Arts and Humanities Commons^™

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 …

Discipleship For Today's Filipino: Ang Calling Ng Christian Para Sa Bayan, Rico Villanueva, Jayeel Cornelio

Development Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Symposium: From Coming Out To Coming In: Roundtable Conversation Among Southeast Asian Queer Theologians, Michael Sepidoza Campos, Jayeel Cornelio, Erich Von Marthin Elraphoma, Joseph N. Goh, Jerlo M. Jaropillo, Joshua Marasigan, Kristine C. Meneses, Irene Nainggolan, Kakay Pamarán, Lizette Tapia, Amadeo Devin Udampoh, Wan Wei-Hsien

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Through a roundtable conversation via Zoom, teachers, pastors, and graduate students discussed the place of gender, citizenship, and faith in their identity formation and social accountability to articulate a hermeneutical lens specific to Southeast Asian contexts that shape and critique queer identities. These participants—primarily ministers, theological students, and seminary formators—engaged in organic, fluid, and multifocal turns to capture experiences that undergird the realities of women and LGBTQIQ+ people of faith in the region.

Sacred Screens: Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism And Islam In Popular Culture, Arianna A. Poveda

Theses and Dissertations

Popular media content creators have routinely drawn from religious concepts when seeking inspiration for new material. Developers in the West have traditionally relied heavily on Christian themes to supply new ideas. Now, more artists have begun to look towards Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Shinto religions for inspiration when conceiving many of the storylines we find in mainstream entertainment today. This thesis will study key examples of film, video game, literary, and television media to show how these artists weave their religiously inspired themes into their respective platforms. In using the rich stories and traditions to develop more in-depth landscapes and …

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 …

When Traditions Meet: The Case Of Georges Florovsky, Adolf Von Harnack, And Jaroslav Pelikan, Theodor Avramov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The author examines the relationship and mutual influences of Georges Florovsky, Adolf von Harnack, and Jaroslav Pelikan as a path towards approaching the majority of the history of Christianity in a methodological key. An interesting figure emerging from the research is that of Nikolay Glubokovsky, who spent the last part of his life in Bulgaria and through whom the previously mentioned authors came into contact. An argument is provided towards a more personal approach towards historical scholarship and Pelikan is suggested as acting as the figure allowing for the disagreements between Florovsky and Harnack to be creatively brought together and …

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.

Tenets Of Neoconservatism: Biological And Theological Versions Of Life And Gender In Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Aivita Putniņa

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The paper examines the tenets of neoconservatism in current Christian discourse. The notion of life that evolves around biology and procreation is seen as a marker of conservative argumentation. As Jordanova (1995) has argued, a shift in the ‘natural’ association of children with their mothers instead of their fathers occurred in the18th century due to a shift in perspective in life sciences and technology. The new model of procreation involving both parents and a biological, rather than theological, understanding of the process supports arguments that justify not ordaining women and taking anti-LGBTQ+ positions while simultaneously deleting its historical ties to …

Evangelism Strategies, Conversion Patterns, And Membership Retention Strategies In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Sub-Saharan Africa: Report Of Findings For East-Central Africa Division Of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Sampson M. Nwaomah, Williams Kwasi Peprah, Rei Kesis, Warren S. Simatele, Angela E. Nwaomah, Daniel Dei, Davidson Razafiarivony

Human Subject Research Archive

A study conducted by the Africa Seventh-day Adventist Study Group (ASDASG)

Evangelism Strategies, Conversion Patterns, And Membership Retention Strategies In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Sub-Saharan Africa: Report Of Findings For West-Central Africa Division Of Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Sampson M. Nwaomah, Williams Kwasi Peprah, Rei Kesis, Warren S. Simatele, Angela E. Nwaomah, Daniel Dei, Davidson Razafiarivony

Human Subject Research Archive

A study conducted by the Africa Seventh-day Adventist Study Group (ASDASG)

“Chieftain, Farewell”: Bishop Matthew Simpson’S Funeral Address To Abraham Lincoln, Samuel J. Rogal

The Asbury Journal

This article reflects back on the historic oration by Methodist Bishop Matthew Simpson at the funeral of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois in 1865. Matthew Simpson was one of the most prominent orators of his day and had built up political connections during the Lincoln Presidency. Bishop Simpson in many ways represents the rising respectability of Methodism in the United States as its influence grew and Methodism became more acceptable among society and in political circles. Simpson even represents a form of Christian nationalism which emerges from his funeral address and the way he portrays the “martyred” president.

From The Editor, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

From The Editor, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Santidad Y Misiones Pentecostales En El Salvador: El Ejemplo De Federico Ernesto Mebius, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

A Federico Mebius se le atribuye el mérito de ser el primer misionero pentecostal en El Salvador, pero su historia es más complicada. Como misionero de la Alianza Cristiana y Misionera en Bolivia, Mebius formó parte del Movimiento de Santidad. El seguimiento de su historia revela una brecha de información desde 1903 hasta 1908, desde Los Ángeles, California, hasta El Paso, Texas. Mientras tanto, la historia oral sitúa a Mebius como fundador de iglesias alrededor de 1904 en El Salvador. Esta historia crea un espacio para explorar las misiones de Santidad que surgieron de Los Ángeles y especular sobre cómo …

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.

Community Organizing For Democratic Renewal: The Significance Of Jacques Maritain’S Support For Saul Alinsky And His Methods, Brian Stiltner

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Jacques Maritain’s ideas about democratic renewal remain as important and inspirational as ever. A less well-known element of Maritain’s political thinking is his support for grassroots community organizing. This support, peppered throughout his writings, comes into stark relief when examining his longtime friendship and correspondence with Saul Alinsky, the dean of community organizing in the US. This article argues, first, that we must understand Maritain and Alinsky’s friendship to properly appreciate the legacy of Maritain’s political thought and, second, that understanding the complementarity of their approaches allows us to see that together these two friends present a powerful strategy for …

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 …