Arts and Humanities Commons^™

In The Face Of God: Analyzing The Influence Of Religion On Social Dynamics And Cultural Preservation In Pniël, Joohee Na

South Africa: Multiculturalism and Human Rights

This research paper examines the role of religion in fostering community cohesion, cultural preservation, and governance in Pniël, a small South African town with deep historical and religious roots. Drawing on interviews with community members, it explores how religious practices and spaces function as mechanisms for maintaining collective identity, transmitting values across generations, and addressing social challenges like modernization and gentrification. The study highlights the interplay between tradition and change, emphasizing the importance of preserving religious heritage and cultural narratives in a secularizing world. It also discusses the implications of these findings for safeguarding the histories and identities of small …

Mormons And Their Neighbors, Marvin E. Wiggins

ScholarsArchive Data

The included files contain a list of books about members and history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Relationship Between Evangelism And Social Action, Isaac Rex

Mission Theology & Strategy Papers

Evangelicals take multiple perspectives on the relationship between social action and evangelism. However, all evangelicals tend to agree that both evangelism and social action are deeply important. This paper examines the relationship between evangelism and social action while both affirming the priority of evangelism and the necessity of social action.

The Embrace Of Religion And Spirituality In Indonesia, Olivia Cotton

Indonesia: Arts, Religion, and Social Change

This thesis offers a contemporary investigation of the extent to which historical contexts contribute to Indonesian people’s reservations towards political conversations and social movements, such as protests and demonstrations. The historical contexts in question are focused on the Soeharto dictatorship from 1966-1999 and its long reign of censorship, citizen violence, and general human rights violations. The research employs a mixed-methods approach focused on cultural and participant observation, social media analysis, and interviews. Social media analyses offer insights into activism, particularly that of students and the youth, that are not generally available in scholarly sources. Interviews with Indonesian citizens and local …

Book Review: When Narcissism Comes To Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional And Spiritual Abuse By Chuck Degroat, Timothy Clothier

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Disciple Making: From Doubter To Disciple, Brad Ransom

Great Commission Research Journal

The theme of our 2024 Great Commission Research Network conference was “Disciple Making: from Doubter to Disciple.” Disciple making is the mission and call of the Church and therefore must be a priority for church leaders. Every church needs a clearly developed and defined discipleship strategy or pathway that leads every person in its sphere of influence to a relationship with Jesus and growth in their faith. The problem is that many churches do not have such a plan.

Book Review: Mind The Gap By Clint Grider, Jeff Isaccs

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Communication In Mission: Global Opportunities And Challenges Edited By Marcus Dean, Scott Moreau, Sue Russell, And Rochelle Scheuermann, I. Francis Kile Iii

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Mission In The Way Of Daniel: Empowering Believers To Live Into God’S Plan By Edward Smither, H. L. "Scooter" Ward Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Training Model For Strategic Planning In Large Evangelical Churches, Ginger Ann Beady

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This dissertation explores strategic planning for churches in the post-Christendom era, where the cultural influence of Christianity has significantly diminished. The study aims to create a resource to help church leaders develop and implement strategic plans focused on long-term church health and sustainability. The first objective is to define what strategic planning entails and emphasize its necessity for fulfilling God's mission. Drawing on the Old Testament case study of Nehemiah and a New Testament survey, the research emphasizes the importance of effective planning within a biblical context. The second focus of this research question is to identify what to plan …

Suffering As The Way To God, Marjorie Shahani

LMU Theses and Dissertations

As a spiritual director and Christian, I desire to accompany women on their journey to a deeper personal relationship with God holding in tension the suffering Servant on the cross and the hope in the resurrected Christ. I long to illuminate their understanding of self-sacrifice and denial. Participating in Jesus’ suffering on the cross must not lead to neglect of oneself, denial of one’s human dignity, or the tolerance of any form of abuse – physical, emotional or mental. I comprehend the redemptive power in suffering for the love of God, but I also know Christ invites us to rejoice …

“Christ For The World We Sing”: What Twentieth-Century Churches Of Christ Sang About Missions, Monty L. Lynn, Derran Reese, Kelly Cross Elliott, D. J. Bulls

Management Sciences

What twentieth-century members of acapella Churches of Christ sang to one another about missions informed, reinforced, and reflected congregational perspectives and practices. Fifty-four missions hymns from hymnals used within Churches of Christ suggest thirty-nine themes that encourage urgent and empathetic responses to spiritual distress, near and far. Hymns resonate with the trajectories of missions among Churches of Christ and provide insight into the ethos of congregations.

Using Statistics In Church-Based Research, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

Although the proper use of statistics is challenging for most people, including researchers, aggregated numeric data is often the strongest evidence that a researcher can present to support an idea. This is because statistics is such a powerful tool for detecting trends that can be observed in complex contexts such as churches. Church researchers need to understand two classes of statistics: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics describe the different variables that are measured in a study and include the mean, the standard deviation, and confidence intervals. They also include correlations showing how these variables are related to each …

Book Review: Calling Out The Called: Discipling Those Called To Ministry Leadership By Scott Pace And Shane Pruitt, Desmond W. Wallace

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Mission In Praise, Word, And Deed: Reflections On The Past And Future Of Global Mission Edited By Edward L. Smither And Jessica A. Udall, Nathaniel (Than) Veltman

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Innovations In Engaging The Next Generation Towards Discipleship And Mission, Billy Mcmahan

Great Commission Research Journal

This research addresses the central question: How can the church adapt to reach and disciple Generation Z in a way that speaks to their distinctive experiences and needs? To answer this question, the paper will first explore Gen Z’s defining characteristics and then examine how various organizations, particularly for-profit organizations, engage this emerging generation. Finally, the study will highlight innovative ministries gaining significant traction with Gen Z, offering insights and models for broader church applications.

Will They Stay Or Will They Go? Assessing Connections Between Professions Of Faith And Church Integration At A Church In Central California, David C. Thiessen

Great Commission Research Journal

This case study examines the connection between professions of faith and individual retention at Mountain View Church in Fresno, California, identifying potential spiritual, contextual, and institutional factors that influence retention. The research methodology included a statistical analysis of 658 recorded commitment cards and responses from an online survey (N = 23) and a follow-up phone interview (N = 16). Those retained tended to make a profession of faith after two or more visits, in contrast to the average profession, which occurred on the first visit. One-third of those responding to the survey indicated that they had been invited to church …

Book Review: Social Research Methods: For Students And Scholars Of Theology And Religious Studies By Joshua Iyadurai, Regina Manley

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Honoring The Other: The Imago Dei As A Foundational Doctrine For How The Church Treats The Marginalized, Brett A. Desper

Doctor of Ministry

The church struggles to minister to those on the margins of society, frequently dehumanizing those it ministers to. This dissertation argues that a starting point for addressing this issue is a renewal of the imago Dei doctrine as the foundation of what it means to be human. Chapter One defines the problem by referring to two primary problem areas: poverty and displaced people. A definition of poverty is offered, and four primary approaches to alleviate poverty are examined. Causes and definitions of displacement of people from their homes are offered, and some current relief methods are evaluated. Finally, a fundamental …

Using Catholic Social Thought And The Normativity Of The Future In Responding To The Super Wicked Problem Of Climate Change, Stephanie Ann Yu Puen

Theology Department Faculty Publications

The climate crisis has been dubbed a “super wicked problem”—one where there is a sense of urgency, complicity in the problem by those who wish to solve it, and difficulty in sacrificing the short term for the long term. To respond to the difficulty of long-term thinking in addressing super wicked problems as part of SDG 13 (Climate Action), there is a need to pay attention to the narratives, norms, and values at work, and how we employ these categories in climate action. This paper discusses how Catholic social thought and the concept of the normativity of the future can …

La Familia De Village, Shonell L. Dillon

Doctor of Leadership

To fulfill my project portfolio, I will be addressing the following: “Can the church become a guiding light in the lives of adolescents (10 to 15 years old) in the Bunche Village community who have experienced the effects of multigenerational trauma?” My research findings confirmed that some of the symptoms of multigenerational trauma can be addressed through social-emotional learning using biblical interventions. I will describe how the church can address these needs through youth outreach. My project is a non-profit that will follow a Christian-centered social-emotional skills curriculum. This program will address the needs of adolescents in the Bunche Village …

The Operation Of The Holy Spirit In Pastoral Counseling And Chaplaincy, Elizabeth Canfield

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The operation of the Holy Spirit in pastoral counseling and chaplaincy is a topic that is difficult to quantify. How and where the Holy Spirit moves is often a mystery. This dissertation seeks to understand the movement of the Holy Spirit in pastoral counseling and chaplaincy in the form of a theological and literature review looking into the history of soul care/pastoral counseling and the development of chaplaincy. It also looks at who the Holy Spirit is, how the Spirit operates, and develops a theology of the Holy Spirit within pastoral counseling and chaplaincy with a focus on spiritual gifts. …

Return To Eden: God’S Design For Human Sexuality In The Song Of Songs, Richard M. Davidson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Good News Of The Investigative Judgment: Finding Joy In An Unlikely Doctrine, Richard M. Davidson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

My Soul, She Walks Behind Me, Sanyukta Shiv Kumar

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This thesis reimagines the consequences of my great-grandmother’s life. It is an attempt to demystify women’s conditioned roles within private and public spaces and note how, through this conditioning, their identity is repressed to the point of diffidence and eventually, abhorrence towards their own bodies and the physical spaces they occupy. This is portrayed in poetry form through the voice of my great-grandmother as the primary speaker, and is interspersed with the voices of the grandmother, the mother, and the great-granddaughter.

My great-grandmother’s lived experience consisted mostly of her life as a young wife, mother, devotee, and storyteller. She told …

Contextual Theology

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This issue of the Journal of Adventist Mission Studies focuses on the importance of doing contextual theology.

The Sanctuary In Historical Perspective: Exploring The Development Of A Core Adventist Belief, Denis Kaiser

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Forced Marriages In The Talmud In The Light Of The Quran And Sunnah, Fatimah Al-Zboun, Mohammad Al-Khateeb

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study aims to identify and clarify the forced marriages among the Jews in the Talmud and to know the perspective of Islam regarding them in the light of the Quran and Sunnah

The Present study follows the inductive approach of research: by inducting the texts of the Talmud within the limits of the third section, Ahkam al-Nisa’ (The Nashim), as well as the analytical approach: by analyzing the provisions of the Talmud on the forced marriage and analyzing them in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the comparative approach:By comparing these issues in the Talmud with what …

Malaysian Experience In Islamic Sukuk Legitimate Economic Assessment, Alaa Abu Salim, Mohammad Bani Essa

Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Humanities Series

This study aimed to identify the Malaysian experience in issuing Islamic bonds and to evaluate them legally and economically. The study followed descriptive and inductive approaches. It consisted of a preface, two chapters, and a conclusion, covering Murabaha sukuk, deferred sale sukuk, mudarabah sukuk, musharaka sukuk, ijara sukuk, and istisna sukuk. The study concluded that there are legitimate violations in the instruments of Murabaha, deferred sale, and Istisna because they are based on the forbidden sale of the sample by Sharia. However, the Shariah Committee of Islamic Sukuk in Malaysia permits the sale of the eye. The instruments of speculation, …

Because Of Who We Are: A Fresh Perspective On Calvin’S Doctrine Of The Image Of God And Human Dignity, Sam Neulsaem Ha

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Scholars have connected Calvin’s idea of the imago Dei with the modern concept of inherent human dignity. Others have emphasized how Calvin tried to use the image of God to promote the significance of human dignity without connecting it with political theories. These arguments may be justifiable to some extent. However, my concern is that these scholars focus on the image of God in others rather than on how it transforms individuals who live out its renewal. For Calvin, the restoration of the image of God by the Holy Spirit aimed at enabling a holy and righteous life. In his …