Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Worship In Life, Worship In Death: Elements Of Worship In A Believer’S Final Days, James William Lawrence

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In Isaiah 43:21 (English Standard Version), God declares through his prophet that he created humankind for himself, for them to declare his praises. God created humanity to worship. In the last phase of a believer's life, there is a possibility of not being able to join the rest of the church in corporate worship. This text addresses the question: How does assisting shut-in Protestant Christians with end-of-life worship impact the patient, family, and the concept of dying well? Pastors, chaplains, and ministers from many walks of life have recorded and underlined the importance of worshipful pastoral care in the latter …

Conforming To The Image Of Christ: Addressing Spiritual Immaturity Utilizing Strategic Bible-Based Pastoral Counseling In A Rural Church Context, Leonard Carpenter Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Strong and healthy churches are made up of strong and healthy disciples. The ministry context for this qualitative action research project was the Saint Mark Missionary Baptist Church, a predominately Black congregation located in the Pea Ridge community of Brewton, Alabama. The problem was some members at Saint Mark engaged in spiritually immature actions that evoked immature reactions which yielded unhealthy relationships. To address the problem, the researcher developed and implemented the “Strategic Bible-Based Pastoral Counseling Program” (SBPCP), a strategic Christian ministry that provided participants one-on-one pastoral counseling opportunities for the purpose of building up spiritually healthier Christians. SBPCP consisted …

Using Situational Leadership To Disciple And Develop Men For Spiritual Leadership In The Home, Christopher N. Andrews

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God has designed the family to be the primary source of faith and spiritual formation, commanding all parents to pass along the faith and teach the commandments to their children. Scripture teaches that men hold a special role as the spiritual leader of the home. For men to fulfil this God appointed role they need to be trained and mentored. At the time of this research there was no formal ministry dedicated to the spiritual development of men at FBC Brandenburg. The purpose of this research was to test the Situational Leadership Model in a discipleship program designed to train …

Building Hope In Outreach Ministry, Preston W. Boerner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Churches and faith-based organizations may discover their role in fulfilling the Great Commission seems to be overshadowed by their efforts to provide other forms of relief and support. Central Florida, like many different regions in the United States, is facing an epidemic of homelessness and addiction. Natural and manmade disasters also present urgent and existential threats. The researcher believes that building true and lasting hope in Jesus is key to facing these challenges in the long term. He hypothesized that intractable barriers may create hopelessness and shift the focus of ministry away from inspiring hope. He conducted purposive interviews and …

Stories Of The Re-Awakening, Joseph Cecil Broadbent

Masters Theses

The Present piece takes a look at the realms of the fantastical and vital elements that help to create a best seller. The creative piece is a brief look into a hopefully soon to be published Fantasy/Science Fiction Young Adult Teenage series. Brief insights are followed by a prologue and four book beginnings to welcome the reader into its world.

Experiences Of South Carolina Middle School Music Directors Teaching Multicultural Music In Performance Classes: A Multiple Case Study, Helen Bryan Terlizzi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple case study was to discover the experiences of middle school music directors in providing multicultural music performance experiences for students in South Carolina. The theory guiding this study was Cultural-Historical Activity Theory as it allowed for the examination of tools used for teaching and learning. A qualitative multiple case study design allowed for the collection of data from four purposefully selected middle schools in South Carolina. The study sought to answer the central research question: How do music educators describe their experiences in teaching multicultural music in music performance classes? The focus of the research …

A Holistic Approach To Music For Stress Management During Pregnancy, Danielle Emily Dixon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pregnancy is a transformative journey for women, but amidst the excitement and anticipation that most women experience, pregnancy often raises stress levels to profound heights for various reasons, which may include hormonal fluctuations, physical discomforts, concerns about the baby’s health, financial pressures, relationship changes, fear of labor and birth, life adjustments, and societal expectations. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to examine how music interventions impacted stress levels during pregnancy. This two-week study employed an in-person group experiment involving pregnant women. The study sample was selected via voluntary response sampling, where pregnant women volunteered to participate in …

The Chronology Of Jesus' Triple Fulfillment Of The Feasts Of Israel, Carter Day Watson

Masters Theses

Much of modern scholarship believes that Jesus only fulfilled the spring feasts of Israel during His First Coming and will fulfill the fall feasts in His Second Coming. This thesis argues that this view is mistaken; instead, the biblical and historical evidence points towards Jesus already fulfilling both the spring and fall feasts during His First Coming: (1) Trumpets with His birth on September 29, 2 BCE (and Herod the Great's death on January 27, 1 BCE); (2) the Day of Atonement with His spiritual baptism on October 6, 29 CE and physical baptism on October 14, 29 CE; (3) …

The Two Gospel Hypothesis, Nicholas Wischman

Masters Theses

The Two Document Hypothesis, the view that Matthew and Luke used Mark independently alongside a lost source called Q, has become the predominant theory of the order of the Synoptic Gospels. This is a defense of the Two Gospel Hypothesis, the theory that Luke used Matthew and Mark used both Matthew and Luke.

Arranging And Communication Techniques For The Studio Music Producer: A Curriculum, Elizabeth A. Rajcok

Masters Theses

College music students who desire to pursue careers in the commercial music industry would benefit from learning all aspects of music production, including the techniques of rhythm section instruments and the intricacies of various genres. However, courses that provide students with hands-on training in communicating and arranging within a recording studio are lacking in residential collegiate contemporary and commercial music degrees. Students lacking in multi- instrument knowledge and immersion in contemporary genres may find their insufficiency is an impediment when functioning in their desired profession as a music producer post-college. The curriculum project detailed in this study is designed to …

"Where The Heart Is Really Attached": Partner Compatibility In The Works Of Jane Austen, Mary Amick

Masters Theses

This thesis discusses the works of Jane Austen and how the author depicts marriages throughout her novels. It examines the values that Austen recommends to attain a happy marriage and argues that these values were shaped by Austen’s Christian heritage. Austen encourages people to marry but cautions them to choose their partner wisely. She makes it clear that an unwise choice would lead to future strife in the relationship. Austen claims that the traits necessary for a healthy and happy marriage relationship are a partner that encourages intellectual stimulation, a partner that is compatible both morally and temperamentally, and a …

The Brand Identity Paradox: Connecting With New Gen Audiences At Greater Scale, Osinor Xavier Kakhu

Masters Theses

This research explores the importance of authenticity in modern marketing, particularly when targeting underrepresented audiences. By examining the challenges and opportunities presented by social media, emerging technologies, and audience preference studies, this paper argues that brands must go beyond surface-level diversity efforts and genuinely engage with diverse communities. Through case studies and theoretical frameworks, the research highlights the potential benefits of authentic marketing, including increased brand loyalty, market expansion, and positive societal impact.

Project Rethread: Developing Habits Of Sustainable Fashion Consumption Among Gen Z, Jason Daniel Moore

Masters Theses

Fast Fashion yields profound negative consequences on both the environment and society, leading to an annual release of 4.13 billion lbs. of CO2 emissions (according to the IEA). Driven by passing trends, fast fashion brands flood the market with excessive merchandise, often priced lower than more sustainable alternatives, promoting a culture of rapid consumption and disposal among consumers.

The number of Gen Z (born between 1995 and 2010) who shop for fast fashion is higher than ever, despite this generation’s stance on environmental sustainability and social activism. While there are many possible reasons that influence Gen Z to shop fast …

Pastoral Counseling In African American Churches, Allen Tyrone Smith Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

African Americans, as a people group, are generally reluctant to pursue clinical support related to emotional or mental health issues. Black people underutilize professional services that address emotional and mental health-related problems (Hankerson & Weissman, 2012). According to Neighbors et al. (1998), regardless of problem type or severity, individuals less likely to secure assistance from professionals are those who contact pastors first. Avent et al. (2015) noted that African American Christians who seek religious support tied to a variety of circumstances choose to access their pastor in order to be supported in opposition to a professional counselor. A perception exists …

Outlaw Country Chronicles: Rebels, Roots, And Cultural Change, Ashleigh Diane Howell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Music provides lyrics and symbols to express art within the society. The goal of this research project is to examine the outlaw movement in the country music genre to study the connection of the working-class American culture to the music. Additionally, the purpose of this project is to establish the strong relationship of folk genre and country music as an endeavor to provide authentic lyrics that reach into the past to reflect the experiences of the changes in the present. The outlaw movement in the country music genre provided a unique capture through the lyrics and reflection to the culture …

Crisis Of Youth Homelessness In Birmingham, Alabama, Velma Annette Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The economic and educational conditions of Jefferson County, Alabama, have contributed significantly to the increase of homeless families with children (LaGory et al., 2018). The failures of the foster care system have exponentially increased the population of homeless youth ages 19 to 26 (Burge et al., 2021). The lack of efficient public transportation emergency and affordable long-term housing has created a permanent population of homelessness (Kelly, 2020). Within the homeless culture, the increased incidents of violence, substance abuse, and sexual and physical abuse combined with functional illiteracy create an environment that breeds repetitive behaviors that reproduce the homeless outcomes (Burge …

From Enemies To Friends: German Prisoners-Of-War In Michigan During World War Ii, Abigail J. Runk

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

During World War II, the United States government created a program, with the assistance of other Allied forces to house, care, and feed foreign Axis troops in the United States. Sent on Liberty ships to American shores, approximately 425,000 German prisoners arrived between 1943 and 1945. Stationed in camps across the country, these prisoners interacted with the citizenry and directly challenged their ideology.

For prisoners sent to Michigan, the citizens willfully violated War Department guidelines concerning prisoner treatment. The violations were not inhumane. Rather, the disobedience came from being too friendly, supplying prisoners with food, conversation and clothing, which was …

Constructing A Transformative Methodology Of Discipleship: A Qualitative Case Study Of The African Strategic Discipleship Movement (Asdm), Anne Sylvia Meredith Frey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to discover how discipleship can be transformative for the learners within the African Strategic Discipleship Movement (ASDM) training program currently being offered to Christian denominations located in 33 countries throughout Africa. The educational theory that guided this study was Bruner’s constructivism methodology of learning as it suggested a theoretical framework that could be integrated into the field of discipleship. The Central Research Question asked how the specific instructional methods and practices of discipleship presented by the African Strategic Discipleship Movement (ASDM) provide or not provide the participants with transformational results. Sub-research questions asked about …

The Impact Of U.S. Air Force Close Air Support Of The Army On Joint Doctrine And The Battlefield 1943 - 2003, Nathan Andre Pierre Bachand

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In American military historiography, the primary focus has often been on strategic bombing, large-scale infantry and armor maneuvers, asymmetrical warfare, the horrors of war, and the romanticized imagery of air-to-air combat. Historians rarely decide to delve into the impact of a specific type of mission and its evolution over time within the broader context of American wars throughout the 20th and early 21st Centuries. However, in an era of rapid technological and doctrinal changes, it is essential for historians to explore which specific missions have had the most significant impact on American military operations. One of the most impactful missions …

Millennial Evangelism: Mobilizing Millennials Towards Faith-Sharing At Hope Chapel Foursquare Church, Peter O. Kolawole

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project addresses the problem of dispassion or apparent detachment from the ministry of evangelism among millennials at Hope Chapel Foursquare church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Evangelism is the cornerstone of the Foursquare Church, of which Hope Chapel is a branch. As members of Hope Chapel come for bi-monthly community faith-sharing events, the largest group in the church, the millennial, was noticeably waning, which, if not rectified, will prevent the church from achieving its missional mandate. Evangelism is the nucleus and gateway to spiritual formation is essential to the Great Commission. Attaining spiritual formation and discipleship leads to …

Shine A Light Into The Darkness: Illuminating The Battles Fought By Civil War Prisoners Of War, Marybeth Allison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Four hundred thousand Union and Confederate soldiers found themselves imprisoned by the enemy during the American Civil War. Of that number, over fifty-six thousand captives died in the prison camps while their comrades endured unspeakable conditions. The amount of misery and suffering inside these prisons is undeniable, and the history of Civil War prisons encompasses a dark chapter in American history. Much scholarship exists on the prisons and the conditions of the prisons; however, this work focuses on the prisoners’ experiences in their own words. Prisoners continued fighting battles, and most of all, they battled to find light in the …

Psalm 110 And Covenantal Faithfulness In The Eschatological Role Of A Faithful Priest, Seng N. Sumhka

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The eschatological role of a faithful priest is first mentioned in a prophecy from Samuel: “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind” (1 Sam 2:35a, English Standard Version). Remarkably, the two oracles in Psalm 110, based on the structure and progressive development of priestly covenants associated with the prophecy of a faithful priest, have the nature and function of the priesthood in the Old Testament. The “priest” mentioned in Psalm 110: 4b refers to a priest-king like Melchizedek, but the “priest” in 1 Samuel …

Wisdom City: Towards A Political Reading Of The Wisdom Genre, James E. Golec Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The contemporary conversation surrounding the wisdom genre shows a lack of consensus regarding the origin, nature, and biblical use of wisdom. This situation can be improved through reading the biblical wisdom genre politically, revealing the principles that create and sustain a God-fearing society. The hermeneutical key to accomplish this task begins with the claim that the book of Proverbs presents itself as a ‘city in a book.’ The outline of Proverbs, especially via the first nine chapters, introduces coherence between the concept of wisdom and an archetypal city. Second, the book provides a transformative engine, which can be found in …

If The Balloon Goes Up: A History Of U.S. Army Maneuvers And Their Effectiveness, 1902-1944, Randall S. Wells Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The historiography surrounding U.S. Army military readiness exercises and their effectiveness in improving or increasing the resultant fighting power of Army Ground Forces is an untouched field of study. This work fills that historical gap by exploring and analyzing a series of U.S. Army readiness maneuvers conducted for forty-plus years that sought to closely replicate the actual conditions of combat that Army Ground Forces were expected to encounter. In doing so, it reveals the criticality of ensuring effective military readiness exercises accomplish their primary intent, which is to use actual military vehicles, aircraft, naval vessels, weapons, and tactics to facilitate …

The Impact Of Colonization, The Problem Of Evil, And The African Traditional Religion Worldview On Biblical Hermeneutics In West Africa, Christopher Blay

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research paper delves into the complex relationship between colonization, African Traditional Religion (ATR), the problem of evil, and their impact on interpreting biblical texts in West Africa. The study explores how historical colonization, cultural beliefs rooted in ATR, and the existential question of evil have shaped the lens through which Millennials and Gen Z in West Africa engage with Christianity.

Through an analysis of historical sources, scholarly works, and academic articles, this paper highlights how these factors have contributed to a decline in interest in Christianity among the youth in the region. The paper also emphasizes the importance of …

Discovering The Value Of Decision-Making Through Meaningful Experiences During High School Marching Band, William V. Reese

Masters Theses

This paper reviews the decision-making skills that can be acquired during a young musician’s life while participating in the marching band. Marching band can have a major effect on a person’s life, and many things can be connected to the life practices of a civilized adult. Characteristics of good judgment can be exercised when participating in a marching band. There are a lot of decisional practices that can be displayed in the growth of a scholarly musician and their journey to becoming a responsible adult. The purpose of school is to prepare the youth for adulthood choices and marching band …

What Christians Should Expect: Life Immediately After Death, Larry Kuka

Masters Theses

This paper examines Old Testament, New Testament, ancient Jewish, Near Eastern, and Christian documents to determine what the Word of God says about life immediately after death (afterlife). I will not examine references to the resurrection or to end times. The research for this paper from primary, secondary, and tertiary sources will be examined and explained, and the conclusions drawn will identify the passages in Scripture and other scholarly sources that explain life immediately after death for believers of Jesus Christ. Theological documents, cultural interpretations, societal perspectives, as well as biblical teachings will be examined to establish understanding, reassurance, and …

1930 Chicago, Irish American Life, And Its Adaptation Into Historical Fiction: The Ups And Downs Of Percival Dooley, A Novella, Katy Leigh Foster

Masters Theses

The thesis examines and explains literary techniques of historical fiction. Observations and studies of historical photographs and handwritten letters, along with qualitative research through studies, journals, historical fiction pieces, and Chicago info-maps, provided accuracy for the historical fiction and a clear reflection of humanity, which is significant in understanding the argument.

Ultimately, the historical fiction shows not just 1930 American society, but where it is today. The thesis argues and proves that whimsical tones are appropriate and effective despite the uneasy time and setting and the foreboding conflicts during 1930.

The story is set in Chicago in the year 1930. …

Millennials And Fasting: A Healthy Alternative, Christopher M. Hunt

Masters Theses

Millennials are facing more chronic health problems than any previous generation. They are experiencing a higher rate of disease for all the top conditions that affected their predecessors at the same age range. Most of these issues stem from an overconsumption culture that drastically increased during the millennial generation and is only projected to worsen. These habits start from a young age when the youth are taught to finish eating everything on their plate, even if they are not hungry, and consume at least three meals a day, which is seen as a mandatory requirement for a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, …

Divine Threads: Unraveling Testimony, Character Development, And Christianity In Fantasy Narratives, Miranda Wessman

Masters Theses

Characters are the backbone of fantasy fiction novels. In fact, characters are one of the core components of any novel no matter the genre. In every successful novel, you will find at least one protagonist and one antagonist. Some novelists choose to tell their stories through the use of multiple characters, all of whom have complicated stories of their own. The reason so many fantasy fiction novels are successful is not just because of the magic and worldbuilding, but the characters using the magic. Character development is intertwined with the character’s testimony which can be seen through the characters found …