Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A New Testament Theology Of God As Father (Abba) As The Hermeneutical Key To The Teaching Of Christ On Prayer In The Gospels, John Joseph Schmelzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When Jesus of Nazareth lifted His eyes to Heaven in Matthew 6:9 and taught His disciples to address Yahweh, the covenant God of Judaism as Father (πατήρ, אַבָּא), this was an offense of blasphemy and presumption culpable of death for His Jewish audience; unless it was true (John 5:18). Not only was Father the distinctive and unique term given to God by Jesus, but there is almost universal scholarly consensus that behind the Greek πατήρ is the Aramaic Abba (Αββα, אַבָּא) (Mark 14:36). In both the ANE and Jewish contexts of the Old Testament and first-century Israel, it was unparalleled …

The Trial Of Jesus: A Historical Look At The Jewish And Roman Trial Proceedings, Vivian Pryor

Honors Theses

The death of Jesus Christ is an event that sets Christianity apart from other religions. A blameless savior, believed to come and conquer all evil on earth, was killed before the eyes of his followers. At the seeming end of the story of Jesus’s life, there was unimaginable confusion. Though the Scripture foretold the fate of Jesus, many followers of Christ felt as if their Savior had been defeated. For Christians, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the source of salvation. The death of an innocent man paid for the sins of those truly guilty. For self-proclaiming 2.38 billion people …

A Curriculum Designed To Teach Elementary-Age Children In Diverse Settings The Kingdom Concept Of Loving One’S Neighbor, Abigail J. Flood

ELAIA

United States Census data from 2020 show that the country is becoming increasingly diverse and urbanized. Other research shows children are aware of race from an early age and can pick up biases and stereotypes by watching the adults around them. However, there are no children’s ministry curricula that specifically address how children should navigate differences from a biblical perspective. To fill this gap, a children’s ministry curriculum was written to model how children can love their neighbors like Jesus did, especially those who look different from themselves. The curriculum is comprised of an introduction for the ministry leader, five …

40-Day Fit, A Journey For Heroes, Michael B. O'Neill

Doctor of Leadership

This project is a collective portfolio of discovery and development that explores the intersection of societal health and the vitality of the church, recognizing a state of decline in both areas. This critical, yet often overlooked issue, is the foundation of this research-driven initiative. It is a practical process of diagnosis and treatment of a problem or an opportunity, in context, leading to application. The portfolio project represents a journey of discovery and reframing, where research methods, strategic objectives, and project milestones guide the identification of needs, problems, and opportunities. These elements serve as the driving forces behind crafting solutions …

Theology On A Plate: A Gamified Discipleship Experience, Silas Sham

Doctor of Ministry

“Theology on a Plate: A Gamified Discipleship Experience" reimagines spiritual development by merging communal dining with theological exploration and gamification. Unlike traditional groups curriculums and Bible studies, this innovative project offers a fresh approach to cultivating spiritual growth through semiotic readings of food in Scripture, coupled with unique learning mechanisms. By employing a platform-based pedagogical approach, this project is not primarily about receiving information from an expert source using a pipeline-based approach. Instead, this project is designed so that participants will predominantly learn from each other as they elevate each other’s stories.

Drawing from my ministry experience in a large …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Doctrine Of Bodily Resurrection In Jehovah's Witnesses Versus Traditional Christianity, Carey A. Murphy

Masters Theses

The present thesis aims to provide a critical analysis of the immaterial resurrection proposed by the Governing Body of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and, in doing so, demonstrates the superiority of the orthodox Christian position on the bodily resurrection because of its consideration of key aspects such as Christology, the resurrection, gospel, and eschatology. The first chapter explains how the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society became a global religious organization. In chapter two, Jehovah's Witness documentation on the immaterial resurrection of Christ is presented, with occasional commentary on issues. Chapter three delves into the historical perspective of the …

Imperfect Church, Perfect God, Claire N. Barr

Honors Projects

Jesus’ death on the cross demonstrates the most radical act of love. So when the church, which is biblically supposed to reflect Jesus’ love, causes pain and disagreements, there is no doubt as to why people choose to leave, completely stay away from the church, or lose their faith altogether. Despite this, the solution remains in Jesus. Through His ministry represented in scripture, one can see the way in which the church is called to care for the world. Despite this, the church has come short of Jesus’ example, often skewing people’s perspective on Christ. When on Earth, Jesus defied …

Matthew 11:25-30: Finding Rest In The Yoke And Providence Of God, Emerson Claire Jones

Biblical Studies Student Projects

In this fallen world, it is difficult to find rest. As life fills with meetings and activities, resting well can feel impossible. Jesus offers true and lasting rest for his people. He reveals himself to the lowly and lifts their burdens. Through examining Matthew 11:25-30, the easy and light yoke of Jesus is explained.

Authentic Credible Leadership: An Examination Of Jesus’S Leadership In The Farewell Discourses, Joshua D. Henson, Samuel Hemby

Selected Faculty Publications

This is a study of authentic credibility as demonstrated through John’s description of Jesus’ words and actions in the Farewell Discourses (John 13-17). Identifying the need for further research on the relationship between authentic leadership and credibility (Williams et al., 2018) and building from Kouzes and Posner’s (2011) six disciplines of leader credibility—discover yourself, appreciate constituents, affirm shared values, develop capacity, serve a purpose, and sustain hope—and Hemby’s (2007) on leader credibility, we espouse that moral foundations of authentic leadership promote leader credibility while not dimensioning the need for competence. After a thorough literature review on authentic leadership, the study …

A Kingdom Model Of Leadership: Developing A Biblical Leadership Standard Established On Kingdom Principles And Exemplified By The Person And Ministry Of Jesus, Meredith James

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Although secular leadership principles and insights may benefit pastors and ministry leaders, business practices and cultural trends should not be the driving influences that guide and inform the church. Many pastors and ministry leaders are not practicing the biblical concept of kingdom leadership that Jesus modeled. Instead, they have increasingly relied on secular leadership strategies to produce successful results for their churches. This approach to ministry can often guide ministry leaders to depend on their natural gifts, marketing campaigns, and elevated production elements to grow attendance. The problem with this ministry methodology is that faithfulness and biblical truth are many …

Mentoring Spiritual Leaders : Discerning Effective Practices, Michael B. Miller

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Problems Confronting Children's Ministry : The Diocese Of Lagos Anglican Communion, Church Of Nigeria, Akinwande Godwin Odubena

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Nativity Of The Lord, Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Can you imagine the feelings of Mary and Joseph, forced by a foreign government to travel a hundred miles for a census in the midst of winter, when Mary is about to give birth?

First Sunday After Christmas Day, Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Luke's Christmas story not only features babies and parents, it also focuses on the elderly. When I was a student at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, one of my fellow students asked me to help with his preaching on the encounter with Simeon and Anna in the temple. We sang "Old Friends," by Simon and Garfunkel, and then he preached on this passage from Luke.

D. Elton Trueblood: Dean Of American Religious Writing, Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

It is with great delight that HarperCollins has given the Trueblood family permission to republish any of Elton Trueblood's books that they should choose. Harpers had published thirty of his books between 1936 and 197 4, and Elton's momentous volumes earned him the title of "Dean of American Religious Writing" in the middle-to-late 20th century. I had already edited and published his book on Lincoln under a new title, with a new foreword by award-winning journalist Gustav Niebuhr, timed to coincide with the Lincoln movie that came out in 2012. 1 Elton's most important book, A Place to Stand, then …

"Foreword" To A Place To Stand, Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Known as "the Dean of American Religious Writing," D. Elton Trueblood did for American audiences something similar to what C.S. Lewis achieved in Britain. He helped believers em­ brace their faith and to give an account for the hope that is with­ in them (I Peter 3: 15). Author of thirty-one books, followed by a half-dozen collections of his essays, Trueblood also encouraged generations of other emerging writers so that his influence was multiplied many times over. Addressing such issues as the vitali­zation of the church and the equipping of the laity for ministry, he did more to inspire "thinking …

Finding Kurt, Ryan Block

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Upon completion of my Honors Project, I will have filmed, edited, planned, and directed a documentary on poverty in Akron. Through film, I will show the community what it is like to be homeless, without anyone there to look out for you. I will journey across Akron alongside my friend Jordan, looking to find a specific homeless man we once met. Along the way, I hope to come across other people without homes who will share stories about their lives, either in passing or through interviews. If I do not end up finding the man I set out to find, …

Who Is At The Manger?, Kayla Harris, Neomi Deanda

Marian Library Faculty Publications

For many Christians around the world, celebrating the Nativity, or the birth of Jesus Christ, is the most important part of the Christmas season.

Among the most common Christmas traditions are small sets of figures depicting Joseph, Mary and Jesus that are displayed in individual homes, and live reenactments of the manger scene in communities and churches. While Nativity sets focus on the holy family, they can also include an angel, the three wise men bringing gifts, shepherds or some barnyard animals.

Around the world, it is common to see particular cultural and religious traditions incorporated through the materials used, …

A Study On Why People Lack Dedication And Focus During Church Worship And Service Time, Maxine Head White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher chose the topic of this thesis because members of Last Days Ministries (LDM) lacked dedication and focus during church worship and service. The project aimed to discover what caused LDM members to lack commitment and focus during worship and service time and to find a way to alleviate the problem among LDM members. This thesis project includes four themes from doing this project, of which three concern distractions. Those distractions came from cell phones, spontaneous distractions, and satanic distractions. Cell phone distraction was at the top of the list of distractions that disrupted the church and kept LDM …

Jesus And Spirituality In Interreligious Perspectives, Nancy M. Martin

Religious Studies Faculty Articles and Research

Rarely do members of diverse religions engaged in interreligious dialogue find agreement on metaphysics and doctrine, though such conversations may be very fruitful and lead to greater understanding and mutual illumination. In the area of religious experience, however, recognition of commonality may be much more readily apparent, and in such encounters, the life and spirituality of Jesus provide a meeting ground. This essay examines Jesus as a catalyst for spiritual inspiration and transformation from Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist and nontraditional perspectives. As an integral figure in Islam, Jesus appears in the writings of the likes of Ibn Arabi, Rumi and more …

The Identity Of The Father: Defining The Nature Of The Relation Between The God Of Jesus, And The God Of Israel, Manuel Alejandro Boglio Meléndez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most difficult doctrines to explain and comprehend. Historically, trinitarian discussions, especially during the first four centuries, have centered on the deity of Christ and His relation to the Father. Later, this discussion centered on the deity of the Holy Spirit, and His relation to both the Father and the Son. The identity of the Father, however, is rarely discussed, but rather it is simply assumed. The Father is simply the first Person of the Trinity, the God of Israel, YHWH. The problem, however, is that, for Christians, YHWH is triune. …

Jephthah's Daughter: A Hebrew Foreground For Jesus' Passion In Matthew, Hanna Elizabeth Seariac

Theses and Dissertations

While there are key differences between Jephthah's daughter's story and that of Jesus, not least the difference in gender of the sacrificial victims, this thesis posits that both the similarities and differences between these two accounts can enrich readings of Jesus' death in the gospel of Matthew. A careful comparison of the narrative of Jephthah's daughter with Jesus' Passion narrative in the gospel of Matthew leads to the conclusion that Jesus' death should be interpreted as a human sacrifice. Reading Jesus' death as a human sacrifice and locating it in that socio-religious context makes his death indicative of a transactional, …

Moving Syriac Literature Into The Digital Age, Carl Griffin

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The mother tongue of Jesus and his disciples was not Greek or Latin or even Hebrew, but Aramaic, the language of Israel’s Babylonian captors. Aramaic, and in particular the dialect of Syriac, has continued to be spoken by many Christians in the Middle East and elsewhere down to the present time. This Semitic language became the vehicle for a vast body of early Christian literature that expressed Christian theology in singularly Semitic forms. For example, just as the Hebrew prophets expressed themselves primarily in poetry or rhythmic prose, rich with symbolism and analogy, so also early Syriac teachers composed didactic …

The Reception Of Isaiah's Suffering Servant In Thomas Aquinas' Theology Of The Cross, Daniel Waldow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a quantitative and qualitative analysis of Thomas Aquinas' reception of Isaiah 53 throughout his major works of theology.

Reconciling The Body And The Spirit: A Dance/Movement Therapy Perspective On The Life Of Jesus, Hosanna Tolman

Dance/Movement Therapy Theses

This thesis investigates the elements of breath, action, touch, consent, and empathy in dance/movement therapy through the lens of Jesus’ incarnation and life for the purpose of reconnecting the bodily experience to the spirit for Christian dance/movement therapists or those who work with people of faith. For dance/movement therapists who share a Christian faith with their clients, looking to the incarnation of Jesus is helpful and encouraging, as it so closely parallels the therapeutic work they do with the healing work that Jesus did. The relationship between spirit and body and how it can be connected through the Christian faith …

"Of Backstories And Epiphanies And Such: A Formalist's Analysis Of Dallas Jenkins' Youtube Series 'The Chosen.'", Richard Logsdon

Far West Popular Culture Association Annual Conference

Of Backstories and Epiphanies: A formalist’s analysis of Dallas Jenkin’s The Chosen

In this essay, I attempt a formalist’s analysis of YouTube sensation The Chosen, so far a two part, sixteen-episode series about Jesus. In taking a formalist’s approach to this series, I seek the unifying principle holding the episodes of The Chosen together and determining the selection and arrangement of parts.

Presented from perspective of Jesus’ followers, the series' episodes make use of backstories and epiphanies to convey the unifying message that Jesus Christ was God and man. Those who experiences the epiphanies, often occurring in backstories intended to …

"Jesus And John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted A Faith And Fractured A Nation" [Review]/Du Mez, Kristin Kobes", Michael W. Campbell

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Michael W. Campbell.

From Mocker To Martyr: The Unlikely Conversion Of James The Brother Of Jesus, Brian Lewis Cunningham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

For many years, James, the brother of Jesus, was all but neglected when it came to biblical scholarship. Around four decades ago, there was a resurgence of serious inquiry about James. Since that time, a considerable amount of scholarly material has been published about him, including a possible connection between James and a first-century ossuary box that bears his name. But one aspect of James’s life has not enjoyed such widespread discussion, namely, his conversion. The reason his conversion has been ignored is because there is so little prominent information. The only glimpse afforded to us comes from Jesus appearing …

Rewriting The Ending: Malachi's Threat And The Destruction Of The Temple In The Gospel Of Mark, John Michael Strachan

Dissertations (1934 -)

This is a study of the presence of the OT book of Malachi in the Gospel of Mark. The Gospel begins (1:2–3) with a conflated quotation of Mal 3:1; Exod 23:20; and Isa 40:3. Recent studies have judged that Isa 40:3 is hermeneutically influential on Mark’s presentation of Jesus. Similarly, I aim to show that Mal 3:1, with its promise of a messenger who would proceed Yahweh’s sudden arrival at the temple, is hermeneutically influential in ways heretofore not commonly recognized. The heart of my proposal is that Mark 1–13, that is, roughly three-quarters of the Gospel, is framed by …

Jesus’S Subversive Reading Of The Isaian Jubilee: Luke 4:16–30 In Theological-Historiographical Perspective, Jeff Scott Kennedy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A growing number of scholars have proposed that Luke, or his sources, fabricated the story of Jesus reading a text in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:14–30) in order to appeal to the literate sensibilities of Luke’s Greek audience. The thesis of this dissertation is that Luke’s portrayal of Jesus as a capable public reader and expositor of the Scripture is historically credible and Christologically significant. Rather than implying that Jesus was a scribal-literate reader, Luke’s synagogue narrative signals that Jesus was a capable and a welcomed lay-reader of the Prophets, and a capable yet unwelcomed expositor who appeared to have …