Arts and Humanities Commons^™

What Is Godly Speech? (Chapter 7 Of Redeeming How We Talk: Discover How Communication Fuels Our Growth, Shapes Our Relationships, And Changes Our Lives), Ken Wytsma, A.J. Swoboda

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

Excerpt: "The Bible makes it clear that the tongue has tremendous power.

James compares it to a rudder, which steers a whole ship. A rudder is only a fraction of the size of the boat it steers. While the rudder may have the power to steer an entire ship, someone is standing at the helm, responsible for the direction of the rudder and ultimately the ship and all the lives on it. We are in control of our tongues, and we are responsible for the direction we turn them."

Changing Behavior And Renewing The Brain: A Study Of College Students, Mark Maddix, Glena Andrews

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The field of neuroscience and religion continues to explode as researchers seek to understand religious experiences in the brain. Studies in religious experience, called neurotheology, attempt to draw conclusions about the truth of these religious experiences from the study of biological brain events. Given the substantial research on the science of religion, this article explores the physiological changes of college students engaged in regular spiritual practices. Students were asked to engage in intentional spiritual formational practices, such as prayer, meditation, Scripture reading, and contemplation, to see if these practices impacted their physiological activities, including brain wave, heart rate, skin response …

Tamar’S Legacy: The Early Reception Of Genesis 38, Julianna Kaye Smith

Seminary Masters Theses

The story of Tamar and Judah is one of the Torah’s more morally complicated narratives. As such, interpreters throughout history, but specifically early Jewish interpreters, grappled with how to relay this story in their translations of the Hebrew Bible. Using the theories and methods of reception history, this study demonstrates how the translations these early interpreters produced shed light on the dynamic relationship between a text and those who interpret it. Examining both the Greek Septuagint and Aramaic Targumim, the study identifies places in the translations where hints of the socio-historical position and theological commitments of the translators and their …

How Does The Presence And Management Of Leadership Tension Affect Leaders And The Organizations They Lead?, Aaron A. Cole

Doctor of Ministry

Many leaders inside and outside the church struggle with the weight of leadership demands, feeling overwhelmed and intimidated by the tension that comes with leadership. It is not a lack of calling, clarity, or vision on the part of leaders but the tension of moving people toward achieving mission. Such tension, caused by the function of leadership and not necessarily the leader, is a crucial area that tends to cause a leader to rise or fall. Unfortunately, many leaders eject or struggle without success due to a lack of understanding and the skill set necessary to effectively manage leadership tension. …

Professional Preparation In A Caring Christian Institution: Experiences Of Holistic Change In The Lives Of Students Who Do Not Profess Christian Faith, Ruth Smith

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Many Christian tertiary educators deeply long to see holistic transformation in students' lives. This qualitative study grew out of the desire to discover whether students who are not Christ-followers, but who apply to study within an overtly Christian context, experience such change. This second of two articles investigates what specific changes respondents observed in relationship to God, Christian faith, others, and self, linking to the institutional vision of being transformational and relational, as well as when in relation to their program, and through what means any changes occurred. It also discusses recommendations from the participants on how to enable non-Christ-followers …

Lost And Silenced In Translation: Reading Pauline Discourse On Language In 1 Cor. 14 From An Asian American Perspective, Ekaputra Tupamahu

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

It is important to state from the outset that this chapter is not intended to speak for all Asian Americans, but rather a reflection grounded primarily on my personal experience as a first-generation Asian immigrant in the United States. As Jin Young Choi correctly notes, “Addressing what constitutes Asian/Asian American interpretation is an arduous task, and perhaps an impossible one because of the heterogeneity of practitioners and the fluidity of contexts” (2014, 1). I first set foot on US soil in 2009 coming to study at Claremont School of Theology from Indonesia. While I was at Claremont, I also worked …

Sabbath And Time (Foreword, Prologue And Chapter 1 Of Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power Of Rest In A Nonstop World), A.J. Swoboda

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

Excerpt: "In 1991, a yet-to-be-identified flea market enthusiast discovered a simple picture frame to his liking. Securing the purchase, the shopper returned home only to discover an ancient document hiding inconspicuously behind the frame. Thinking little of the discovery, he continued about his life. Two years later, a friend stumbled on the document and investigated its origin. The rest is history. The four-dollar frame had hidden a first-edition copy of the Declaration of Independence reportedly worth north of one million dollars.1 This accidental discovery is not isolated. There was the contractor who found $182,000 in a bathroom wall he was …

Why Mowing The Lawn Can Be Complicated (Chapter 6 From Worthy: Finding Yourself In A World Expecting Someone Else), Melanie Springer Mock

Faculty Publications - Department of English

In Worthy, college professor Melanie Springer Mock sifts through the shape and weight of expectations that press Christians into cultural molds rather than God's image. By plumbing Scripture and critiquing the ten-billion-dollar-a-year self-improvement industry, Mock offers life-giving reminders that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Set free from the anxiety to conform to others' expectations, we are liberated to become who God has created us to be. If you're worn out from worrying that you've missed God's One Big Calling, and if you're tired of trying to fit yourself into some cookie-cutter Christian mold, step away from the expectations and …

Inquiry, Identity, And Integrity In A Biblical Studies Methods Course, Philip Teeuwsen, Abigail Deelstra, Jonathan Van Santen, David Grills

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

In this study, a university professor, a high school teacher, and two teacher-candidates engage in an inquiry into the identity and integrity of the religious studies teacher. Using Charteris’s (2014) ‘epistemological shudders’ as a framework, the authors explore the experience of learning to teach Bible in Christian schools by paying attention to the ways in which their experience with the unfamiliar intersected with their taken-for-granted beliefs and perspectives. The authors believe such reflections on experience are essential in particular to teachers of the Bible in Christian schools, but also, more generally, for ongoing lifelong teacher growth. This paper offers insights …

The Unexpectedness Of Hope: Good News For A Generation, David Johnstone

Publications from Student Life & Spiritual Life

The gospel of Jesus Christ is wrapped in the notion of God's "will be[ing] done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10 NIV). The good in the good news (or gospel) looks a little different for every age, culture, and context. Unlike the Eastern no-tion of karma, or what goes around comes around, the Christian gospel centers on God's grace being offered to those who accept Jesus's kindness and authority. God extends grace so that men and women do not receive what they deserve; therefore, what goes around does not come around. Many find this to be good …

Infinite Cardinalities, Measuring Knowledge, And Probabilities In Fine-Tuning Arguments (Chapter 5 Of Knowledge, Belief, And God: New Insights In Religious Epistemology), Isaac Choi

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

This paper deals with two different problems in which infinity plays a central role. I first respond to a claim that infinity renders counting knowledge-level beliefs an infeasible approach to measuring and comparing how much we know. There are two methods of comparing sizes of infinite sets, using the one-to-one correspondence principle or the subset principle, and I argue that we should use the subset principle for measuring knowledge. I then turn to the normalizability and coarse tuning objections to fine-tuning arguments for the existence of God or a multiverse. These objections center on the difficulty of talking about the …

Between Breaths: The Dialogic Shape Of Christian Authority, Meghan Larissa Good

Doctor of Ministry

Five hundred years ago, a group of Christians challenged the authority of church and tradition, provoking a Reformation that changed the face of the world. But the fractured history of Protestantism suggests the question of Christian authority is more complex than the potent rallying cry of “sola scriptura” might have first suggested. Scripture requires interpretation, and interpretation opens the door to substantial influence by church, tradition, Spirit, reason, and even individual experience. Branches of Protestantism have distinguished themselves in part by the authoritative priority they attribute to these sources. But Christian authority cannot be possessed as a static and absolute …

Transcendence At The Table: A Transfigurational Experience For Ecclesia While Breaking Bread Together, Julia Rachelle Hurlow

Doctor of Ministry

The Church has been slowly losing its identity. This loss of identity has a strong connection to the failure of the church to tend and till faith relationships, as well as pass the faith story on to children and others. There has been a loss of emphasis on the table as a place of significance in church, community, and home. To break bread together is to reclaim the spoken story of Jesus’ transfigurational power. The hope for growth in a stronger identity lies in believing in the Truth of a present and powerful Jesus who could transfigure lives, offer forgiveness …

A Portrait Of A Successful Pastor: Reanimating The Pastor As Shepherd In A Success Oriented Culture, Steve Bontrager

Doctor of Ministry

The purpose of this study is to define a set of metrics by which pastors can measure their “success” as pastors. It is important to note that this is not an effort to define a successful church, which would be a different study altogether. Studies show that a great majority of pastors are struggling in life and ministry and it seems reasonable to ask if this could be a result of ambiguity about the role pastors are supposed to fill and what constitutes successfully doing so. It is my contention that many pastors function without a clear sense of metrics …

Epic Discipleship Model For The Korean Millennials Through A Hybrid Program, Young-Hoon Jin

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation purpose to develop a hybrid discipling model through EPIC (Experiential, Participatory, Image-driven, Communal) approach that includes listening, teaching, coaching, meeting, sharing, studying and empowering through both online and offline will be an effective and working tool for younger generation. Cohort learning, individualized mentoring, personalized resources will meet the needs for each person in their process to grow as disciples of Jesus in their own settings and circumstances overcoming barriers of location, time, denomination, and anonymity.

God With/In: Heal The World. Sing The Good News, Amanda Zentz-Alo

Doctor of Ministry

Historical methods of evangelism are no longer working in North America. As religion declines among younger generations, Christians look at our methods and venture into a new way of living God’s good news in the world. Section One looks at the decline of evangelism’s effectiveness in North America. With an eye towards the healing of Jesus, the roots of evangelism are explored. Contrasted with these roots are the techniques that evolved after the legalization of Christianity under Constantine’s Empire. A domineering evangelism arrived in North America alongside of Christopher Columbus as a form of “power over” instead of as healing …

The Last Judge: Shepherding And Parenting The Church And Laity Through A 21st Century Family Dynamic, Kevin Anthony Wade

Doctor of Ministry

The purpose of this paper is to develop a solution to certain items ailing the church, removing boundaries where trusting and believing in the church family abounds. Through the five years of creating the context of this paper, the objective was established to first become successful in teaching and promoting spiritual behavioral change. During this five year period, I used five of my seven daughters, and 27 participants in the Young Adult Ministry as the sample church family for conceptualization of a reasonable model for my argument. The use of the information within this paper is not for a particular …

Her Story: Forming A Woman's Voice In The Pulpit, Mindy Smith

Doctor of Ministry

Story is a paradigm for how women shape their preaching identity. Women preachers benefit from developing their voice through the stories of women in scripture, and the voices of women from the past and present day who have found their authentic preaching voices. Shaping a voice through story is a model in which the preaching identity can develop, and as a result minimizes insecurity, stress and fear around the craft of preaching. Section One defines the preaching identity and examines the elements that form identity. It explores the challenges that have impacted how women understand their role in preaching. Section …

The Digital Catechism: Confirmation For A Digital World, James Mueller

Doctor of Ministry

Faith education and formation is important to every Lutheran pastor. Our denomination was born with a love for catechesis. Of all the rituals that remained after the split of the Western church, Confirmation might be the most treasured among churches. Unfortunately, for many pastors who have taught Lutheran Confirmation over their careers they have never felt more disconnected from their students. Their hearts are completely invested in catechesis but their methods do not produce effective results. Though they search more thoroughly than ever to find the right curriculum, nothing seems to work. We know that parents wonder why their children …

Narrative-Based Visual Theology For Oral Learning Pastor Training, Raymond Neu

Doctor of Ministry

In the realms of popular education, literates hold the day, yet they are not the majority. Even in our highly-advanced world, non-literates or oral communicators, still comprise the largest class of potential learners awaiting an education. The problems they face are complicated and challenging. Physical and financial access to education stop most oral communicators before they even start. If they had access to a local educational institution, more massive hurdles await, including literacy itself followed closely by lack of attention to the learning styles of oral learners. Yet there is hope. When educators determine to address the unique needs and …

Key Components Of A Culturally Relevant Multiethnic Church Model, Pablo Morales

Doctor of Ministry

The increasing ethnic and lingual diversity of the City of Richardson in north Texas is a microcosm of a social trend observed in the United States and around the globe. This demographic shift has propelled Ethnos Bible Church to pursue a multiethnic church model, yet, Ethnos does not understand the unique components of a culturally relevant multiethnic church. Therefore, this dissertation seeks to answer one question: What are the key components that Ethnos Bible Church needs to implement in order to cultivate a culturally relevant multiethnic church poised for ministry impact? This research reveals that although the current degree of …

Creating An Officer Lifescape: A Path For The Vocational And Spiritual Formation Of Salvation Army Officer-Moms, Janene Zielinski

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation claims that the formation of a healthy Salvation Army officermom identity is foundational for future organizational leadership development and personal vocational efficacy. Section One explores the historical management of officermoms, root causes of dissatisfaction, and modern barriers to healthy functioning. Section Two describes the deficiencies within three current methods of officer-mom identity formation. Section Three focuses on Scriptural models of identity formation and suggestions for implementation as a formative and sustainable approach in alleviating four key longings of officer-moms. This dissertation proposes that fledgling officer-moms need a safe and reliable mechanism to receive instruction and encouragement in establishing …

A Rhythm, Ritual And Rule For A Wisdom Monastic Community For Second Half Of Life Pilgrims, Mary Laymon

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation explores the establishing of a wisdom monastic community to nurture disciples living into the Second Half of Life. A critical problem facing mainline churches today is the increasing number of US-American adults describing themselves as “spiritual, but not religious.” In 2012, a survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life documented that 20 percent of the adults in the United States classify themselves as religiously unaffiliated. Adding to this population are longtime, faithful lay leaders announcing they are “done” with church. Recent research suggests that a growing number of these adults leave congregations that …

A Study In Worship: Blending The African American Style Of Preaching With Epic Preaching, Jamale D. Kempt

Doctor of Ministry

The stories in Scripture are rich in meaning, mood and mystery with messages often concealed from those who would just glide over them with a glancing eye. The art of preaching exhibited in the African American pulpit is complete with theology, struggle, issues, passion, and excitement. This style of sermon presentation is uniquely tied to the many cultures of the West African diaspora into the Americas. This unique style was used in the storytelling of the ancestors and through the struggles of the African in America evolving into the art of black preaching. The purpose of this dissertation is to …

Shema, Shabbat, Shalom, And A Savior: Implications For Pastoral Ministry, Richard Hovey

Doctor of Ministry

In the Global North there are disparaging figures within evangelicalism for both pastors and the churches they lead. Evangelical pastors have lost their moorings, suffering the consequences of a lost call and purpose in ministry. This has lead to an abandonment of post by the contemporary evangelical pastor in North America, and to a church left to drift in a secular sea. This project will suggest an answer in the return to a true pastoral ministry which will have positive implications for both pastor and church. Chapter 1 will provide an overview of the problem within contemporary evangelical pastoral ministry. …

Working Priests: Improving The Care For Vineyard Bivocational Pastors, Aaron Peterson

Doctor of Ministry

The number of Vineyard bivocational pastors in the US Vineyard church is unknown, and although pastoring bivocationally is common, there is a current lack of resources available to meet their unique challenges. The Association of Vineyard Churches, USA has improved from where it used to be, but they are currently not where they want to be in terms of caring for Vineyard bivocational pastors. This dissertation explores the current bivocational situation in the Association of Vineyard Churches, USA and argues that the Vineyard needs to take better care of Vineyard pastors who work jobs outside their churches. This project shows …

Toward A More Loving Assessment Practice, Ellen Ballock

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

One distinguishing mark of the Christ-follower is meant to be love - for God and for neighbor. What does this mean in the context of our everyday work as teachers or teacher educators? This paper specifically explores the relevance of loving heart attitudes for assessing student work. This paper first provides a conceptual foundation to justify taking up a lens of love while looking at student work and then reports on findings from a self-study of my own assessment practice. This paper highlights the importance of moment by moment disciplined choice to look away from self and self-interest towards the …

Pastoral Leadership For The Small, Rural Church: The Second Career Pastor, Randall C. Nichols

Doctor of Ministry

Due to financial and demographic factors plus a shortage of qualified candidates, small, rural churches often struggle to secure and retain pastoral leadership. An examination of these problems from the perspective of the church and that of pastoral candidates reveals the remoteness of location among small, rural churches creates an inability to attract candidates. Faced with college loan indebtedness, young growing families, and the need for full employment for spouses, candidates feel unable to accept a call from a small, rural church. The dissertation reviews the origins of the church, the historical prevalence of the small, rural church, and the …

Crossing Lines/Weaving Lives: Storytelling As A Means Of Building Bridges Across The Progressive/Conservative Divide, Jennifer Yocum

Doctor of Ministry

Christians in the United States have been divided against each other since before the Pilgrims touched dry land and Plymouth Rock. These divisions have created disaster in their wake, ranging from literal witch hunts in the early Massachusetts colony, to religiously fueled engagements in World War I, through to the continuing battles over sexuality, civil rights, and the American Christian exceptionalism that exist today. While the divisions are not new, our contemporary context suggests that these divisions themselves, even more than the subjects over which Christians are divided, are creating mortal danger to the body of Christ as a whole. …

The Jesus Quotient: Iq -> Eq -> Aq, Jennie A. Harrop

Doctor of Ministry

While we have discussed home churches and missional community involvement in recent decades, we have done little to acknowledge that the vernacular Tim Keller calls us to is nearly impossible to achieve in a culture that is deeply entrenched with biblical mythologies. How do we speak without raising walls of assumption, judgment, defensiveness, or anger? How do we assess the criticisms or hurt of others if we cannot identify our own? Jesus did not ponder IQ or EQ. He knew his God-given purpose and emotional character so deeply that he was able to operate out of those foundations without pausing …