Religion Commons^™

Translating The Bible Into Khmer: Challenges And Opportunities, Kristofer Coffman

Bruce Prize Papers

No abstract provided.

Renewing Communities: Renewal Of The Church's Missional Identity, Molly Schroeder

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

Transforming Narratives Through “Live”: A Pastoral Model Of Care For Women In Sex Work, Nkiruka Okafor Ihm

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

This work, “Transforming Narratives Through “Live”: A Pastoral Model of Care for Women in Sex Work,” seeks to provide the Church with a pastoral response from the narratives of the women doing sex work as streetwalkers in Nigeria. The work uses the four steps of practical theological model of Rick Osmer to describe, interpret, theologize, and strategize on pastoral care of women in sex work. The literature review, both descriptive and interpretive, examines the perception of agency as exercised by the women in sex work through the work of scholars, writings by women in sex industry, the different pastoral models …

A Theological Playground: Christian Summer Camp In Theological Perspective, Jacob Sorenson

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

Christian camping ministry is a vibrant and well-established form of ministry in the church, but it has received shockingly little scholarly attention. Supporters and detractors alike rely on anecdotal evidence to support their claims. Many in the academic community have dismissed camp as theologically shallow or mere fun and games, while others have praised it as a form of ministry proven to facilitate life-changing experiences. Much of the confusion comes from conflating very different models of camping ministry, though most is the result of a simple dearth of scholarly research.

This project takes a close look at the rich history …

Calling Upon The Name Of God: Father As Personal Name, Steven D. Paulson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

God’S Uses Of The Law And The Effort To Establish A Constitutional Right To The Means To Live, Marie A. Failinger, Patrick R. Keifert

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Embracing Stewardship: How To Put Stewardship At The Heart Of Your Congregation’S Life, Charles R. Lane, Grace Duddy Pomroy

Faculty Publications

A book to help strengthen a congregation's stewardship ministry. Mindful of generational perspectives and attuned to the world in which congregations live, this book provides eight pathways your congregation can follow to deepen your members' understanding of themselves as stewards of the bounty of God.

Christian Youth Ministries And Youth Sports: A View From The Trenches, Mark A. Granquist

Faculty Publications

Although youth sports have long been a challenge to Christian youth ministries, these activities are now consuming more and more time of the youth involved, often drawing them away from activities and ministries sponsored by churches. What are the issues (and opportunities) in this challenge, and what can be learned from those currently doing Christian work with youth?

Sports Fandom: Worthless Idol And Wonderful Thing, Rolf A. Jacobson

Faculty Publications

When thinking about the spectacle of sports fandom in light of the Bible, two assertions immediately come to mind. First, sports have become—for much of North American or Western society—an idol. Second, sports have also co-opted many aspects of the life of faith. These two immediate perspectives are so obvious that one is left to wonder whether there is anything more to say about sports in light of the Bible. Maybe there is.

Preaching The Psalter's Words Of Praise, Prayer, And Trust, Rolf A. Jacobson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Youth And The Posthuman: Personhood, Transcendence, And Siri, Erik Leafblad, Andrew Root

Faculty Publications

When everything gets turned into a technology, and existence is about practical mastery, the mystery of being is buried and everything is made an object, blurring the lines between human personhood and other technological objects.

The Absolving Word : Luther's Reformational Turn, Matthew W. Mccormick

Master of Theology Theses

No abstract provided.

The Defiled Imago Dei And Forgiveness: The Tensions Between Ethnicity And Humanity In The Image Of God In The Context Of The Ethiopian Churches, Wondimu Legesse Sonessa

Master of Theology Theses

No abstract provided.

When Esther And Jezebel Write: A Feminist Biblical Theology Of Authority., Cameron B. R. Howard

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

When God Attacks: Using Mythology And Lament To Understand Exodus 4:24-26, Julia Olson

MA Capstone Papers

No abstract provided.

Putting The Puzzle Together Piece By Piece: How Genuine And Authentic Friendships Can Transform Faith, Kayla Ranae Billings

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

The Millenial Generation Crisis: Reimagining The Church’S Mission In A Secular3 World, Corey J. Lange

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

Deep In The Burbs : A Participatory Action Research Project Exploring How The Social Trinity Impacts Spiritual Formation In Suburban Elca Congregations, Steven P. Thomason

Doctor of Philosophy Theses

Deep in the Burbs is a participatory action research project that gathered members from three upper-Midwest suburban ELCA congregations to explore how engagement with the social Trinity might impact the research team’s ideation or praxis of spiritual formation. The research team pursued this question through the practice of Dwelling in the Word—specifically in select passages from the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17)—various modalities of communicative learning, and communicative action projects in the community. The data indicate three major themes that became important to the research team: the essential nature of relationships, the necessity of reflection, and the awareness of the …

Stop Worrying About The Millennials*: *And Learn To Love Them Instead, Andrew Root

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Learning With Digital Technologies: Privileging Persons Over Machines, Mary E. Hess

Faculty Publications

Learning with digital technologies, at least when framed by moral commitments, requires lifting up specific epistemological frames, beginning with a conviction that learning involves human persons in interdependent communities who are involved in a shared search for truth. Such a conviction necessitates moving from teaching-centered to learning-centered pedagogies, and from explicit content to shaping tacit forms of knowing. Digital technologies can prove highly beneficial when used within those constraints.

Practical Advice On Prayer From Martin Luther, Mary Jane Haemig

Faculty Publications

Martin Luther’s comments and instructions on prayer permeated his work. Luther sought to build an evangelical prayer practice that reflected the key insights of his theology: just as God redeems the unworthy human, so God promises to hear and respond to the one praying, despite his or her unworthiness.

Praying The Psalms, Kathryn M. Schifferdecker

Faculty Publications

The Psalms teach us how to pray. When we pray the Psalms, we follow in the footsteps of a long line of Christians and Jews who have used the Psalter as a guide to prayer. We learn from those saints to bring all of ourselves to God in prayer: our sorrows, our laments, and our anger as well as our joys and praise.

A True Word?: Scripture, Authority, And The Question Of Truth, Alan G. Padgett

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Gebed En Die Vorming Van Christelike Identiteit In Openbaring, Craig R. Koester

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Does The Bible Have A Big Story? Yes, For The Sake Of Mission!, Alan G. Padgett

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Does The Bible Have A Big Story? Well, Only If We Don't Know The End!, David E. Fredrickson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

"Were You There?" (John 18-19): Telling The Story Of Jesus' Trial--And Ours, Craig R. Koester

Faculty Publications

The scenes leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion are an essential and yet troubling part of the Christian story. Focusing on the major characters provides a way to tell the story in ways that engage modern listeners and allow the gospel to be heard. In the end, it is God’s story of self-giving love that brings redemption out of tragedy.

The Story We Find Ourselves In: Nurturing Christian Identity In A Consumer Culture, Terri L. Elton

Faculty Publications

Consumerism has become society’s prevailing story, the story in which young people cultivate their identity. If ministry leaders are to help young people nurture their identity as children of God and help them discover a faith that speaks into the current culture, it will be important to help them shift from viewing themselves as objects within a consumer society to seeing themselves as subjects and agents of God’s love.

Religion And Ethnicity In The United States, Mark A. Granquist

Faculty Publications

Religion and ethnicity are deeply intertwined in American life. This does not mean that Americans cannot be one in the gospel, but we will need new models and new ideas of how to express our unity with one another that take into account the ethnic diversity of twenty-first-century America.

The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus And The Elca In Dispute: A Time For Humble Listening, Kathryn M. Schifferdecker

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.