Arts and Humanities Commons^™

A Story, Metaphor, And A Matrix For The Truly Rural Church That Grows Christ Followers In An Uncertain Future, Lon Hider

Doctor of Ministry

The Church is always one generation away from extinction. There are larger trends that jeopardize the future of rural churches in my area. Evidence suggests there will not be enough Millennials to keep these rural churches viable. The rural churches built themselves on the “world-as-it-used-to-be.” But this world is fading with younger generations. Current approaches are unlikely to keep the ship afloat.

The “world-as-it-used-to-be” distorted the biblical narrative culminating in Christ. This story does not have weight with younger generations. If followers of Jesus in a rural context can embrace the correct biblical narrative, they can grow in their humanity …

Reframing The Gospel For Millennials: A Study In Shame, Identity, And Belonging, Douglas Heck

Doctor of Ministry

Chapter 1 introduces the problematic issue around communication between the three major divergent worldviews, known as: 1) innocence/guilt, 2) honor/shame, and 3) power/fear. Chapter 2 is focused on the biblical roots describing the three negative emotions of guilt, shame, and fear. These problematic emotions birthed three worldviews, which are identified as three culture-types. Comparing the differences in these three culture-types helps to explain the millennials’ mindset shift. They are moving away from their original guilt/innocence mindset toward a shame/honor mindset. This shift has resulted in a communication gap that causes them to abandon their childhood churches.

People acquire their primary …

A Journey Through The Traditional And Biblical Church Leadership Practices: With Special Consideration To Administering The Church Ordinances, Lynda Wright Gittens

Doctor of Ministry

Leadership in some denominations is traditionally structured as in the corporate world. For example, the senior pastor position is synonymous to Chief Executor Officer, and the deacons comprise the Board of Directors. Church and corporate organizations both have bylaws and policies identifying their beliefs and guidelines. In building a leadership team, the corporate and church officers normally follow an interview process of candidates.

This dissertation discusses developing a leadership team that aligns with Jesus’ leadership style. A bird’s eye view of the American Baptist Churches USA churches, located in Houston Texas, traditional practices and the apostle’s traditional practices selecting leadership …

Using Comedy To Build Community In Local Churches: How Laughing Together Can Bring People Together, Jason T. Deuman

Doctor of Ministry

Comedy is present in some form in every culture. Understanding humor theories and the effects of comedy on individuals and groups can help local churches foster community in their congregation as well as build bridges for non-congregants to join the community. Developing healthy community through comedy is one of the ways that church leaders can counter the isolation and disconnection occurring in American culture. This project examines humor in the Bible in order to help pastors teach on the value of humor. Church leaders have embraced and rejected humor throughout history. Understanding the various ways comedy has been used in …

Workplace Democracy And The Problem Of Equality, Jared Sterling Colton, Avery C. Edenfield, Steve Holmes

English Faculty Publications

Purpose: Professional communicators are becoming more invested in unique configurations of power in organizations, including non-hierarchical and democratic workplaces. While organizations dedicated to democratic processes may enact power differently than conventional organizations, they may fall short of practicing equality. This article explains the differences in non-hierarchical workplaces, considers businesses where democracy is a goal, and argues for considering equality as a habitual practice, particularly when writing regulatory documents.

Method: We conduct a review of the literature on non-hierarchical workplaces and organizational democracy, applying Jacques Rancière’s concept of equality to two examples (one using primary data collection and one using secondary …

Next: Risd 2020-27 Year One Implementation, Office Of Integrated Planning, Risd President

Strategic Plan

Implementing the plan To translate strategies into action, RISD’s senior leadership is working through existing committee structures or creating working groups that will research and recommend specific courses of action to implement initiatives referenced in the plan. These leaders are also working directly with deans, department heads and other members of the campus community to develop action plans with specific goals for each year, along with annual progress reports that track our success. Every member of the RISD community—on campus and off—makes significant contributions to this effort and is essential as we work together to move RISD forward. Take a …

Office Of Ministry With The Deaf Newsletter, February 2019

Office of Ministry with the Deaf Newsletter

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Springfield, MA

Office of Ministry with the Deaf Newsletter Finding Aid

Icda-Us Mid-West Young Adult Newsletter, February 2019

ICDA-US Mid-West Young Adult Newsletter

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in USA

Why The Duty To Self-Censor Requires Social-Media Users To Maintain Their Own Privacy, Earl W. Spurgin

2019 Faculty Bibliography

Revelations of personal matters often have negative consequences for social-media users. These consequences trigger frequent warnings, practical rather than moral in nature, that social-media users should consider carefully what they reveal about themselves since their revelations might cause them various difficulties in the future. I set aside such practical considerations and argue that social-media users have a moral obligation to maintain their own privacy that is rooted in the duty to self-censor. Although Anita L. Allen provides a paternalist justification of the duty that supports my position that social-media users are obligated to self-censor what they reveal about themselves, I …

Social Media Polarization And The Ministry Of Reconciliation, Douglas Bursch

Doctor of Ministry

Online communication is becoming increasingly divisive. This dissertation argues that the best way for individuals to decrease social media polarization is for people to engage in the ministry of reconciliation in their social media interactions. Section One describes how social media polarizes because the medium promotes networked individualism, exaggerates dehumanizing “discarnate” communication and numbs humanity’s ability to form meaningful relationships. The left-brain focused argumentation, writing-centered communication and depersonalized nature of online interactions increase a lack of empathy in social media users and add to the polarizing chaos evident in many social media conflicts. Section Two examines how individuals have unsuccessfully …

Local Church Revitalization Through Christological Discipleship, Philip Rolsing

Doctor of Ministry

Evangelical churches, in stagnation or decline, can find greater effectiveness by theologically reframing their goals and processes of formation to a Christological discipleship method based on union with Christ. Recent attempts, by Evangelical churches, to spiritually mature its members are proving to be ineffective. Data indicates Evangelical churches desire to disciple their members, however; current approaches initiate congregants into the programs of the church rather than the body of Christ.

The results indicate a growing number of people love the Lord and dislike the church. Studies affirm this to be true and identify growth in America’s religious landscape with those …

Caroline Ferraris-Besso, Assistant Professor Of French, Musselman Library, Caroline Ferraris-Besso

Next Page

In this first column of the spring semester, Caroline Ferraris-Besso, Assistant Professor of French, shares which recent novel made her laugh out loud, her favorite cookbooks (and favorite brioche recipe!), and works that have inspired her academic writing.

Why Do This And What Do I Need?: A Workshop For Preparing Swca Certification Proposals, Scott Whiddon, Russell Carpenter, Courtnie Morin, Kevin Dvorak, Joy Bracewell

CAHSS Faculty Presentations, Proceedings, Lectures, and Symposia

In this workshop, participants will gain a detailed sense of the benefits for writing center certification via SWCA. After reviewing the process for certification design, current SWCA Research & Development committee members will guide workshop participants through a series of brainstorming activities to help directors begin to develop materials for application packets. The goal of this workshop is to help demystify the process of application, to prompt reflection on materials that centers might already have, and to encourage participation in the SWCA certification program.

Revitalizing The Church Through Reaching Men With Families, Mike Conan

Doctor of Ministry

Churches today face a unique crisis as most of them are either declining or plateaued, and the culture around them has changed, and men have not responded with faith and godliness, but instead with fear and withdrawal. Churches, especially conservative evangelical churches, who can overcome the worldview struggles and learn to embrace the postmodern, and overcome the struggles of patriarchy and learn to see how the power bestowed by society can be used for good, can see revitalization that will bring renewal to every part of their churches. Reaching these men usually brings new life to the entire church, as …

My Daily Labor To Pursue: A Wesleyan Perspective On The Integration Of Faith And Work, Jason Wellman

Doctor of Ministry

Work is a central part of being human. Yet, in the Church, few discuss how one’s faith impacts his/her work. Laity struggle with discerning how their faith should be integrated with their career. While this is a problem in many churches and denominations, it is prevalent in churches from the Wesleyan theological tradition. This dissertation lays the groundwork for developing a Wesleyan perspective on the integration of faith and work.

Chapter one addresses the problem many experience in the Wesleyan tradition to find any substantive literature that provides a uniquely Wesleyan perspective on work and faith. This chapter looks at …

The Promise And Purpose Of Love And Belonging In Shaping The Spiritual Destiny Of Sixth Graders, Jim Newby

Doctor of Ministry

The consilience of interpersonal neurobiology and theology is the template for the viscidity of faith throughout one’s lifetime. The congruence of disciplines conclude that what is experienced and believed before the age of thirteen determines how one will live their life. The loss of connection to parents at home and adults within the faith community, is cultivating isolation, loneliness, and the loss of love and belonging in each emerging generation.

Chapter One introduces the deprecating beliefs that are practiced during the first twelve years of one’s life that ultimately lead young believers away from homes and communities of faith and …

The Purple Book, Office Of Mission

Holy Cross Bookshelf

This untitled volume, commonly referred to as "The Purple Book" was first produced in 2011 by the College Committee on Mission and Identity to provide informative essays on Jesuit education, The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the history of the College of the Holy Cross. It was intended that the book might also offer a rich sampling of sacred texts and poems submitted by students, faculty, and members of the staff.

García Márquez: Un Fenómeno Periodístico En El Mundo En Inglés, Juan Luis Suárez

CulturePlex Lab DataPoints

No abstract provided.

García Márquez: Journey Into The English-Speaking World, Juan Luis Suárez

CulturePlex Lab DataPoints

No abstract provided.

The Real Inspector Hound, Lynn University

Drama Programs

By: Tom Stoppard

Feuding theater critics, Moon and Birdboot—the first a fusty philanderer and the second a pompous and vindictive second-stringer—are swept into the whodunit they’re reviewing. In this hilarious spoof, an Agatha Christie-like melodrama unfolds in a fast-paced romp to find the real culprit.

In The Real Inspector Hound, Tony and Academy award-winning playwright Tom Stoppard has crafted a witty, surreal, and compelling tale in which identity is as changeable as a moustache, or a pair of boots, and a hack production of a tired whodunnit can be the cover for a masterful revenge plot, trained on the …

Mable Fuchs Papers, (1920-1921), Mabel Fuchs

Center for Restoration Studies Archives, Manuscripts and Personal Papers Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Inlp Newsletter, February 2019, Indigenous Nations Library Program

Monthly Newsletters

Contents

- Academic Service Hours

• University Libraries Spring 2019 Regular Hours
• Ethnic Centers Tutoring Hours
• CAPS Learning Strategies February Workshops
• Graduate Resources Center Spring 2019 Workshops
• INLP February Indigenuity Workshops

-20th American Indian Studies Association (AISA) Conference

-Imagining America - 2019 Gathering

-INLP Updates

-INLP Student Employee Spotlight: Spencer Sandoval

Finding Aid For Mable Fuchs Papers, Abilene Christian University Special Collections And Archives

Mable Fuchs Papers

Finding aid for Mable Fuchs Papers, (1920-1921).

Next: Risd 2020-27, Office Of Integrated Planning, Risd President

Strategic Plan

NEXT, RISD’s seven-year strategic plan, builds on our progressive roots and willingness to experiment, iterate and embrace change. Created collaboratively by members of the RISD community, the strategic plan proposes how we intend to educate students for the future and bring our current creative practices to bear on today’s most critical social, political and environmental challenges.

“A Matter Of Great Importance”: Interest Groups, The Senate Judiciary Committee, And Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings, Elizabeth A. Lane, Jessica A. Schoenherr

Arlen Specter Center Research Fellowship

As Senator Arlen Specter once explained, the Supreme Court confirmation process is a “matter of great importance” to the president, the nominee, senators, and the public at large. The public cares who sits on the Court, and interest groups play a key role in disseminating information about the nominee and his or her qualifications for the job. In this paper, we focus on one piece of interest groups’ involvement in Supreme Court confirmation hearings: their decision to send senators summarized information about the nominees via briefing books. We use a combination of archival research and text analysis to examine the …

Breaking Evangelical: An Attachment-Focused Framework For Healing Spiritual Trauma, Ashley M. Davis

Doctor of Ministry

About 25 percent of the US population is religiously unaffiliated, and about 70 percent of these individuals are former Christians (Pew Research, PRRI, Gallup, Barna). Included in this phenomenon is the spiritual traumatization of women within evangelical churches, which has been revealed partially through the #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements on social media.

At the core of spiritual abuse is the issue of broken attachments (human bonding and communion with God). God created people for community, and abuse is direct injury to this vital aspect of our humanity. This work explores theories and concepts of perichoresis, God attachment, and interpersonal attachment …

Re-Imagining The Lord's Supper As A Place Of Belonging And Hospitality In The Christian Churches/Churches Of Christ, Katy Drage Lines

Doctor of Ministry

This dissertation reimagines the independent Christian Churches' practice of Communion as a means of belonging within a community—and as an opportunity for hospitality and welcoming others. Unfortunately, the deficient theological understanding and trivializing of communion within many independent Christian Churches contributes to a lack of ecclesial identity and authentic openness to others. It will be argued that when an independent Christian Church congregation prioritizes and collectively practices communion, it strengthens their identity, mission, and connection to one another and puts in place opportunities to welcome outsiders into their community through shared meals. The concept of permeable belonging will be introduced, …

A New Koinonia: Rediscovering Community Through Online Communities Of Practice, Christal M. N. Jenkins

Doctor of Ministry

The 21st century American church sits in the crux of a paradigm shift. The shift is driven by the decline in community and the need to evolve in the manner and methods used to maintain fellowship with believers who are seeking community. The loss of community presents both a challenge and an opportunity. One way in which we, as the church, can expand our connection with one another is through incorporating communities of practice. Communities of practice consist of three main components: domain (shared interest), community, and practice. The conceptual framework of communities of practice can foster community and discipleship …

The Melody Of Mutuality: Integrating Theological And Psychological Principles For Egalitarian Churches To Better Support Marriages, Jennifer J. Dean-Hill

Doctor of Ministry

The dynamic combination of the unique characteristics of man and woman have been described by author Carolyn Custis James as The Blessed Alliance. Yet power struggles, misunderstandings, and unmet expectations often plague the particular struggles of modern marriages therefore creating a demand for marriage therapists and psychological modalities that seek to rectify the conflictive divide among the genders. Marriage therapy has provided tools and methods for marriages to resolve their differences, strive for a relationship of equity, and develop a culture of mutuality. These new and improved marriages attend egalitarian churches, only to discover the gender wars are still being …

The Failure Of Interwar Democracy And Current Implications, Christopher Browning

Rondel V. Davidson Endowed Lecture Series

From the AP website: "EDINBURG — A renowned Holocaust scholar, Christopher Browning was on-hand Thursday at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley campus as part of the UTRGV Rondel Davidson Lecture Series..."

Abstract of lecture:

Allied victory in World War I was proclaimed as making the world safe for democracy, yet the interwar period witnessed widespread democratic failure. Most important, democratic failure in Italy and Germany resulted in fascist dictatorships, war, and--in the case of Nazi Germany--genocide. In 1989, as earlier in 1919, democracy seemed triumphant, but in many countries democracy is now in retreat. What insights does the …