Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Review Essay: Lewis Agonistes: How C. S. Lewis Can Train Us To Wrestle With The Modern And Postmodern World, William Gentrup

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

A lengthy review of Lewis Agonistes: How C. S. Lewis Can Train Us to Wrestle with the Modern and Postmodern World. By Louis Markos. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003.

ISBN 0-8054-2778-3. Pp. xv + 174. $19.99 [paper].

All My Dogs Before Me, Bruce R. Johnson

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

Excerpt: "Dogs? Did C. S. Lewis own dogs?" That casual question, raised at one of the organizational meetings of the Arizona C. S. Lewis Society,1 led to a rather obscure search. Was Lewis a pet owner? It is well known that he had created two imaginary worlds filled with talking animals: Narnia and Boxen. Less well known was his opposition to vivisection. An entire chapter of The Problem of Pain deals with pain as experienced by animals. A bear at the Whipsnade Zoo, nicknamed “Mr. Bultitude” by Lewis and his brother, Warren, appears as a minor character in That Hideous …

Defending The Dangerous Idea: An Update On C.S. Lewis' Argument From Reason, Victor Reppert

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

Although C. S. Lewis's argument against naturalism is widely thought to have been undermined by Elizabeth Anscombe’s criticisms (and indeed it is sometimes claimed that Lewis was considerably weakened as an apologist by this exchange), I thought that an adequately reformulated version of the argument could surmount Anscombe’s objections. This claim was defended for the first time in print in “ ‘The Lewis-Anscombe Controversy’: A Discussion of the Issues,” which appeared in Christian Scholar’s Review in 1989

Grooving A Symbol: Turkish Delight In Narnia, Del Kehl

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

Excerpt: Imagine yourself a writer living in Britain during the late 1940s. You are writing a book for children, but you believe that a book worth reading only in childhood is not worth reading even then, and that a children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story. The challenge before you is to choose something a witch might offer enticingly to a boy of ten or eleven, most likely some delicious viand, to symbolize temptation, solicitation to evil. What would it be? This was the challenge facing C. S. Lewis as he wrote The Lion, …

A Time For Joy: The Ancestry And Apologetic Force Of C.S. Lewis' Sehnsucht, James P. Helfers

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

Excerpt: "In sum, it is clear that Lewis owes a great debt to Wordsworth’s idea of Joy, a debt he acknowledges explicitly through the title of his autobiography. Their views of the experience have much in common: for both it is an intense long- ing, for both it undergirds their sense of the reality of an eternal realm, as well as guiding them toward either virtue (in Wordsworth’s case) or a contemplation of and belief in the eternal (in Lewis’ case). Both of their experiences connect, ei- ther explicitly or implicitly, with the philosophical notion of the sublime. There are …

Youth Ministry Curriculum Developing Korean American Youth's Christ-Centered Identity, Jonathan Hyung Lee

Doctor of Leadership

In this Project Portfolio, I will address the following NPO: High school students growing up in Korean American immigrant churches need a culturally and ethnically reflective youth curriculum to help them grow in their Christ-centered identity. The overall insight from this research is that there is a lack of youth pastors and youth directors available for the emerging second and third-generation Korean American youths who want to grow in their faith and identity. Although they have attended church since birth, they are growing up without a proper spiritual mentoring relationship that can help them become deeply rooted in faith. They …

Building The Bridge And Crossing It: Using Digital Media To Connect Churches With Their Local Community, Andrew Blair Farley

Doctor of Ministry

This project is designed to address the NPO statement “Churches need strategies to both engage in and measure the effectiveness of digital ministry and discipleship expressions that reflect the unique character and context of their physical gatherings.” During the discovery phase of this project, it was found that many churches want to use digital ministry methods that enhance their in-person ministry and not as a replacement for it. I have found this to be true both in my research and a pastor and pioneer in the field of church communications. The project outlined includes a website to act as a …

The Watering Place™: Creating Space For Spiritually Dehydrated And Hurried Women, Donna M. Cox

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement and Ministry Context: The Watering Place™: Creating Space for Spiritually Dehydrated and Hurried Women seeks to address the NPO: In a speedy, frenzied world, women need [a] space to pursue healing, spiritual connection, be refreshed, and be empowered to grow into the fullest expression of themselves. This project grew out of my position as founder of Doxology Ministries International, Inc., a 501c3 religious organization. For over fifteen years, I have been leading retreats focusing on women.

Key Insights: The Doctoral Project allowed me to explore issues facing women more deeply, particularly conditions impacting women’s health, such as the …

Healthy Souls And Steady Hands: A Relational Model For Soul Care Of Rural, Assemblies Of God Pastors, Nathaniel E. Rhoads

Doctor of Ministry

The NPO: Pastors and their spouses, of rural, Assemblies of God (AG) churches, need a relational structure for sustainable soul care to maintain a healthy spirituality and ministry. Pastors expend great energy caring for the welfare of others through acts such as teaching, counseling, and visiting. But who provides care for pastors? How can pastors take care of themselves? If the souls of pastors are dry, disordered, and dismayed, their relationship with God and service to the church suffers. Pastors in rural communities, typically in small congregations, face particular challenges, especially from geographical isolation and expectations of church growth. In …

Back To Eden: A Practical Ecotheology And Entrepreneurial Endeavor, Laura W. Gordon

Doctor of Ministry

Back to Eden (BTE) practical ecotheology is a presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, anchored in the Garden of Eden story, before the fall of mankind, enculturated in an African ethos within various African perspectives, traditions, and worldviews. It is useful to reclaim God-given African Christian identity and agency. Essentially, BTE ecotheology is mankind divinely integrated vertically with God and horizontally with humanity and His creation, based on Genesis 1–2. It is an appeal to become deeply rooted in the Spiritual soil of divine truth, to become entrenched in the incarnate Son, and to become planted as an ecological …

Space Preacher And The Horror Of Isis (A Film), Joanna Wirtz

Doctor of Ministry

There is a profound misunderstanding among religious “nones” in America about Christianity and what it means to follow Christ, which is caused in part by misrepresentation in various media. If solved, it would mean higher interest in and better representation of authentic Christian perspectives in the public square. I have researched where “nones” and these misunderstandings have come from, Christian perspectives on creativity, and Christians who felt called to create media content for secular audiences. As a preacher, writer, and actor, I feel called to share God’s truth through telling stories. Stories transform how people see the world. I chose …

The Love Effect: Crossing Our Divides Together Into Flourishing, Lang Charters

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement: In a polarized, “us” versus “them” society: How do we embrace and cultivate the richness of ourselves, recognize the goodness of “others,” and come together as one diverse human family; wherein, we grow into greater individual and collective flourishing?

Key Benefits or Insights from Research: The clearest, most helpful insight from my research and reflection is that “strengthening” one’s ability to be in relationships, is much like strengthening one’s muscles. Getting stronger physically, isn’t easy. It takes sweat, perseverance, and effort. You have to wisely push your limits in safe and healthy ways. Relationships, especially when it comes …

Reading Creation: Listening To The Spirit Of God Through Engaging The Natural World, Benjamin L. Black

Doctor of Ministry

We live in a world consumed by commotion. The eyes of most are constantly focused on screens and our attention is often fixated on things of least importance. But what if the church had a means to encourage folks to set aside daily distractions, pay attention to the world, and intentionally listen to the Spirit of God? The following pages are devoted to the idea that: Intentional, outdoor-focused experiences, coupled with guided reflection and thoughtful observation of one’s interactions, have the potential to cultivate engagement with the Spirit of God, leading to spiritual development by creating opportunities for self-awareness and …

Liturgical Items In The Churches Of The Pyriatyn Protopopy In The Second Half Of The 18th Century, Oleksandr Lukyanenko, Vitaly Dmytrenko, Vita Dmytrenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article, based on descriptions of church property, analyzes the state of provision of liturgical items in the parish churches of the Pyriatyn Protopopy (Archdiocese) as an ecclesiastical-administrative district of the Kyiv Metropolitanate. During the second half of the 18th century, there were 87 churches in 81 settlements under the rule of the Archpriest of Pyriatyn. The research found 19 names of things for worship described as church property of the churches of the Pyriatyn Archdiocese. We divide them into three categories. The first includes the clothes in which the priest was dressed during the liturgy, the second unites items …

The Czech Republic: From The Center Of Christendom To The Most Atheist Nation Of The 21st Century: Part Ii: The Martyred Church: The Clandestine Catholic Church (Ecclesia Silentii) In Czechoslovakia After Communism 1991-2021), Scott Vitkovic

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This manuscript consists of two parts, Part I. and Part II. Part I., written by the same author and titled "THE PERSECUTED CHURCH: THE CLANDESTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH (ECCLESIA SILENTII) IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA DURING COMMUNISM 1948 – 1991," was published in the January issue of the Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe (OPREE), ISSN: 2693-2148.2 It includes a brief historical overview and introduces the Clandestine Catholic Church (Ecclesia Silentii) in Czechoslovakia during Communism from 1948 to 1991. Part II. directly follows Part I. and continues with the following sections: Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and References. Part II considers the collapse of the …

Story Communion: A Guidebook For Creating Sacred Space To Foster Kinship Amid Diversity In Christian Communities, Amber Hogan Jones

Doctor of Ministry

Christian communities are deeply divided theologically, socioeconomically, ethnically, and politically; thus, the popularity of the saying: “The most segregated time in America is on Sunday mornings.” Though there is wide consensus that this is problematic due to God’s clear desire for kinship among God’s people, most Christians are unsure what to do about this problem. This project aims to remove common barriers to diverse Christian communion by offering an affordable, easily repeatable, portable model for transformational connection across diverse Christian communities. Utilizing a blended methodology that draws upon bibliographic resources, data derived from stakeholder collaboration, and human-centered design and iteration …

Practice Habits Of Instrumental Music Students In Elementary School Vapa Programs: An Empirical Mixed-Methods Survey, Timothy Johnson

Doctor of Education (EdD)

The purpose of this empirical research study was to gain knowledge about the practice habits of elementary school students in Grades 5 and 6. Sixty-five instrumental music students served as research subjects. They were enrolled in the newly established string orchestra supported by the Fairfax Elementary School District. Drawing upon my empirical experiences and instrumental music training, I identified and examined practice habits affecting motivation to learn music. Data generated from five open-ended and ten closed-ended questions were analyzed and contributed to the findings from the survey. An examination of published literature also contributed to the collection of resource data. …

Project-Based Internationalization: Providing Accessible And Equitable High-Impact Education, Kayli Hillebrand

Doctor of Leadership

Inequitable access to global education has long excluded populations of students that are unable to participate in models that require travel away from their home institution. This is especially felt at institutions with a Hispanic Serving Institute (HSI) designation. Factors that contribute towards this end are varying familial and economic systems, financial models, lack of accessible educational accommodations when not at the home institution, mobility restrictions at the host institution, student ability to travel or obtain proper documentation to travel at the state, federal, or international government levels. Considering inequitable access to global education for university students, embedding Project-Based Internationalization …

Korean American Young Adults: Spiritual And Emotional Formation Though Art, Hesed Lee

Doctor of Ministry

It is a well-known phenomenon in America that many young adults are disengaged from the Church, at the same time they are battling internal emotional conflicts while trying to understand their faith journey. Even though most of them grew up in the Church, participated in church programs, and learned about God, they are anxious, lonely, and struggling to discover their spiritual identity. What then, what are we missing? After conducting an anonymous online survey with Korean American young adults and gathering narrative research from Korean American young adults as well as Asian American English Ministry pastors, this paper explores the …

The Mass Exodus Of Black Millennials From The Black Church: In Search Of Biblical Blackness, Jacqueline A. Trim

Doctor of Ministry

A mass exodus of Black millennials away from the Black churches of the African diaspora has taken place in recent years. There is a plethora of reasons for this given by the Black millennials, spiritual authors/researchers, and the spiritual leadership of the Black church. The most important of these reasons has been put forward by Black millennials that the Bible and Christianity are irrelevant to the social, economic, and political issues of their lives and they want no part of it. This research is undertaken to investigate the real cause(s) of this exodus and to determine where the responsibility lies …

Increasing Conceptual Clarity Of Act Interventions For Burnout: A Novel Workshop For Women In Ministry, Lydia Hogan

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The purpose of this study is threefold; to address a gap in the literature concerning mechanism of change of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) interventions for burnout, to create an evidence-based burnout intervention for women in ministry, and to propose a theory of burnout etiology and recovery. Participants in this novel 6-week online ACT-based workshop showed significant improvement in burnout, particularly those who endorsed higher pre-intervention burnout. Change in burnout scores was inconsistently mediated by changes in psychological flexibility across dimensions of personal burnout, work burnout, and client burnout as measured on the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Findings of this study …

Economic Peacemaking A New Master's Degree In Community Economic Development, Brian Humphreys

Doctor of Ministry

This two-part project is in response to the NPO that Christian leaders struggle to understand how to address complex, ever changing-socioeconomic needs and, if solved, the church would thrive and better address needs in the community. The research for this project confirmed that Christians and church communities increasingly encounter socioeconomic challenges in their efforts to serve their neighbors. Undergraduate students at a Christian university were found to be passionate about addressing these challenges which they also witness in their respective communities. These students also reported low levels of awareness of best practices in economic development and advocacy and policy. The …

Impressions And Arrows: Forming Faithful Preteen Hearts, Wes Gallagher

Doctor of Ministry

This project seeks to address the following NPO: Christian parents in today’s culture need resources and training to face the challenge and have conversations with their pre-teen children about matters of God and faith. Today's Christian parents often struggle to share their faith and values with their children. Parents feel that their own relationship with God is too shallow, that their calendar is too full, and that their relationship with their children is inadequate. Several reassurances surfaced from this research. First, parents and extended families really do have an impact on the faith of their children. Of course, involvement in …

The Liminal Church: Why Navigating Thresholds Between Us Leads To Thriving, Andrew Hale

Doctor of Leadership

Through the discovery, design, and delivery stages of the doctoral project, I centered my work on the following NPO: Churches can thrive when they understand, navigate, and leverage the liminality existing between people, the community, and where God is leading. Despite the myriad of different contexts among local churches, whether polity, worship style, belief statements, and geographical locality, congregations are still composed of people living in relationship to one another and the community around them. Relationships, no matter their nature, are complicated. For the relationships within a local church to thrive, they require intentionality, coaching, effort, openness, and vulnerability. My …

Kingdom Economy Found In A Cup And On A Mat, Nicole J. Richardson

Doctor of Leadership

My NPO is: Churches struggle being relevant forces but could become restorative and thriving communities by rethinking traditional approaches to ecclesiology through reframing Biblical koinonia, mission, and worship. Curating a well-balanced “third space” that offers opportunities for people to engage in their spiritual pilgrimage will fill a void in our context. Additionally, it will offer the universal church another way to nurture community, define worship, and practice relational mission daily through radical hospitality. I serve a Presbyterian Church in North Carolina. The focus is to serve an 8-mile radius in the Piedmont Triad area focusing on the Nones and Dones …

Liberated Voices An Online Course In Speaking Up, Seth J. Thomas

Doctor of Ministry

NPO Statement: The white church and its leaders have demonstrated postures of silence and privilege, which need to be lovingly disrupted to leverage and encourage the liberative witness at the heart of the biblical narrative.

Key Insights: Faith leaders from the white church are hungry for resources that encourage them to participate in the struggles for social justice in this present era of ministry. Many desire to speak the truth with love but need encouragement and permission to leverage that witness they find in the scriptures. The liberation theology tradition offers excellent historical and present examples of God’s preferential option …

Facing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus Through Art, Imagery, And Imagination, Julie Schendel

Doctor of Ministry

In this Project Portfolio, I will address the following NPO: Christians have a limited understanding of the nature and character of Jesus due to the whitewashed imagery and artwork many American churches portray. Much of the historical artwork shows Jesus with Caucasian or European features that are relatable only to a certain demographic, leaving many minority groups excluded. The overall key insights from my research are twofold: First, a lot of modern artworks that share broader expressions of Jesus are still relatively inaccessible due to licensing fees and limited audiences. Second, most churchgoers have never been encouraged to question the …

Thriving Pastors Cohort: Expanding Capacity For Lifelong Ministry, Michael Spivey

Doctor of Ministry

Assemblies of God pastors can expand their capacity for lifelong thriving by avoiding or recovering from ministry fatigue or burnout. The key insights that emerged from my research are as such: 1) Ministers are a vulnerable and largely self-isolating group who need a mechanism for spiritual growth and companionship. 2) There is already good work being accomplished in this arena, but pastoral thriving can be further nuanced and presented in a non-threatening and life-giving way. 3) There is not a singular way to accomplish the task of assisting ministers to engage in ongoing spiritual advancement. The cohort is but one …

Healing Through Homecoming Rediscovering The Hospitality Of Jesus As The Mission Tone Of The Church, W. Matthew Rice

Doctor of Ministry

This Project Portfolio addresses the following NPO: In an increasingly hostile culture, there is an opportunity to incarnate the hospitality of Jesus to a world in need of God’s embrace; in doing so, the Church will rediscover and release the mission tone of Jesus, a kindness that heals as it welcomes people home and leads to Spirit-empowered turns. The key insight of my research is that the coming of Jesus is the ultimate expression of ancient hospitality, and when God’s kindness permeates the mission tone of a church, it creates an environment where the gospel is heard, the Spirit’s power …

Sol's Porch: Seeking A More Unified Church In A Divisive Culture, Kevin Miller

Doctor of Ministry

In this project portfolio, I will address the following NPO: The fragmented church has countless interpretations of truth caused by tribal fear, which has created ongoing divisions and a longing for control. If unified in Jesus, we could see radical inclusivity in future generations. The key finding in my research revealed the unifying power of Jesus being the ultimate authority of our faith, Bible readings, and Christian practice. I have seen the prevalent church fragments in America and in my current context as a missionary in Toulouse, France. I believe the power of story and metaphor can play a part …