community of women religious in rural Washington and Nelson Counties, Kentucky, between the 1790s and 1826. It argues that the Sisters of Loretto used faith to interpret and respond to unfolding events in the early nation. The women sought to combat moral slippage and restore providential favor in the face of local Catholic institutional instability, global Protestant evangelical movements, war and economic crisis, and a tuberculosis outbreak. The Lorettines faced financial, social, and cultural pressures—including an economic depression, a culture that celebrated family formation …

An Examination Of The Instruction Of Religion Clause Issues In Massachusetts Teacher Education Programs, Matthew E. Henry

Educational Studies Dissertations

The prevailing research, as well as reported complaints of academic, civic, personal, and social harm, indicates that public school teachers do not exhibit the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes grounded in the religion clauses of the U.S. Constitution. This study investigated how TEPs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts document their instruction of preservice teachers on religion clause issues as they apply to grade 6-12 content area pedagogy, curriculum, and professional ethos. The institutional documents presented to preservice teachers were collected from four teacher education programs in the Commonwealth. An evaluation tool— synthesized from the leading scholarship and research on the …

Toward Unity, Acceptance, And Empowerment: Bridging The Chasm Between Women Laity And Clergy In The A.M.E. Church, Rhonda Yvonne Green Harmon

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

A B S T R A C T

Rhonda Green Harmon

B.S., Texas Southern University, 1980

M.Ed. Texas Southern University, 1989

M.Ed. Principal Certification, University of Houston, 2002

M.Div. Houston Graduate School of Theology, 2012

“Toward Unity, Acceptance, and Empowerment:

Bridging the Chasm between Women Laity and Clergy in the A.M.E. Church”

This Doctor of Ministry project/practicum endeavors to initiate and engage dialogue between clergywomen and laywomen in the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church for the purpose of uniting, empowering, and fostering acceptance among all women. It addresses the ways that internalized patriarchy has hindered relationships between women. The main …

From Object To Other: Models Of Sociality After Idealism In Gadamer, Levinas, Rosenzweig, And Bonhoeffer, Christopher J. King

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation offers an account of the different ways in which putatively idealist and transcendental models of sociality, which grounded the subject’s relation to other human beings in the subject’s own cognition, were rejected and replaced. Scrapping this account led to a variety of models of sociality which departed from the subject as the ground of sociality, positing grounds outside of the subject. Hans-Georg Gadamer, Emmanuel Levinas, Franz Rosenzweig, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer represent alternative positions along a spectrum of models of sociality which reject the idealist concept of sociality.

The central argument of this dissertation claims that the responses to …

Changing Changelessness: On The Genesis And Development Of The Doctrine Of Divine Immutability In The Ancient And Hellenic Period, Milton Wilcox

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project will track and explain the development of the Doctrine of Divine Immutability from early mythological and scriptural source material that seems to indicate that divine entities are changeable into metaphysical systems that demand a perfectly consistent deity. The Doctrine of Divine Immutability is a philosophical and theological postulate that has long been a staple of systematic metaphysics and theology, but its function in robust and fully formed systems is different than its function when it is first generated in Ancient Greece and Judah. Methodologically mostly primary sources are studied and compared with interpretive help from relevant secondary sources. …

The Socialist Devout: Religious Orders And The Making Of An East German Catholic Community, Kathryn Julian

Doctoral Dissertations

My dissertation explores the central role of Roman Catholic orders in the creation of a resilient and stable Catholic community in post-1945 East German society. The persistence of these highly visible religious figures as well as their work in charities, retirement homes, schools, and hospitals not only threatened the socialist state’s mission to create a secularized society, but also bolstered and unified the dispersed East German Catholic population. Though the German Democratic Republic (GDR) ostensibly embraced scientific atheism, religious orders remained important in the postwar era, particularly in their performance of social functions. Catholic institutes upheld the integrity of their …

The Correlation Between Catholicism And Roman Tourism, Madeline Handler

Selected Honors Theses

Religious pilgrimage is one of the oldest forms of tourism, and following the death of Jesus Christ, Rome became a central hub for visitation from Christ followers. Because of this phenomenon, the subsequent thesis is a study regarding the potential correlation between Catholicism and the Roman tourism industry based on previous published literature, as well as a survey presented at the time of visit to Rome during a trip made in May 2017. The literature includes in-depth analysis of European tourism, marketing, Roman tourism, and Catholicism history and pilgrimages. Survey development was established from the studies made. Fifty international travelers …

Even Though I Walk: Towards A Pentecostal Theology Of Discipleship, Jordan Reed

Selected Honors Theses

This purpose of this thesis is to develop a theological foundation for a Pentecostal theology of discipleship. I begin with an analysis of the early Pentecostal movement and its implications on Pentecostal theology. This is to develop a framework within which my proposed theology can be developed. Next, I assess discipleship from a broader perspective, identifying crucial aspects of it that are not specific to Pentecostalism. I appeal to the Anabaptist tradition’s understanding of discipleship specifically, recognizing key components which allowed their theology to be so effective. In light of this I summarize and assess existing Pentecostal literature on discipleship …

Exceptionally Employable: A Study Of The Value Of Contrasting Educational Modalities Within Christian Liberal Arts Universities In Preparing Students For Employment Suitability, Sam Heinrich

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in suitability of employment of unique student groups (academic clusters) at four geographically dispersed Christian higher education universities (CHEU) as represented broadly by membership in and association with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The four academic clusters identified for this study were Residential Traditional Students (RTS), Deferred Professional Students (DPS), Accelerated Traditional Students (ATS) and Other Students. This research used a quantitative quasi-experimental method with an emailed, survey instruments designed to measure the impact of a student’s educational experience on employability through self-efficacy and employment experience. Yorke and …

[תוֹמכּ֣] In Josianic Reforms, Brian Taylor

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Taylor, Brian L.“ בָּמוֹת in Josianic Reforms.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2016. 360pp.

Through exposition of the Reform report recorded in 2 Kgs 23:4–20, it will be contended that the term בָּמָה signified sacred space characterized by certain cultic personnel, cultic rites and cultic apparatus. This proposed depiction will be examined in light of the broader textual and lexical evidence for further confirmation, expansion or possible refutation. Should the proposal find broader support, it will be further utilized to examine possible בָּמוֹת sites in the archealogical record.

Cultivating Cultural Competence Among The Leadership Of A Multi-Ethnic Congregation For Zion Lutheran Church, Oneida Wisconsin, Mark Schumm

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Schumm, Mark E., “Cultivating Cultural Competence Among the Leadership of a Multi-Ethnic Congregation for Zion Lutheran Church, Oneida, Wisconsin.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2017. 164 pp.

Zion Lutheran Church is a congregation composed of Native American and Anglo members serving a multi-ethnic community. A group of leaders from Zion took part in a learning community designed to explore Biblical understanding of church, mission, culture, and the history of the community. The Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory was administered at the beginning and conclusion of the project to assess growth in cultural competence.

Proposals For The Development Of Strategies, Including Workshops, To Advance Unity And Harmony Concerning Charismatic Gifts Of The Holy Spirit In The Ethiopian Evangelical Church, Hailu Bulaka

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Bulaka, Hailu Yohannes “A Proposal for the Implementation of Workshops and Other Strategies That Will Advance Unity and Harmony Concerning Charismatic Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2017. 122 pp.

The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) is the largest Lutheran Church in Africa with 8.35 million members, which proclaims the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. The church is experiencing what many see as the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. This sometimes causes conflict and division among members. For our unity and harmony …

Empowering A Local Church To Reflect Revelation 7_9 Unity Through Multi-Ethnic, Bilingual, Combined Worship, Mark Bowditch

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Bowditch, Mark “Empowering a Local Church to Reflect Revelation 7:9 Unity Through Multi-Ethnic, Bilingual, Combined Worship.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2017. 347 pages.

The purpose of this MAP was to carry out field research specifically designed to answer the research question: “Can multi-ethnic, bilingual, combined worship services be developed at Mt. Calvary that will foster Christian unity and fellowship among two different cultures?” This effort presupposed that it is God’s will for His people, the Church, to be joined together in unity and fellowship on earth—as they will be in heaven (Rev 7:9). The basic problem …

From Guest To Host: Cultural And Language Conflict In The Korean American Catholic Parish, Irene H. Park

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Pastoral ministry in the context of Korean American Catholic parishes brings many challenges, including that of cultural conflict. Frequent miscommunications occur between the Korean speaking and English speaking groups who coexist in these parishes. Considering some of the socio-cultural and theological factors of this issue, which are explored in this paper, a pastoral plan utilizing social media is proposed.