Religion Commons^™

Implications Of The Iconoclastic Controversy For The East-West Schism, Warren G. Rubel

Bachelor of Divinity

For nearly a century and a half (726-842) there took place in the Eastern Roman Empire what is termed the Iconoclastic Controversy. This controversy, concerning the use of the icon in the cultic life of the Church, not only contained elements which had significance for the development of the Eastern branches of Christianity, but also brought to a head factors which were to be contributory to the final breach between Eastern and Western Christendom. It is the proposed task of the present thesis to suggest and trace the possible causes and factors which crystallized in the Iconoclastic Controversy and which …

The Use Of The Old Testament In The Sermons Of Acts, Robert C. Schultz

Bachelor of Divinity

The Church’s attitude toward Scripture is reflected in its use of Scripture. This thesis is an attempt to discover the principles which controlled the early church’s use of Scripture. The investigation centers on three points: 1) the text of the Old Testament used by the early church; 2) the early church’s purpose in quoting Scripture; 3) generea1 principles of interpretation followed by the early church. The investigation is restricted to the use of the Old Testament in five sermons recorded in the book of Acts. Since the scope of the investigation is limited, only tentative conclusions can be obtained.

Marriage And Remarriage Of Divorced People, Arthur E. Graf

Bachelor of Divinity

No one will debate the fact that these topics touch the lives of all people who reach maturity; neither will anyone argue the point that many misunderstandings exist and much misinformation is disseminated on these subjects through the press, radio, movies, television, and even some churches. A study of these topics on the basis of God's Word is, therefore, very much in order. “It becometh you to hear what the Word of God teacheth concerning it.”

Selected Sample Definitions Of Evanelism, Kenneth B. Kramer

Bachelor of Divinity

It is the aim of this paper to describe definitions of evangelism currently prevailing in American Protestant and Lutheran Churches. The aim is principally to describe these definitions, not to evaluate or extensively to criticize them.

Hades The New Testament Equivalent Of Sheol, Louis A. Brighton

Bachelor of Divinity

The object of this paper is to show the relationship between the Old Testament word Sheol and its New Testament equivalent. The burden of this paper lies in the question: Is Hades the New Testament equivalent of Sheol? This paper then is a study of the words Sheol and Hades to see whether Hades in the New Testament is used in the same way and for the same meaning or meanings that Sheol is used in the Old Testament. This study will point out, besides the relations between Sheol, and its equivalent, the unity in the teaching concerning Sheol and …

The Return Of The Rachel- A Critique Of Melville's Moby-Dick, Kenneth Heinitz

Bachelor of Divinity

This critique is to clarify the relation of the ship Rachel to the rest of the story. The Rachel carries with it certain symbolical implications that have been neglected in in interpretations and criticisms of Moby-Dick. In chapter CXXVIII, “The Pequod Meets the Rachel,” the symbolic meaning suggest Jacob’s wife Rachel crying in the wilderness because her sons are not, Jeremiah 31:15. The continuation of this symbolism in the epilogue would include a more definite recognition of the influence of Christianity on Melville then some critics would admit, namely, that Ishmael’s rescue by the Rachel symbolically is Christian brotherly love …

Primitive Eucharistic Belief As Reflected In The Catacombs Of Rome, Raymond W. Koster

Bachelor of Divinity

The Catacombs of Rome are a vast and intricate network of underground burial galleries located, not within the walls of the city itself, but under the rolling Campagna surrounding it.

The Role Of Christianity In Healthy Personality Development, Elmer O. Luessenhop

Bachelor of Divinity

The question is: What about Christianity and personality development? Does the Christian religion have a part to play in the development of personality? May it be said that Christianity is of definite, positive value in the establishment and maintenance of mental health? This is the problem that we hope to solve in the course of this thesis.

A History Of Missouri Synod Work Among The Japanese, Arthur H. Strege

Bachelor of Divinity

This thesis gives a brief history of work done by members of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod among people of Japanese ancestry living in various places throughout the world. A complete title of the material covered in this thesis should probably read: "A History of Work Done by Pastors, Missionaries, Chaplains, Teachers, and Laymen of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod among People of Japanese Ancestry in the United States till 1952, and among Japanese People in China till 1950 and in Japan till September, 1948." Since the Rev. William J. Danker, first resident missionary of the Missouri Synod in Japan, arrived in …

Concept Of Evil In Berdyaev, Paul E. Pfotenhauer

Bachelor of Divinity

This paper will be an attempt to describe evil as it is presented in the thinking of Berdyaev. It will not be its concern to give an objective criticism or evaluation of his concept of evil, but merely a presentation of the same. In doing this an attempt will at all times be made to remain within the framework of his thought. This approach will place several limitations on this paper. In the first place it will make it impossible to present it as a logical, integrated unity. In his examination of the various problems of life, Berdyaev is constantly …

Training Church Council Members For Their Work, David R. Koenig

Bachelor of Divinity

It was the purpose of this study to examine and consider the training of church council members for their work. The study was concerned first with the organization of the church council and the duties of its members. Then it consided the need for training this group of men, followed by the methods, areas; and objectives of such training. Finally, the study looked at the pastor as the trainer or leader of his church council.

The Social Ethics Of Reinhold Niebuhr, Richard E. Koenig

Bachelor of Divinity

Our concern in this thesis will be merely to present the line of thought which Niebuhr employs in relating the Christian agape to society. Since Niebuhr’s social ethic has never been set down in any systematic form, it will be necessary to collect from his various writings those ideas which he uses in advocating his views. To be sure he has written extensively on ethics, but never has he developed the subject from the traditional points of view. As in philosophy ethics cannot be separated from theology. It is important for this study then to draw in much of the …

The Material And Non-Material Being Of Man As Expressed In The Pertinent Old Testament Works, William Hansen

Bachelor of Divinity

The question of the nature and essence of man is an old philosophical problem. It is more, however, than a speculation to occupy the minds of metaphysicians. For the theologian, especially, it has practical relevance. His work is between God and man; he must bring God to men. Thus he should know not only the subject of but also the object for his work, perhaps the latter as well as the former. For how can he bring God's message to man without knowing how to approach man? How can he make God's message meaningful for man unless he knows what …

Sin And Forgiveness In Dostoyevsky, Milton L. Rudnick

Bachelor of Divinity

Our purpose in this paper is to analyze the writings of this penetrating author in order to determine his concept of sin and forgiveness. The sources for this research will be the Constance Garnett translations, the accuracy of which will not be questioned. The thought of Dostoyevsky which we will study is his thought as he expressed it in his major novels, although, by way of introduction, certain aspects of his life and character will be noted. Reference is frequently made to the opinions of several of Dostoyevsky’s principa1 interpreters. This is usually done by way of illustration, or in …

The Working Syllabus On The Gospel Of St John, Richard Z. Meyer

Bachelor of Divinity

By careful analysis of certain terms used in the Gospel of John, one arrives at a deeper insight into the Gospel. I have made such an analysis but should like to have this analysis serve also a practical end. I have in mind the Bible class teacher who is charged with teaching the Gospel of John. For if the Bible class teacher has a grasp of the fundamental theological terms employed by John, it should not be too difficult for him to gather about these theological terms the materials of the Gospel as John presents them in his twenty-one chapters. …

The Old Testament Concept Of God : Henotheism Or Monotheism?, Rodney R. Rynearson

Bachelor of Divinity

That there are occurrences of henotheistic practices in the Old Testament cannot be denied, as will be shown later. The major concern of this thesis is to determine what caused these occurrences of henotheism. Is henotheism a teaching and belief which the Old Testament sanctions or is it an aberration of its true teaching? Did the Old Testament concept of God develop gradually from henotheism to monotheism, as the liberal scholars claim, or was monotheism basic to its earliest teaching which later was corrupted by sin and which degenerated into henotheism among some of the people?

A Survey For Confirmation Instruction For Children, Paul K. Koepchen

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of the present study was, in a sense, a means to the ends referred to above. In this report, in which the results of the author’s survey are set forth and compared with two other surveys, the intention is to bring to light some of the ways in which confirmation instruction is being conducted by Lutheran pastors of the Synodical Conference in their various parishes throughout the United States. It was hoped that by this survey the methods, approaches, texts, and other materials used by some would be of help to others also in carrying out their confirmation …

Guidelines For Lutheran Worship Covering The Festival Half Of The Church Year, Charles T. Knippel

Bachelor of Divinity

The objective of this thesis has been to prepare a study of the origin and purpose of the various seasons of the festival half of the Church Year and to integrate the Propers for the Sundays, Festivals, and Ferial Days of the Festival Half of the Church Year for congregational use. This objective in itself has made it Impossible to follow much of the procedure usually required in the writing of a thesis for a degree of Bachelor of Divinity. For example, the literary style of the thesis is simple and popular, and there is a lack of direct quotations, …

Mission Approach Of Lutheran Church To Korea, Won Youg Ji

Bachelor of Divinity

The faith of the Koreans in Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism has become part of their soul. The tremendous amount of Chinese Classical literature has been her primary intellectual food. As for those who are to work among the people of this nation especially in spiritual matters, it is decidedly necessary that they study the background in which the Koreans have lived, in order to be able to understand them and help them in turn to understand us who are to labor among them for the cause of Christ and bring them to faith in Christ instead of trusting in their …

A Brief Survey Of The History And Problems Of Education In The Philippines And Their Bearing On Mission Work, Alvaro A. Carino

Bachelor of Divinity

A Brief Survey of the History and Problems of Education in the Philippines is an attempt on the part of the author to contribute to a body of knowledge on the Philippine Islands in order that future students in Filipiniana may obtain a better perspective In the understanding of the island and their people. The thesis, however, has a more specific purpose than this. It seeks to give the students of the Department of Missions and members of mission boards interested in the Philippines an insight into the problems and challenges of education in the Philippines as it has to …

An Interpretation Of The First Three Petitions Of The Lord's Prayer, Edgar Krentz

Bachelor of Divinity

This paper will attempt to examine the originality of the Lord's Prayer. To do this the following method will be used. The study is based on the first three petitions. Each petition will be examined in order. The concept underlying each petition will be studied. The study will attempt to determine what this concept meant to the Jew of Jesus' day, what it meant in the Old Testament, and what the New Testament teaching on the subject is. Then the pertinent parallels which have been found will be examined. Following this the three petitions will be examined in their interrelation …

The Ministry To The Instutionalized Sick, Paul R. Beck

Bachelor of Divinity

In treating the ministry to the institutionalized sick, two approaches are possible. The one is a discussion of the purpose or goal of the ministry to the sick. Simply put, the goal is to reconcile people to God. The entire ministry to souls in every phase of the church's work centers in this; “we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (II Cor. 5:20) Basic is the concept that men in the ministry are to lead people to a right relationship with God though Christ.

The other approach is a discussion of the means for achieving described …

The Purpose Of The Parables According To Mark 4:10-12, Martin E. Marty

Bachelor of Divinity

According to the plan of this study, the question as to whether this Logion is an intercalation of later Church teaching within a catena of parabolic sayings is reserved for the final chapter. Yet it is fundamental to an understanding of the discussion as it progresses for the reader to be aware of the critical dismissal of this entire passage as a vaticinium post eventum, interpolated by the evangelist because of the frustration of the early Church as it propagated the message of the Christ.

Religious Practices As Found Amoug Certain Natives Of New Guinea, Erwin Luther Spruth

Bachelor of Divinity

This paper however, would be of no real value if it did not have a greater purpose in mind than merely listing the many, and varied beliefs of the New Guinea native. As the reader learns of the fear in the lives of these people, as he sees how all of their faith and action is directed by Satan, as he notices the hopelessness of their entire life, may the fact that our Lord Jesus also for these blind heathen and that they too must be brought to His love come to remembrance. If then these few pages bring one …

An Exegetical Study Of Marriage In Ephesians 5, 21-33, Karl H. Lepper

Bachelor of Divinity

The original intention of the writer was to make a thorough biblical study of all the passages in the letters of Paul which were concerned with his treatment of the family and its relationships. Material was gathered and the first chapter, which was to be a discussion of marriage, was prepared. However, it soon became apparent that the topic undertaken was entirely too large for the type of paper which was to be prepared. The first chapter of the original thesis covered approximately forty-five pages, and various problems in the text had been either treated lightly or completely ignored. Upon …

The Study Of The Relation Between Brunner's General Concept Of Revelation And His Christology, George L. Luecke

Bachelor of Divinity

In this thesis I shall attempt to show points of correlation between Brunner’s general doctrine of Revelation and his Christology, with the critical implications of the first upon the second.

The Background And Objectives Of Luther's Formula Missae And Deutsche Messe, Thomas Reuther

Bachelor of Divinity

There have been many movements and trends within the Lutheran Church since the time of the Reformation, and these have inevitably effected aspects of Church life and practice to some degree, depending on the type of the movement. In the twentieth century, with its great and influential world events, there has arisen a new Lutheran consciousness which reveals itself in many ways in various countries. This consciousness, in some countries, shows itself in a new liturgical interest, an interest which, while attempting to be specifically and definitely Lutheran; is attempting to be creative and to add to the cultus of …

The Koranic Doctrine Of Sin, Roland E. Miller

Bachelor of Divinity

The problem that was the occasion for the writing of this thesis is indicated by the title - namely, what is the teaching of sin as it is set forth in the Koran, the Holy Book of Mohammedanism. The problem may be a strictly academic one; but for the writer the problem is one of more than casual importance, since he is a representative of the Christian Church. And the Christian Church in its effort to present the Gospel to Islam, must be vitally concerned with the concept of sin as it is to be found in that theological system.

The Order Of Matins--Its History, Spirit And Character-Practical -Strelow, Timothy, Timothy Strelow

Bachelor of Divinity

Such a study could be voluminous. Of necessity, therefore, this study will omit an analysis of any musical settings for Matins, as well as any detailed study of Psalmody or Hymnody in general apart from their distinct relation to and importance.in Matins. Also omitted in the historical sketch of Matins is an all-inclusive study of Matins in in every land in every denomination in every century. This study does propose to trace the origin of Matins with its primary development through the centuries up to and including the form as the Lutheran communion uses it today. Other studies exist on …

The Study Of The Bible In The Middle Ages, E George Krause

Bachelor of Divinity

There is quite a difference of opinion as to the extent of the Middle Ages. We will take the middle ground and roughly limit this era to the years between 500 A. D. and 1500 A. D. This procedure is to be preferred above others which begin or end an era with a certain person or event, because an era is not ushered in overnight, but is rather a gradual and often barely perceptible process. There will be a few instances in the course of this thesis where material extending a number of years either way beyond the above chronological …