Religion Commons^™

Why We Listen To Sermons (Calvin Shorts), Scott E. Hoezee

Calvin Press

Why do we listen to sermons? Where did sermons come from? How has preaching managed to survive and thrive across so many years and in so many cultures? Most Christians listen to a sermon every week. But what is a sermon? How does it relate to the Bible, and how does the Holy Spirit work through the 354 million new sermons that are preached every year? This book makes the claim that the Spirit of God likes to work through the Word preached. As it explores that claim, it looks at the history of preaching and current-day practices. It provides …

Nevenka Vazgec, Marija Maracic, Josipa Karaca

SICANJE

No abstract provided.

Jagoda Duvnjak & Ana Komso, Marija Maracic, Josipa Karaca

SICANJE

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Spirituality On Stressful Marriages In The Matanuska-Borough Of Alaska, Cheryl Vanessa Puryear

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because marriage brings two individuals who may or may not come from the same background into an intimate relationship, there are times when a marriage can be stressful. Although spirituality may be useful in coping with marital stress, there are few published studies on the influence of spirituality on stress in marriages in recent years. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of spiritualty on stress in marriages. Differentation-based spirituality, an outgrowth of Kerr and Bowen's spirituality theory, served as the theoretical framework. A phenomenological research design was used to explore whether spirituality was a factor that …

Faith Leaders' Experiences On Health Counseling Provided To Their Congregation, Latangee Degrace Dickens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous faith-based organizations (FBOs), denominations, and religious groups are represented in the United States. Faith leaders have the responsibility of addressing the spiritual needs of the congregation; however, the health needs of parishioners may be a point of discussion faith leaders should address. Communities surrounding FBOs may have limited health care services, lack transportation, and have serious health issues. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the experiences of faith leaders on giving health counseling to their congregation. Faith leaders play an essential role in providing health counseling on various health topics to their congregation and community. …

An Investigation Of The Help-Seeking Attitudes Of African American Christian Churchgoers, Kristi Madison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Black Church has been a powerful support system for African Americans, providing economic, and psychological support in addition to meeting spiritual and religious needs. African American church leaders continue to provide a multitude of services to the community; however, research has shown that African American Protestant Christian churchgoers'€™ preference for informal supports may exacerbate some symptoms of mental illness as people may postpone seeking formal help. Utilizing a nonexperimental, cross-€sectional design, this study examined the relationship between these churchgoers'€™ attitudes toward religious help-€seeking and attitudes toward professional help-€seeking. One hundred four African American Protestant Christian churchgoers in the mid-Atlantic …

Mobile Societies, Mobile Religions: On The Ecological Roots Of Two Religions Deemed Monotheistic, Edward Surman

CGU Theses & Dissertations

How do environments affect the generation and development of religions? The investigation taken up in this dissertation is one attempt to address this question. This work focuses on one comparative case study: the potential causal relationship between agriculturally marginal landscapes and the two oldest religions deemed monotheistic. This dissertation argues that the respective origins (and early development) of communities of worship centered around Ahura Mazda and YHWH were affected by similar environmental contexts. The dearth of literature concerning the effects of environments on religions extends to established theoretical and methodological approaches on the topic. The framework for approaching this research …

A Phenomenology Of Flesh: Heidegger, The Body, And The Work Of Art, Trisha Famisaran

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation begins by asking, what is the body, and how does one develop an understanding of the body? In this study, I aim to rework the notions of discursive practices and material phenomena, seeking to examine the relationship between the two in light of the work of art, so conceived within the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, in an attempt to deal with the question: “what is the body?” This dissertation avoids reifying certain normative descriptions of the body or constraining the matter of the body as strictly the effect of discursive power. I attempt a phenomenological observation about subjectivity …

Strong Black Women, Depression, And The Pentecostal Church, Dawn E. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is a global health concern and among the top two causes of disability

and disease. African-Americans often seek help from the Black church, but

Pentecostal churches may fail to provide effective support due to doctrinal beliefs.

African-American women with depression struggle due to psychosocial implications

of the diagnosis. This research study used social constructionism and the

biopsychosocial model of health to explore the lived experiences of African-

American women suffering from self-reported depression while attending

Pentecostal churches in the Northeast United States. Fourteen women, ages

20 to 76, participated in this qualitative, phenomenological study. Data obtained

from the semistructured, …

African American Female Clergy In Dual Clergy Marriage, Demetra Keyanna-Michelle Hutchinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Burgeoning evidence has shown rapid growth of licensed and ordained female clergy within the Protestant church. Consequently, dual clergy couples have also increased in number. Research has suggested that African American female clergy have experienced greater challenges than male clergy in leadership roles in the church, including social isolation, sexism, and glass-ceiling barriers. Female clergy are also disproportionately affected by mental and physical health complications including depression, obesity, and burnout. Guided by adult personal resilience theory and its tenets of determination, endurance, adaptability, and recuperability, this interpretive phenomenological study focused on exploring the lived experiences of 13 African American female …

On Blasphemy: Immigrant Muslim Leaders In America, Angela Ewing

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some Muslim immigrants in the United States have difficulty reconciling American free speech rights with the blasphemy component of Islamic law, which often requires death for those who criticize Islam. Little academic literature addresses reconciliation of Islamic beliefs with the Constitutional right to free speech or information on Muslim political participation regarding free speech. Using policy feedback theory as the foundation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of Muslim immigrants who practice Islam in a free speech society. Data were collected from a sample of 10 immigrant Muslim imams, scholars, and community leaders in Virginia …

Emotional And Spiritual Enablers For Building Trust Within Churches For Organizational Effectiveness, Carl D. Wamble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last 3 decades, religious organizations have been embroiled in scandals that

have diminished public trust in the ecclesiastic community.The purpose of this study was

to examine church leaders and members emotional intelligence and spiritual leadership

behavioral characteristics that cultivate trust, and enhance organizational effectiveness,

and establish a baseline database to facilitate perpetuating positive social change. The

theoretical framework for this study used three models: Chathoth Trust Model; the Wei,

Liu and Allen Emotional Intelligence (EI) model, and the Fry Spiritual Leadership

Theory (SL) model. Survey instruments for each model were used to determine

perspectives within the church that …

Police Officers' Perceptions Of Spirituality For Managing Occupational Stress And Job Performance, Licole Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police officers are exposed to occupational stressors that can negatively affect their job performance. Spirituality has received scholarly attention as a potential therapeutic strategy to assist individuals working under stressful conditions. Research indicated that police culture often overlooks the spiritual well-being of police officers. Much of the police literature on stress and spirituality has been examined using quantitative methods of inquiry. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore police officers' perceptions regarding the use of spirituality to manage occupational stress and job performance. Fry's spiritual leadership theory provided the framework for the study. Semistructured interviews with a …

Missional Apologetics: An Examination Of Essential Elements In The Apologetic Approaches Of Early Christian Era Apologists In Light Of The Mission Of Christ To A Pluralistic World, George B. Bannister Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The cultural ethos known as postmodernism has impacted the epistemological and functional structures of contemporary society in dramatic ways. Changes in the attitudes, standards, and belief systems from which people operate in their day-to-day lives have seen radical alterations in the last fifty years. The impact of the postmodern milieu has been evident in various ways in local church ministry, as well as the extension of local church ministry on the mission field.As a result of the waning effectiveness of traditional evangelism methods and indications that there is a relationship between that waning efficacy and the postmodern milieu, scholars have …

A Study Of The Sermon As Bible Study Materials For Small Group And Church Growth: With A Focus On Singing Hope Church, Ki Young Jeong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study will suggest that the Sunday Service sermons are essential elements for church growth and the sermons can be used as Bible study materials in the small group meetings. Korean churches kept on growing after the Pyeongyang Great Revival in 1907. However, Korean churches stopped growing since 2000, at which point they started to decline in numbers. One of the reasons is that the congregants do not live according to the Word of God that is proclaimed from the pulpit. There are various reasons for church growth. The researcher observed that continuously applying Sunday sermons to church members is …

Philosophy Of Religion, Ryan Baker

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Sensation And Metaphor In Ritual Performance: The Example Of Sacred Texts, James Watts

Religion - All Scholarship

Rituals obviously utilize the human senses. Theological and mystical interpretations frequently comment on sensation as a source of metaphors for religious experience. However, the discourse used in religious rituals themselves usually avoids using the normal vocabulary appropriate to particular sensations, while focusing on ritual performance instead. This raises the question of whether it is generally the case that ritualizing sensation diverts attention from sensation to ritual behavior, and whether ritual interpretations usually divert attention from the sensation to its metaphorical meaning. This essay addresses these questions with the analytical tools of metaphor theory and ritual theory. To test and apply …

Watching And Walking With Those In The Darkness, Marykate Morse

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

Some spiritual disciplines are routine. Some are occasional, and a few are very rare. A few are so sacramental, they are only to be undertaken when the Holy Spirit calls. One of these rare disciplines is to companion someone in the dark…closely, with few words and a rooted conviction that you are at the foot of the cross and must stay there until released. You are there precisely when most have pulled away, when the sounds of choked suffering and the smell of blood is most prevalent.

I have been called to this three times over all the years of …

Preventing The #Metoo Pain Of Children, Marykate Morse

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

I’m bearing witness to the #MeToo pain of a seven- or eight-year-old Latino boy whom I saw for a few seconds in a hotel parking lot. Unable to intervene or report, I’m telling his story and asking for action in the church.

A Surprisingly Simple Spiritual Discipline For Restoring The Soul, Marykate Morse

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

On my desk, I have a little notebook with a long list of things that need to be done—and soon. People are expecting things from me, and I’m missing deadlines.

Yet instead of working through the list, I am tidying. I am straightening up my home office. I’ve gone through files and books and either discarded them or put them in their places. I’m dusting shelves. I’m dusting objects on my prayer altar and wiping off particles from the art work—the objects which draw me to God.

I’m restoring order to my holy place and to my soul.

Spiritual Director, Counselor, And Pastor: Who Does What?, Marykate Morse

Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary

The other day I was talking with a young pastor friend, and he had a question for me. He is a church planter of a growing faith community. He has preached and advised that for a deeper life in community and with Christ, his congregants need to extend their care to counselors[1] and spiritual directors. He even has a yearly lunch to thank outside helping professionals who serve his congregants. Yet, he was discovering that sometimes this lovely relationship is messy. He noted that some counselors and spiritual directors confuse their role in relation to the church and its members. …

Led For A Definite Purpose: Richard And Georgiana Hayden, Missionaries On The Front Line In The Amazon And The Andes, David J. B. Trim

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Biblical Principles For Political Engagement: Worldview, Issues, And Voting, David Closson

Christian Worldview

Without doubt, we live in a time of acute political polarization. These divisions are inevitably exacerbated during campaign season with the barrage of candidate advertisements, Robo-calls, 24-hour cable TV coverage, and campaign literature. Moreover, the toxic tone and extreme partisanship in politics can be discouraging. Thus, it is no surprise that withdrawing from the political process has become a temptation for many Christians. After all, if God is sovereign and controls the heart of the king (Prov. 21:1), do we really need to get involved in the messy world of politics? Because political engagement can be divisive, shouldn’t Christians abandon …

Biblical Principles For Religious Liberty: Evidence From Scripture And Church History, David Closson

Christian Worldview

In this publication, it will be argued that the Bible supports an expansive view of religious liberty. This is seen in the Bible’s use of persuasion, not coercion, as the means of drawing followers to Christ. Moreover, the Bible presents faith as a spiritual reality that cannot be forced on people if it is to be genuine. This is why the Bible envisions a society where religious liberty is respected and individuals make their own choices when it comes to religion.

These ideas will be unpacked in two primary areas: (1) key biblical texts that support a broad understanding of …

Biblical Principles For Pro-Life Engagement: Personhood, Scripture, And Church History, David Closson

Christian Worldview

With the continued prominence of abortion in American politics and popular culture, it is crucial for Christians to know what the Bible actually says about the issue of abortion. Does the Bible teach that life begins at conception or birth? Is abortion murder? On these questions and others, we believe the Bible has a clear word. Therefore, it is the goal of this publication to present the Bible’s teaching on the issue of abortion. Furthermore, and perhaps surprising to many, the church has grappled with this debate for centuries, and thus has resources from which to articulate a faithful response. …

Metaphorical Imagery In Colossians: The Narrative Of Christian Living, Paul Muther

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Muther, Paul D. “Metaphorical Imagery in Colossians: The Narratives of Christian Living.” STM thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2019. 114 pp.

Although many recent theologians employ conceptual metaphor theory to the Bible’s imagery surrounding the Gospel, few apply the same theory to the metaphors of Christian living. Although many theologians develop models to demonstrate the overall picture of Christian living, few tease out the implications of individual metaphors throughout a given work.

By applying conceptual metaphor theory and Justin Rossow’s narrative analysis tool of the actantial model to the text of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, this STM thesis examines three metaphors …

The Nature Of David's Kingship At Hebron: An Exegetical And Theological Study Of 2 Samuel 2:1-5:5, Christian Vogel

Dissertations

The account of David’s reign at Hebron found in 2 Samuel 2:1—5:5 constitutes a somewhat neglected, yet crucial part of the David narrative, chronicling David’s first years as king. This dissertation investigates these chapters by means of a close reading of the Hebrew text in order to gain a better understanding of the nature of David’s kingship as it is presented in this literary unit. The review of scholarly literature on 2 Samuel 2:1—5:5 conducted in Chapter 1 reveals that not much attention has been given to a careful and in-depth exegesis of this literary unit. Instead, most of the …

The Theological Significance Of The Relations Of Freedom And Time In The Sciences And Humanities: An Evaluation Of The Contributions Of David Bohm And Pauli Pylkko, Michael F. Younker

Dissertations

The concepts of freedom and time underlay all other philosophical and theological questions. This dissertation addresses the natures and relations of freedom and time and their impact upon theological reflection, primarily through the works of the philosopher of science, David Bohm and the philosopher of the humanities, Pauli Pylkkö. These two representatives come from the two competing cultures of the sciences and humanities, which illustrate the deep philosophical conflict that has emerged between these cultures concerning the natures of freedom and time. Specifically, the paradigmatic contributions of Albert Einstein's four-dimensional 'timeless space-time' (with timeless freedom) alongside Bohm, on the one …

The Leftist Political Parties In Light Of Simone Weil's Criticism: The Workers' Party Case, Alexandre A. Martins

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Given the socio-political context of Latin American countries and their leftist and center-leftist parties that had governed some countries since the beginning of the 2000’s, this essay will present Simone Weil’s anthropology of a rooted people towards social justice guided by a spirituality of supernatural justice. This anthropology supports her criticism of political parties that this essay will use to examine the Brazilian context and its Workers’ Party that gov­erned the country for over thirteen years and ended its tenure after a process of impeachment. Although Simone Weil seems to be pessimistic as to whether multiparty or monoparty political systems …

Educating For Ecological Responsibility: Bernard Lonergan, Pope Francis, And A Local Case Study Prompted By A Global Reality, Jame Schaefer

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Bernard Lonergan’s philosophy of knowing and Pope Francis’s magisterial teachings yield a complementary trajectory toward educating for ecological responsibility. A concrete example was demonstrated by students in the capstone seminar required for the Interdisciplinary Minor in Environmental Ethics (INEE) at Marquette University in Spring 2017. After exploring Lonergan’s explanation of responsibility, his philosophy of education in which he underscores the need to integrate different ways of knowing, and the pope’s call for “integral ecology” when addressing and acting on ecological problems, the INEE seminar and its outcomes are described. They demonstrate local ways in which individuals and their religious communities …