Religion Commons^™

Pastoral Perceptions Of Formal Mental Health Training In The Black Church, Monique Bethea-Covington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This purpose of this phenomenological study is to broadly explore the role of the Black Church in providing mental health support by facilitating linkages to professional mental health services by exploring pastoral perceptions of mental health through examination of their experiences with church members. Ten African American pastors of Black Churches in North and South Carolina completed semi-structured, qualitative interviews describing their backgrounds, attitudes, and their mental health experiences within the church. Many of the respondents reported having members of their congregation disclose challenges or difficulties with their mental health. Most of the pastors reported that they understood the need …

How Parents Established Foundations For Biblical Worldview Development In Elementary-Age Children Who Graduated From Bw Leadership Institute, Wendy Bernstein Griffin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to explore how evangelical Christian parents established foundations for biblical worldview development in their elementary-age children (5-10) so that a model of this process could be created. This study also examined the value of a parental organizational partnership. The participants in this study included evangelical Christian parents who possess a biblical worldview and their emerging adult children who are also evangelical Christians who maintain a biblical worldview and who graduated from Biblical Worldview Leadership Institute within the last 6 years. The theory guiding this study was Sire's (2015) three-dimensional concept of …

Shaping Worldviews: Helping High School Seniors Manage The Influence Of Social Media, Geoffrey Michael Janes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The rapid development of technology in recent decades has brought with it many unforeseen challenges. This project focuses on the challenge of learning to manage the influence social media has on worldviews. Young people are consuming information on social media with little or no instruction on how to discern what is real or true. Worldviews are being shaped by influencers who proclaim ideological messages that are often in conflict with a biblical Christian worldview. As with any tool, social media in the hands of a trained user can be used powerfully for good. Without a proper understanding and awareness of …

Messaging The Mission: Developing And Implementing A Messaging Strategy For The Mission Statement Of Monticello Christian Church, Tanetta S. Dawson-Snyder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMIN thesis project focuses on the inherent need to strategically message the mission statement of the Monticello Christian Church to its leaders, thus preparing them to relay it to the congregation for greater unity in fulfilling the misso Dei. With a focus on the educational training model, the study examines how the application of acquired knowledge empowers a church body to embrace a singular missional purpose. The training sessions were designed to help leaders utilize their cognitive and spiritual gifts to comprehend the depth and width of the missional message statement and adeptly communicate it to others. The research …

Understanding Millennial Women Worship Leaders’ Perceptions Of Full-Time Ministry Through Their Lived Experiences, Katie Sheree Lenehan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Millennials are the largest employed generation. Yet, with more women in vocational worship ministry than ever, roadblocks remain for Millennial women seeking to thrive and last in this sphere. There becomes a need to understand the mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical challenges uniquely facing the Millennial woman worship leader, for these challenges are not necessarily new but certainly are unique in ferocity and how they present themselves to the Millennial woman. Understanding Millennial women worship leaders’ lived experiences becomes vital in retaining and promoting healthy ministry practices that enable long-term vocational success.

Exegetical Analysis Of The Vision In Daniel 10-12, Sydni M. Howard

Masters Theses

The thesis examines the visions and divine communications described in the Book of Daniel, particularly chapters 10-12. The study demonstrates that God gave his wise people supernatural insight and revelation of his plans to aid and give hope in perilous times .

The research employs an exegetical approach to analyze Daniel 10-12, utilizing a detailed review of prominent scholarly interpretations by Adolf Leo Oppenheim, John Joseph Collins, Tremper Longman III, J. Paul Tanner, John T. Willis, John Walvoord, and John C. Whitcomb. The study focuses on understanding the historical, literary, and cultural contexts of the visions, exploring the mechanisms of …

Fallenness, Sustainment, And Judgment: Analyzing Coherency In The Thematic Trajectory Of Qohelet, Albert R. Portillo Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study has sought to establish a basis for coherency in Qohelet’s theological appeal by analyzing a thematic trajectory underpinned by the rhetoric of Qohelet’s emphasis on vanity, joy, and judgment. These emphases follow what have been labeled projectile themes, which aim at particular points, carrying the audience from one thought to another. These thoughts are deeply correlated and best recognized as the substance forming Qohelet’s framework from which Qohelet’s teaching flows. In other words, Qohelet’s thoughts, revealed by his thematic emphasis and endpoint, function as an evangelistic appeal to a theological worldview, whereby the minds and hearts of his …

Disciple-Making At St. Louis Baptist Church, Vasquez R. Granberry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In careful reflection, the members at St. Louis Baptist Church need a more structured way to train on disciples making disciples. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to develop and deliver a structured small group training process for making disciples who will become St. Louis Baptist Church disciple-makers. The current thesis for a Doctor of Ministry degree focuses on disciple-making. The objective is to learn and teach the membership how to become disciple-makers within the St. Louis Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas. Allowing these matters to address disciple-makers will also enable the researcher to discover the topics …

Grounded In Faith: Maintaining And Appreciating A Relationship With God, Oneself, And Others In An Ever-Changing World With New Ears And Eyes, Antoinette Marie Reaves

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The declining Mass attendance and participation in campus ministries at Cabrini University prompted this action research project. It was designed to engage students in guided dialogue defending key Christian doctrines to boost their Mass attendance and deepen their spiritual engagement. By involving seventeen students and employing interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaires, and surveys, the intersection of religion and spirituality among young adults was explored. Insights highlighted the participants’ perspectives regarding declining Mass attendance and disengagement from institutionalized religion. Meaningful dialogue around fundamental Christian doctrines, such as God’s existence and Jesus’ death and resurrection, was fostered to motivate students to increase …

The Impact Of Social Media On Young People And Christian Chaplains, Darrien Defederico

Masters Theses

Social media is a ubiquitous form of technology in the modern world. It encompasses not only cell phone applications such as Facebook, but also gaming platforms and even the Internet itself. Social media has negative effects on not only psychological development but also on spiritual development. It has far-reaching influence, can be extremely addicting, and can dull spirituality. However, with the right training, social media can be used for beneficial psychological and spiritual development. There is research that social media largely amplifies the mindset users are already in. This can result in spiritual growth if that is the user’s intent. …

Biblical Choice Model: A St. Augustine-Inspired Approach To Behavioral Economics, Adebukola Adebayo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Economics as defined by Lionel Robbins (1932), is a science which studies human behavior as a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses. While human behavior relates to how wants and desires are coordinated given decision-making mechanisms, social customs and political realities of society, the natural end of individual human actions should be eudaimonia (human flourishing). However, since sin has affected both our emotive and cultural plausibility structures, thereby leading to a distortion in our wants and desires and ability to desire the good, this has led to a generation that is self-ruling, self-creating and self-evaluating. The …

A Practical Theology Of The Role Of Emotion In Corporate Musical Worship: A Case Study, Kevin Haglund

Faculty Dissertations

Evangelical worship has undergone significant changes since the mid-20th century, culminating in the 1990s with the merger of two theological streams: “Praise and Worship” and “Contemporary Worship.” This research project examines the role of emotion in corporate musical worship, exploring the potential for emotionalism and the suppression of emotional expression. The study analyzes Scripture, the emotional effects of music and religious practices, and cultural influences on emotional expression in worship. Qualitative case study research involving interviews with individuals from three distinct worship environments was conducted. The goal is to develop a practical theology of the role of emotion in corporate …

Missional Leadership: An Instructional Program To Cultivate Leaders Of A Missional Church, Conner Mathias Brew

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this action research project is to design, execute, and evaluate a small group instructional framework that cultivates a missional culture focused on communal discipleship at MVMNT Church, a local church in the Association of Related Churches network, while also addressing a gap in scholarship surrounding the interrelation of discipleship and the missional church. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study leveraged inductive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with survey data to validate the lack of discipleship activity at MVMNT Church and moderate-to-low comprehension of topics related to mission, discipleship, and leadership in the church. This project recommended and …

A Lifestyle Who Is Christ: An Integrative Model Of Spiritual Formation, Katherine L. Pang

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The field of spiritual formation is replete with models, ways, and processes, including many that propose the integration of psychology and Christianity and have further examined the psychology of Paul. Yet, none emphasize the impact of neuroscience, our brain function, neurochemistry, and neurobiology integrated with the tools and techniques of psychological science facilitated by the Holy Spirit and scripture-based truths derived primarily from Pauline theology in the Christ-follower for growth in spiritual maturity. A model formulated from Pauline theology, psychology, and neuroscience, as such, is novel within the field of spiritual formation. Therefore, the claim stems from the need for …

The Preeminent Biblical Role Of The Father: A Qualitative Action Research Project, Frank Wilhelm Heilmeier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Fathers have a biblical role to teach their children commandments, statutes, judgments, and God's Law. The father's duty to teach his children should be handed down from generation to generation. The assumption is that fathers do not teach their children as God commanded. When fathers do not teach their children, they risk becoming an absentee father which leads to fatherlessness, ultimately ending in a broken home. To address this issue and offset this risk, a qualitative action research project was conducted. This intervention implemented two small group training sessions for fathers with children ages six and under. The sessions were …

Becoming A Disciple-Making Disciple Through A Written Guided Plan In A Handbook, Benjamin T. Morrell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis addresses the lack of disciple-making at Richland Heights Baptist Church by implementing a disciple-making plan through a handbook. Churches needing revitalization often lack a disciple-making plan. Historically, Richland Heights had not implemented any New Testament training to develop disciple-makers. The project utilized triangulated methods consisting of a survey, questionnaire, interview, and observations. The observations took place during the implementation of opportunities before and after the sessions in the handbook. These incorporated the researcher's knowledge of the responses in the survey and questionnaire. By having a plan to make disciples with tools, training, and opportunities to implement the lessons …

Redeeming Pastoral Evaluation: A Comprehensive Approach To Annual Pastoral Evaluation In A Congregation-Led Church, Drake Andrew Caudill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Surrendering to the biblical mandate and God's call to pastoral ministry produces profound joy. However, pastoral burnout intensifies, and pastors leave the ministry at a staggering rate. Adding to the pressure of pastoral ministry, many churches implement an annual pastoral performance review policy. Imitating secular employment performance reviews, many churches base successful pastoral ministry on numerical metrics, performance goals, and preaching effectiveness. The researcher evaluated various pastoral evaluation forms across different denominations. Additionally, the researcher investigated the biblical theology of pastoral leadership. The action research project aimed to design a comprehensive, intentional, and biblical pastoral evaluation strategy for a congregation-led …

Millennials In The Marketplace: Transitioning From Marketplace Discipleship To Relational Discipleship At New Life Community, Marcus D. Steele

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project seeks to resolve the problem of marketplace discipleship superseding relational discipleship among the millennials connected to New Life Community, a house church ministry in Hilliard, Ohio. For ministry gatherings at New Life Community, such as worship services, there was a noticeable decline in overall participation from the largest demographic of the ministry, the millennial generation. However, when there were ministry gatherings specific to marketplace initiatives that focused on career and entrepreneurship, most, if not all, of the millennials participated. This selective participation by millennials resulted from ministry gatherings that were too infrequent and needed more opportunities …

The House That Love Builds: An Allegorical Interpretation Of The Song Of Songs, Tricia Lee Kline

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Over the last two hundred years, natural interpretations of the Song of Songs have become predominant among scholars. Shying away from the earlier, sometimes fanciful, allegorical interpretations of ancient Jewish and Christian interpreters, these modern-day scholars have argued that the plain sense of the text is of an ideal marriage relationship between a man and woman, and that the Song of Songs is simply a picture of the beauty of love and sex. This dissertation challenges this more modern view and argues again for an allegorical interpretation in which the man represents God and the woman represents His faithful covenant …

Pastor's Cultural Intelligence And Personal Character Influence Within Youth Ministries, Linwood J. Sealey Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Within this study, the logic was to understand the natural development of cultural Christlike character traits among youth pastors who serve in the 6th-12th grade youth ministry loneliness environment. The sample population comprised between 22 church pastors within the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The sample included participants with different experience levels in pastoral and bi-vocational pastoral ministries. The guiding rationale was that the pastor's cultural Christlike character should be a positive factor in their ministry in the loneliness environment of the youth they serve. The sample covered the geographical settings within rural, suburban, and city environments. A purposive …

A Phenomenological Study Of Church Revitalization In Coastal North Carolina, Paolo Engle Santos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pastors and ministry leaders share the important responsibilities of church growth and revitalization. This research focused on overcoming decline and moving towards a season of strength and multiplication. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore church growth and revitalization within Southern Baptist churches in coastal North Carolina. The theory guiding this study was Rainer's (2020) central thesis about revived churches, which suggests that churches must adapt to cultural shifts and actively engage with the changing world. The study sought to gain insights into the perspectives and mindsets of full-time pastors and ministry leaders regarding numerical expansion, spiritual awakening, …

The Early Proclamation Of The Resurrection As A Compelling Evidence For The Historicity Of The Resurrection: A Historical Inquiry Of The Resurrection Miracle, Marina Gordo Lyle

Masters Theses

The resurrection's historicity has been mainly defended through Jesus's empty tomb and postmortem appearances, which testify more to the resurrection belief of the first Christians than to the resurrection as a historical fact. The early proclamation of the resurrection is a minimal fact often overlooked when defending the resurrection's historicity. Nevertheless, it forms a compelling case for the resurrection as a historical fact through a type of proclamation that emerged at Pentecost, with immediate effects best explained by Jesus's resurrection. Indeed, Pentecost's effects in time include the church's birth and rapid expansion through miracles that only took place once the …

Beings-In-Becoming: A Formative Critique Of Schellenberg's Problem Of Divine Hiddenness, Isaiah Parker

Masters Theses

This thesis aims to show that Schellenberg's problem of divine hiddenness fails as an argument for atheism because his assumptions about, and understanding of, what constitutes belief does not account for the nuanced and complex understanding of belief formation presented in contemporary psychology and recently developed dynamic liminal-belief frameworks. This paper argues that Schellenberg has been immodest in his robust claims regarding the existence of a cognitive state of nonresistant unbelief. In other words, he has misdiagnosed the human condition of doubt by unnecessarily holding to a narrow definition of belief. The complexity of belief formation necessitates a holistic credence …

Review Of Gender As Love: A Theological Account Of Human Identity, Embodied Desire, And Our Social Worlds, Joseph A. Dennis

Liberty Theological Review

This review of Gender as Love offers a summary and critical analysis of Dr. Fellipe do Vale’s trailblazing work on gender identity, human love, and the placement of both within God’s economy.

Review Of L. Ann Jervis' Paul And Time: Life In The Temporality Of Christ, Caleb Gordon

Liberty Theological Review

This review of Paul and Time offers a summary and critique of Dr. Jervis’ thought-provoking contribution to Pauline Studies concerning an alternative temporal approach to the undisputed Paul in place of the Jewish apocalyptic “two age” framework. This scholarly work is a necessary read for serious Pauline scholars and advanced students in New Testament scholarship.

Review Of On The Resurrection: Evidences Volume 1, Brian G. Chilton

Liberty Theological Review

Dr. Brian Chilton reviews the first volume of Dr. Gary Habermas's magnum opus On the Resurrection: Evidences. Chilton summarizes Habermas's work, offering key themes found throughout the book. Then, he analyzes the methodology of the book and confronts the possible objections offered by popular naysayers of the minimal facts approach. Chilton ultimately deduces that the naysayers objections are overblown and that Habermas's approach stands on its own.

Textual Triads: The Identification And Justification Of An Apocalyptic Literary Form, Jeffrey R. Dickson

Liberty Theological Review

This study seeks to elucidate just one of the many literary/structural devices found in John’s Apocalypse—textual triads (groupings of three words or ideas that are either repeated or parallel to each other). In so doing, this paper will argue that not only do textual triads exist in Revelation, but they are present in various forms throughout this last canonical work and can be categorized/justified via grammatical/literary markers that help readers identify them within the text of Scripture. All this will prove that, among many other literary devices, the apostle utilizes this unique threefold repetition in pervasive ways to describe, reveal, …

Unveiling Messiah In Obadiah: Kingdom, Apocalypse, Eschatology, Abel Arias

Liberty Theological Review

This study analyzes a messianic approach of interpretation in Obadiah, the shortest book of the Old Testament. Understanding such a hermeneutic could prove useful for understanding messianic concepts throughout the canon. While Obadiah offers hope for God's remnant, the book also presents significant interpretive challenges. Despite these difficulties, key themes emerge, including the importance of God's faithful ones, the animosity between Israel and Edom, and the promise of ultimate divine judgment. Building on the established link between Obadiah and other Bible texts, this paper presents a book introduction, arguments and rationale for the messianic interpretation, and a brief application of …

The Theological Method Of Thomas Aquinas In The Beatific Vision, Kent T. Maitland

Liberty Theological Review

This essay posits that Thomas Aquinas’s Beatific Vision may not be a biblically accurate conception of the Christian’s eternal destiny because it is grounded in a problematic theological method. For Aquinas, theology is a science for deducing the saving knowledge of God, which can only be discovered through Scripture. The integrity of Scripture’s place of prominence, however, is undermined by the apparent usefulness of other sources for interpreting Scripture’s meaning. His use of other sources in interpreting Scripture is justified by a hermeneutic that emphasizes the importance of Scripture’s figurative meaning over the literal in determining its usefulness for theological …

Modern Qoheleth: An Evangelical Appraisal Of The Theology Of Stanley Hauerwas, Nathan Cantu

Liberty Theological Review

“Jesus is Lord, and everything else is bullshit.” No other phrase better encapsulates Stanley Hauerwas’ unique blend of polemic, provocation, and piety. Formed in Protestant Liberalism, and fiercely critical of Fundamentalism, Hauerwas is a polarizing figure in evangelicalism. Is Hauerwas an ally of evangelicals, or should he be anathema? This article examines the four primary themes of Hauerwas's theology—character, narrative, church, and politics—and offers an evangelical appraisal.