Religion Commons^™

The Lost Sheep: Experiences Of Religious Gay Men In Havana, Cuba, Michael Maher Jr

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

The focus of the article is interviews with ten religious gay men in Havana. Interviews were conducted in 1999 and 2000. The men were from Catholic, Santeria, Protestant, and Pentecostal backgrounds. Common perceptions were that Santeria was the most welcoming religion to gays and that Pentecostalism was the least welcoming to gays. While many non-Catholics viewed the Catholic Church as welcoming, the gay Catholics in the study did not see the Church as welcoming, but they did tend to see it as more welcoming than Pentecostalism. Almost all the men in the study had come to reconcile their sexuality and …

Evaluating Transformative Spirituality In An Organizational Leadership Program At A Christian University, Elizabeth D. Rios

Theses and Dissertations

In the field of Christian higher education, some educators are more concerned with marketing their programs to nontraditional students, the fastest growing segment of new enrollments. Although many view that as a blessing, the issues of mission and specifically spirituality are of concern to educators and administrators who want to avoid the secularization already impacting many fine schools in the country. At satellite locations, some educators perceive that the lack of structured practices and intentional procedures and the marketing of convenience-based structural models have watered down the offerings of Christian higher education. This applied dissertation evaluated whether spiritual development and …

"Our Families For God": A Family Worship Seminar For The Hamilton Mountain Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Wesley Rocha Torres

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Family worship is highly esteemed by the members of the Hamilton Mountain Seventh-day Adventist Church, yet the quality and practice of this spiritual activity could still be improved among the church families. It was the researcher’s presupposition that the design of a practical, creative, and attractive family worship seminar, incorporating new ideas and suggestions, could motivate and assist the church members to enhance their spiritual experience and fellowship with God, as well as within their family circles.

Method

The topic of family worship was brought to the church through a series of sermons and also the children’s story segment …

A Curriculum To Prepare Pastors For Tribal Ministry In India, Calvin N. Joshua

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The dissertation project establishes the existence of nearly one hundred million tribal people who are forgotten but continue to live in human isolation from the main stream of Indian society. They have their own culture and history. How can the Adventist Church make a difference in reaching them? There is a need for trained pastors in tribal ministry who are culture sensitive and knowledgeable in missiological perspectives.

Method

Through historical, cultural, religious, and political analysis, tribal peoples and their challenges are identified. The contribution of Christianity to India, particularly, the impact of the Adventist Church among tribals is reviewed. …

Desarrollo De Un Seminario De Comunicación Matrimonial Para La Iglesia De Paterson Eastside De La Asociación De New Jersey, Jorge Isaac Aguero

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The purpose of this project has been to develop and implement a marital communication seminar to improve the communication abilities of the married couples of the Hispanic Adventist Church in Paterson, New Jersey. Effective communication is a fundamental instrument needed to establish a healthy marital relationship. A healthy marital relationship has a very positive impact on family life, church fellowship, and society. Studies have demonstrated that spouses with good communication skills enjoy healthier and happier marriages and resolve their conflicts better. Therefore, it should be a primary objective to improve marital communication. Hence arises the reason for implementing a marital …

Developing Jewish Awareness Seminars: A Model Implemented In Adventist Churches In Michigan, Robert Clyde Quillin

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Many Jewish people are finding Jesus as their Messiah, but few are uniting with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In its Global Missions emphasis, the Adventist Church has not prepared church members to effectively witness to the Jewish people. Michigan Conference has about 0.29 percent (16,000) of the nation’s Jewish population, but no organized plan is in place to train members for Jewish soul-winning. Approximately 22 of Michigan’s 83 counties have one or more synagogues, which is sufficient Jewish presence to warrant an interfaith outreach. A lay-training program is needed.

Method

After researching literature, a questionnaire was devised, and a …

Principios Y Estrategias Para El Crecimiento De La Iglesia Adventista Del Séptimo Día Hispana De Baltimore, Maryland, Ronald Lizeth Costa Estades

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The objective of the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) includes growth. Throughout Christian history, the church has grown. At the same time, qualitative growth enhances quantitative growth. Both are needed in response to the Great Commission. The Seventh-day Adventist Church would benefit from adopting a philosophy that promotes a wholistic growth of the church. This thesis studied such growth and elaborated a strategy for the Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church in Baltimore to reach well-rounded growth.

The first step was to study church growth in the Bible. A careful study of the Great Commission throws light on discipleship, a key to church …

Secularism In The Seventh-Day Adventist Church In Korea: A Program Of Church Revival And Community Involvement, Kyu-Young John Jeong

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The evidence of secularism, such as ethical relativism, spiritual alienation, and materialism, are appearing among Korean Seventh-day Adventists. Consequently, they are removing God from the center of their lives. Seventh-day Adventist church leaders must develop and conduct a program of church revival through community involvement to ignite the original passion for Jesus and His soon return in the hearts of the Seventh- day Adventists in Korea and train them to witness in their communities.

Method

Library research, a personal and theological analysis, a contextual analysis of South Korea and the Korean Adventist members and churches, development of a Logical …

Nurturing Faith Within The Catholic Home: A Perspective From Catholic Parents Who Do Not Access Catholic Schools, Carmela G. Suart

Theses

Throughout its history, the Catholic Church has regarded the family as the most influential factor in shaping and nurturing the faith of each generation. Within the family, parents are considered to be the first and primary educators of the faith of their children. Irrespective of years of genuine effort by the Catholic Church in Australia to support parents in their task of nurturing the faith of their children, the area of family catechesis still remains inadequately addressed, hence the significance of the study. The aim of this research was to investigate how Catholic parents, who do not send their children …

All Subjects Of The Kingdom Of Christ: John Owen's Conceptions Of Christian Unity And Schism, Sung-Ho Lee

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

Throughout the seventeenth century the Church of England experienced disintegration and schism. Each Protestant party charged the other with breaking the unity of the church. For this reason, schism and unity were one of the most controversial issues that leading theologians wrestled with. However, scholars have not paid due attention to this issue. The object of this dissertation is to explore how John Owen, a great leader of the second-generation Congregationalists, defended Congregationalism, Protestantism, and Nonconformity from the charge of schism. Aware that the ecclesiological terms, such as “schism,” “unity,” and “separation,” were seriously abused by his opponents, Owen carefully …

Faith And Mystery In Kate O'Brien's ''The Ante Room'', Eamon Maher

Articles

Material reproduced by kind permission of Reality

Same-Sex Marriage And Public School Curricula: Preserving Parental Rights To Direct The Education Of Their Children, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Terrorism, Millenarianism, And Death: A Study Of Hezbollah And Aum Shinrikyo, Steven Nicholls

Theses : Honours

The relationship ·between death and the millennium is not an area of scholarship that has received adequate attention. Millenarian groups desire the creation of a paradise in the temporal world. The world is seen as corrupt and evil without hope of reform. This viewpoint leads millenarians to conclude that the temporal world must be completely destroyed and created a new, eliminating the corrupt and providing a utopia where the faithful can exist in peace. Hezbollah and Aum Shinrikyo are two terrorist groups which share this worldview, and believe that they can hasten the millennium by eliminating their enemies. This thesis …

An Analysis Of The Triple Goddess: Images Of Persephone, Kali, And Nephthys, Kimberly Elaine Holladay

Honors Program Theses

How are the women of ancient religions portrayed? Are the women of religion typical, everyday women or celebrated queens wrapped in gold? The truth is that no single image exists that can be pointed to as the iconic goddess. The idea of a female deity can be startling to those who practice in Abrahamic religions but the appearance of such a character has a role, if not a lead, in many world religions and myths. These goddesses act as role models and guides for many people, especially female worshippers. After the female deity is acknowledged and accepted as a integral …

"It Was Mary That First Preached A Risen Jesus": Early Seventh-Day Adventist Answers To Objections To Women As Public Spiritual Leaders, Ginger Hanks Harwood, Beverly G. Beem

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

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Jesus, The Great Shepherd-King, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:1–2). So begins one of the most beloved psalms and best-known biblical passages mentioning a shepherd. Shepherd imagery is utilized in scripture to depict three important aspects of Jesus’s identity and mission: His roles as Savior, King, and Jehovah, the God of Israel. Of these three, His role as compassionate Savior, devoted to protecting and saving the flock of God, is the aspect of shepherd symbolism that typically comes to mind. Less well known, …

Before Jeremiah Was: Divine Election In The Ancient Near East, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

FRAGMENTS OF GOSPEL TRUTHS are often detected by Latter-day Saint scholars studying ancient texts, especially texts from the ancient Near East. This essay focuses on one example of this phenomenon. Divine election—the academic designation for the choosing of people by deity for position and opportunity in mortal life—is a claim that is well attested in ancient Near Eastern texts, including the Hebrew Bible.¹ Latter-day Saints correlate certain aspects of this concept with premortal foreordination and are familiar with a few key biblical passages, such as Jeremiah 1:5, that feature divine election. However, many Latter-day Saints are less familiar with the …

Winter Commencement (December 4, 2007), William E. Pannell

ATS Chapel Services

No abstract provided.

The Minister Is Lay: Social Organization In New Paradigm Christianity, Jayeel Cornelio

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Love seems to be in the air for many of the red-shirted members of Hope Filipino. On this particular Sunday afternoon, the church-owned Nexus Auditorium, located in a shopping center in Singapore’s prominent Orchard Road, conveys the vibrancy of Valentine’s season. Instead of a familiar Christian song, setting the mood for the inflowing audience is one of Kenny G’s romantic hits, a tangible indication that this is not ordinary church. The Sunday service, redesigned for evangelistic purposes, expects a greater number of non-Christian visitors as a result of the pre-Valentine Matthew Care Group. With friends meeting and ushers greeting at …

Winter Commencement (Decenber 4, 2012), John David Walt, Donald E. Demaray, James Earl Massey

ATS Chapel Services

No abstract provided.

Volume 2, Number 2: From The Editor: Greetings On The New Year!, Scot Headley

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

We are pleased to publish this issue of the Journal. Several key events have occurred for the ICCTE Journal over the last few months. At about the same time that our summer issue was released, our colleagues at Regent University hosted us at Virginia Beach for our biennial conference. At a business meeting at that conference, a steering committee was appointed with the task of strengthening ICCTE. That committee has been functioning, and it is our hope that a progress report will be published in next summer’s issue of the Journal. The Journal also launched a series of live webcasts …

From The Editor: Volume 3, Issue 1, Scot Headley

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Colleagues, this issue marks the beginning of the third year of publication for the ICCTE Journal. I am pleased to inform you that in this issue we begin two new features. David Robinson, consulting editor to the Journal, provides a review of the book, Religion, Education, and Academic Success by William Jeynes. Our hope is that this review will be the first of many, as we desire to make this a regular feature of the Journal. If you have interest in submitting a review for an upcoming issue, let us know. We seek reviews of books important to Christians involved …

Building A Christian Worldview Through Response To Literature, Pam Adams

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Research has shown that what one reads can be an important factor in developing one’s worldview. This paper will report my thoughts about experiences I had while reading aloud-challenging texts in two Christian school classrooms. My goal for the read alouds was to have students think about issues related to justice, love, and commitment as they apply to both the family and the larger community. Various types of response methodologies (written, art, drama, discussion) were used to encourage students to build connections between what they learned, to what is the appropriate response and action.

Book Review: William Jeynes. Religion, Education, And Academic Success, David W. Robinson

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

In this provocative work, Dr. William Jeynes of California State University at Long Beach addresses a vital educational question: is there a statistically verifiable relationship between religious belief and academic achievement? For the non- Christian, it is a question of the social utility of religion; does a demonstrable and significant correlation between a religious mindset and measurable academic outcomes exist? Or is a secular outlook equally capable of superior educational success? For the Christian thinker, it is a question of the relationship between the root of faith and the fruit of the “strong mind” (II Tim. 1:7) promised in the …

Timeline Of Fr. Bruno Primavera, Hall & Monagle, Llc

Timelines

No abstract provided.

Laman And Lemuel: A Case Study In "Not Becoming", Michael A. Goodman

Faculty Publications

We can easily see Laman and Lemuel as being lost from the start. Almost like stock characters in a novel, they may appear to have little depth or complexity. This simplistic view makes it hard to identify the reasons behind, as well as the consequences of, Laman and Lemuel’s behavior. Consequently, if we do not look for deeper meaning in Laman and Lemuel’s story, we may fail to identify the necessary precepts to avoid the pitfalls they fell into and to which we are vulnerable today.

Through a more contextual view of Laman and Lemuel’s lives, we are provided with …

The Faith Of Christ, Gaye Strathearn

Faculty Publications

AT THE 1988 MEETING OF THE Pauline Theology Group, a debate exploded that had been slowly percolating since the time of Martin Luther.¹ The debate focused on the translation and associated theological implications of eight passages (Romans 3:22, 26; Galatians 2:16, 20; 3:22, 26; Ephesians 3:12; Philippians 3:9).² Each of these passages consists of a phrase with the Greek word pistis (“faith”) in a genitive construction with a title for Jesus.³ Paul uses seven of them in his discussions of justification, showing how a believer is “made righteous.” The eighth passage, Ephesians 3:12, uses the genitive construction to describe how …

Equipping And Mobilizing The Laity In The New York Luso-Brazilian Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Gerson P. Santos

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The New York Luso-Brazilian congregation was organized on October 23, 1971, with approximately ten members. By December 2005, its membership was 329, including two new congregations formed recently. In spite of the growth during the first two or three decades, this church has not experienced much growth in the last ten years. Many members are not committed to the Great Commission. Only ten percent participate in some kind of outreach. Analyzing the profile of this church, it was verified that the growth came mainly through immigration. One of the main challenges, therefore, is to involve the laity in missionary …

Dying And Behold We Live, Steele Lazerte

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Law and gospel are significant themes in not only the New Testament but also in the writings of foundational Christian theologians. In terms of repaching, Paul Scott Wilson is the first homiletician to develop a theological concern with law and gospel in a manner which can be considered an explicit and fully developed law/gospel homiletic. However, it is the concern of this paper to embrace Gerhard O. Forde’s theology for preaching, in particular his understanding of the gospel as a liberating offence, while utilizing the advantages of Paul Scott Wilson’s methodology for law/gospel preaching in general.

The Notion Of Healing In The Therapeutic Work Of Georeg Freemesser And Steve De Shazer: A Comparison, Mary Marrocco

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

George Freemesser and Steve de Shazer have several strong commonalities in their understandings of healing; both can be situated within the framework of pastoral counselling. Because for Freemesser the therapist’s person is an important dimension of healing, I begin with his biography, then my view of healing. To provide the pastoral counselling framework, I review the thought of Pilch, Clebsch and Jaekle, and Rovers. Steve de Shazer’s view of healing is then discussed, though he does not employ the term, by misunderstanding his notion of the goal of therapy as healing. Freemesser’s understanding of healing is described, and finally a …