Religion Commons^™

Legal Insights Into The Organization Of The Church In 1830, David K. Stott

BYU Studies

While much has been written about the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in upstate New York, questions remain regarding the events of April 6, 1830. This article examines the organizational events of the Church from a legal perspective. In the nineteenth century, individuals desiring to form a church had two legal alternatives: forming a religious corporation or organizing a religious society. Understanding the requirements of each and considering which legal entity the Church would have preferred provide new insights into the organizational events.

A Local Faith, Nathan B. Oman

BYU Studies

On October 22, 1844, men and women across America were disappointed when the world did not come to an end. They were the followers of a lay Baptist preacher named William Miller. Beginning in 1833, Miller, a native of New York's Burned-over District, began producing elaborate biblical commentaries indicating that Christ's Second Coming was imminent. Working with these writings, his followers converged on October 22 as the day of the Savior's coming, much to their ultimate disappointment.

On Zion's Mount: Mormons, Indians, And The American Landscape, Jill T. Rudy, Jared Farmer

BYU Studies

On Zion's Mount: Mormons, Indians, and the American Landscape tells the tale of a beloved mountainous landmark and a disregarded lake. Jared Farmer's penetrating and sweeping gaze invites readers to view connections between land, landscape, and peoples that have remained, like Poe's purloined letter, hidden in plain sight. Farmer's story of "Timp" relates directly to the story of Indians native to the land and Mormon settlers who became "neonatives," in part by creating a significant landmark in Timpanogos and seeing imagined Indians while forgetting and displacing Utah Lake and real Indians. By illuminating these interwoven narratives with interdisciplinary research involving …

A Study On The Doctrine Of Original Sin As The Foundation Of Wesleyan Theology, Christopher A. Black

Doctor of Ministry

John Wesley believed that the doctrine of original sin established the biblical foundation for the doctrines of justification and sanctification. Wesley's use and emphasis of this doctrine was neither new nor innovative. He believed that the rejection of the doctrine of original sin would lead to the loss of biblical Christianity. Wesley adamantly defended this doctrine affirming the basic tenets of the Western Christian tradition. While utilizing some relational and therapeutic images, Wesley blatantly speaks in judicial, punitive and substantialist terms concerning original sin. The consequences of judicial, punitive and substantialist perspectives are far reaching for distinctively Wesleyan theology. These …

Pastors’ Perspectives On Assimilating New Members: Part 2–Discipling Strategies, Jane Thayer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Newsletter Catholic Deaf Of Detroit, April 2010

Newsletter Catholic Deaf of Detroit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Detroit, MI

Newsletter Catholic Deaf of Detroit Finding Aid

Imam, Shah, And Ayatollah: Charismatic Leadership In The Shi'i Tradition, And Its Role In Iran's Shi'ite Revolutions, Jonathon Case Henderson

Master of Humanities Capstone Projects

This thesis examines the role of charismatic religious leadership in Iran’s two Shi’ite revolutions. Included within the larger arguments of this work, are sections addressing the scholastic categorizations of charisma, the development of the Shi’i Islamic tradition, and they way in which the charisma of the was appropriated by later Shi’i figures to bring about social, political, and religious revolutions in Iran. For this work, Shah Isma’il ibn Haydar and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini serve as examples of charismatic Shi’i figures that drew upon the suspended charisma of the Shi’i Imams. This work also briefly comments on events in contemporary Iran …

The Banner - V. 145, No. 4 - (April 2010), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Numerical Nonsense? by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Life Is Like Cheese by Jay Knochenhauer / 8 - IMHO: Ending the U.S. Embargo of Cuba by Catherine Cooper / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - CRC News: More on the CRC’s response to the Haiti earthquake / 16 - When to Stop Being a Christian by Stephen De Wit / 19 - Leadership: Becoming Earthkeepers by Kate Kooyman / 20 - Cremation by Al Hoksbergen / 22 - Haiti Earthquake / 26 - Dear Reader: What Do You Want to …

Prayer As Science In Early America, George Faithful

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Even Jesus might need more than a few days to resurrect Cotton Mather. After three centuries of public malediction for his apparent inconsistencies, moralism, political meddling, and perceived complicity in the Salem Witch Trials, his rehabilitation will be slow in coming if it comes at all. Lovelace’s American Pietism of Cotton Mather could have marked the beginning of a Mather renaissance, but now, thirty years after the fact, Lovelace’s work remains the most recent comprehensive study of Mather’s theology.

Lovelace suggests that Mather’s approach to piety was one of synthesis rather than of incongruity. While Lovelace applies this idea to …

The Senior Pastor's Role And Responsibilities In Leading A Pastoral Staff, Keith Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Senior Pastor's position innately requires that he be able to lead his pastoral staff effectively. Current--and potential--Senior Pastors often enter their ministry assignments with no specific preparation for leading a pastoral staff. The purpose of this project is to enable a Senior Pastor to lead well from both a relationship-oriented perspective and a task-oriented perspective. The content of this project is based on research/literature review and personal interviews with Senior Pastors. In essence, this project might be compared to a manual, providing theoretical information and how-to help for the Senior Pastor.

The Head And Not The Tail, Roy Gane

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Learning, Changing, And Doing: A Model For Transformational Leadership Development In Religious And Non-Profit Organizations, Skip Bell

Faculty Publications

Religious and non-profit organizations seek people who continually experience learning and growth within their work. Such persons will not stop at doing their jobs well; they develop as leaders who in turn create positive transformation within their group. The purpose of this article is to define a transformational leadership development process integrating learning, changing, and doing as the preferred model in the life of a religious or non-profit organization. The outcome will be persons who grow as leaders, experience meaning in their service, and contribute significant organizational change.

The Body As Symbol: Bringing Together Theories Of Sex/Gender And Race For Theological Discourse, Patricia Lewis

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation focuses on race and sex/gender as critical theological topics that are not being adequately addressed in most theological discourse. This project presents a tool to establish better theological discourse about the body that takes the specifities of race and sex/gender into consideration and brings them together in theological anthropology.

"The People Believe That He Has Risen From The Dead": The Gospel Of Peter And Early Christian Apologetics, Timothy Henderson

Dissertations (1934 -)

No scholarly consensus has been reached on the question of the relationship between the Gospel of Peter and the New Testament gospels. The same can be said about determining the particular factors that influenced the author of the noncanonical text when composing his own work. This dissertation contends that the author of the Gospel of Peter used all four canonical gospels as sources and that the category of Second Temple Jewish literature known today as "Rewritten Bible" provides the best analogue for understanding the manner in which the New Testament accounts have been reworked in the noncanonical gospel. Apologetic and …

Practicing Islam In Dijon, France: Interviews With Muslim Residents, Bridget Farmer

Inquiry Journal 2010

No abstract provided.

Word And Faith In The Formation Of Christian Existence: A Study In Gerhard Ebeling's Rejection Of The Joint Declaration, Scott A. Celsor

Dissertations (1934 -)

In 1998, the theologian Gerhard Ebeling helped to initiate a rancorous, public debate among theologians in Germany over whether the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification presents "a consensus in the basic truths of the doctrine of justification" by co-editing the famous letter of protest. Why would he want to do this? The fact that some argue he held a distinguished position in ecumenical circles during the 1950s and 1960s makes this question somewhat intriguing. Moreover, how will this opposition impact the continuation of ecumenical discussions between Lutherans and Catholics?

Through a comparison of the Joint Declaration and the …

Joseph Smith's Doctrine Of The Holy Spirit Contrasted With Cartwright, Campbell, Hodge, And Finney, Lynne Wilson

Dissertations (1934 -)

The dissertation is an historical–critical examination of Joseph Smith’s (1805–1844) sermons and writings from 1830 to 1844 to determine the scope of his doctrine on the Holy Ghost. Many biographers dismiss Joseph Smith as a product of his environment. Superficially, his thoughts on the Holy Ghost appear to fall within the mainstream of the enthusiastic outbursts of the Second Great Awakening, but a closer look shows that they are an abrupt and radical departure from the pneumatology of his day. To clarify the unique parameters of Smith’s pneumatology, it is necessary to place Smith’s views in a historical context by …

The Enochic Watchers' Template And The Gospel Of Matthew, Amy Elizabeth Richter

Dissertations (1934 -)

The writer of the Gospel according to Matthew was familiar with themes and traditions about the antediluvian patriarch Enoch, including the story of the fall of the watchers, and shows that Jesus brings about the eschatological repair of the consequences of the watchers' fall. In Matthew's Gospel, the foreshadowing of repair and then the repair itself are seen in the evangelist's genealogy and infancy narrative, the focus of this dissertation.

According to the Enochic watchers' template, evil came into the world when the watchers transgressed their heavenly boundary to engage in illicit sexual contact with women and teach them illicit …

An Ecclesiology Of Charisms In The Theology Of Francis A. Sullivan, Michael Anthony Novak

Dissertations (1934 -)

Francis A. Sullivan, S.J. (1922-) is a "Vatican II" ecclesiologist. Although he began his academic ministry at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1956, shortly before the Second Vatican Council, his chief work has been to explore the theology of the Church fashioned at and proceeding from the Council. He is a preeminent scholar on the topic of authority in the Church, and much of his writing has addressed this subject. Less well known are Sullivan's theological efforts on topics related to a theology of charisms, and to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. As a young professor, he made a …

The Septuagintal Isaian Use Of Nomos In The Lukan Presentation Narrative, Mark Walter Koehne

Dissertations (1934 -)

Scholars have examined several motifs in Luke 2:22-35, the "Presentation" of the Gospel of Luke. However, scholarship scarcely has treated the theme of nomos, the Septuagintal word Luke uses as a translation of the Hebrew word Torah. Nomos is mentioned four times in the Presentation narrative; it also is a word in Septuagintal Isaiah to which the metaphor of light in Luke 2:32 alludes. In 2:22-32--a pivotal piece within Luke-Acts--nomos relates to several themes, including ones David Pao discusses in his study on Isaiah's portrayal of Israel's restoration, appropriated by Luke. My dissertation investigates, for the first time, the Septuagintal …

The Noetic Paschal Anthropos: Genesis 1:27 And The Theology Of The Divine Image In Early Paschal Literature, Dragos Andrei Giulea

Dissertations (1934 -)

This study examines the theme of the heavenly Anthropos in the earliest extant paschal writings: Melito's Peri Pascha, Origen's Peri Pascha, and Pseudo-Hippolytus's In sanctum Pascha. Instead of analyzing these materials through the prism of such classical images as sacrifice and divine Lamb, the study investigates them through the perspective of the categories of heavenly Man and divine Image. The particular method of the study will be tradition criticism and will envision the paschal tradition of the heavenly luminous Anthropos as a development of the theophanic traditions of the Jewish Second Temple. Echoing such ancient passages as Genesis 1:27, Ezekiel …

The Temple Of Jerusalem: Past, Present, And Future, John M. Lundquist, Jared W. Ludlow

BYU Studies

John M. Lundquist is the Susan and Douglas Dillon Chief Librarian of the Asian and Middle Eastern Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library within the New York Public Library. He has written many books and articles on diverse subjects for both general and Latter-day Saint audiences. The title of this book--The Temple of Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future--captures well the scope of Lundquist's work. He addresses the role of the Jerusalem temple in ancient Israelite society, its role in the contemporary world, and the prophecies and apocalyptic notions about its future. The book mostly focuses on …

Christ The Mariner, Clinton F. Larson

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Mere Mormonism, Thomas B. Griffith

BYU Studies

Devotees of C. S. Lewis will recognize that I have adapted the title of my remarks from Mere Christianity, his classic exposition of the fundamentals of the Christian faith. An hour lecture is not the forum to attempt for Latter-day Saint Christianity what Lewis achieved for traditional Christianity. In any event, I lack the skill to pull that off. What follows is something much more modest. I will speak from my own observation and try to identify what is at the heart of the Mormon experience in an attempt to provide an introduction to the faith. A disclaimer is …

The Vision That You Have . . . Augurs Well For The Development Of Still Better Things: The Role Of Accreditation In Securing The Future Of Brigham Young University, 1921–1928, J. Gordon Daines Iii

BYU Studies

In 1921, Franklin S. Harris was appointed president of Brigham Young University, During his first visit to campus, Harris articulated his vision for the future of the young institution. He said, "The President of the Church Commission of Education, and all who have anything to do with Church schools are determined to make this 'the great Church University.'" President Harris had a different vision about what it meant to be "the great Church University" than did his predecessors. While they had focused on the importance of teacher education, Harris believed that the institution needed to equip students with the skills …

Faith And Inquiry, Justin F. White

BYU Studies

My wife's uncle recently, and somewhat smugly, said something to the effect, "It's too bad you're studying philosophy (or perhaps any subject) at BYU since you only get one perspective." For the most part, I've found this is simply not true. I've found professors and students not nearly as homogeneous as often portrayed. Though I agree with my wife's uncle that we should engage in dialogue with those of differing opinions, since there are, of course, disadvantages when only a single perspective is represented on a topic, I'd like to focus on one potential positive interpretation of the sameness he …

Robert J. Matthews And The Rlds Church's Inspired Version Of The Bible, Thomas E. Sherry

BYU Studies

Matthews' developing reputation as a scholar, along with his persistent interest in and efforts to gain access to the original New Translation manuscripts, occurred during a period in RLDS Church history that included evolving views relative to the publication, assessment, and use of the Inspired Version. Those developments, along with advances in archival preservation of the original manuscripts, resulted in the phone call with RLDS Church Historian Richard Howard, allowing Matthews to study the documents. Ironically, as the RLDS Church's interest in and commitment to Joseph Smith's revelations decreased, they rose to new prominence in the LDS Church.

The Catholic Intellectual Tradition: Where Is It Today?, Robert Deahl

College of Professional Studies Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Signs Of God In Times Of Aids, Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Mordred Had A Good Point, Nathan B. Oman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.