Religion Commons^™

Forming The Blessed Alliance: Spiritual Formation For Mutual Leadership In The Church, Erin Richer

Doctor of Ministry

This project is an on-ramp to a spiritual formation pipeline to address the unique formational needs of men and women for effective, cross-gender mutuality in church leadership. The most critical need which female stakeholders identified for leadership in these church spaces is male allies. Therefore, this project provides a practical and concrete formational on-ramp for male leaders to develop as allies for cross-gender mutuality in ministry leadership. This workshop—Forming the Blessed Alliance—will use evangelical language to frame allyship. The workshop launches by laying the biblical groundwork and by teaching 3-Way Listening with a focus on self and spiritual reflection. The …

Elder As Disciplemaker: God’S Strategy For World Change, Dan Turis

Doctor of Ministry

This research examines Christian discipleship’s theological, historical, and structural dynamics, emphasizing its central role in addressing the decline of church attendance in the Western church. Recent data, such as Barna’s 2020 report indicating a 50% drop in regular church attendance, underscores a more profound issue beyond numerical decline—namely, a crisis of commitment and spiritual formation. The church’s inability to cultivate a community of believers who follow Jesus as disciples highlights a shift from relational, life-on-life mentorship to programmatic, clergy-centered approaches. Historically, discipleship was characterized by a personal mentoring relationship where elders or spiritual leaders walked alongside believers to guide their …

Benedict's Gospel Vision: Chapters 36 And 53 Of The Rule Of St Benedict, Barbara Marincel

Obsculta

This is a comparison exegesis of the Rule of Benedict’s Chapters 36 and 53 with Chapters 69-70 and 79 in the Rule of the Master. Chapters 36, “The Sick Brothers,” and 53, “The Reception of Guests,” demonstrate how the central themes of caritas, service, and hospitality are present in the RB, as the sick person and the guest are to be treated and received as if they are Christ. The kindness and compassion with which the vulnerable person is to be tended exemplifies Benedict’s vision of the Gospel as seen throughout his rule and greatly contrasts with the Rule of …

The Mystery Of Faith In Dialogue With The History Of God And Human Beings, Melissa Tovar-Guerrero

Obsculta

The mysteries of God are unfathomable, and for this reason theology uses analogies to express its meanings. The purpose of this paper is to develop some reflections on how I understand theology. To begin, I would like to make an analogy to highlight the importance of dialogue, stories, and their contexts in theology: we are made of stories, we are the stories we build with words, our contexts are determined by the way we dialogue, and stories shape the cosmogony that gives meaning to our lives. In the construction of stories, dialogues and contexts are fundamental because they connect the …

Images: Cross In Roman Colosseum And Sacred Heart Chapel, Garrett S. "Faustino" Miller Oblsb

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Icons, Theology, And Culture, Patrick Russell

Obsculta

This article presents an overview of Eastern Orthodox understandings of the theology of icons and how icons are used in liturgical spaces to communicate important theological truths. Specifically, as it relates to eschatology and liturgical practices around icons and the cultural importance of saints who come from different continents and times and how that helps us see a bigger picture of a truly cosmic future reality embodied in the Church in the present.

Image: Organ And Subiaco, Garrett S. "Faustino" Miller Oblsb

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

The Liberation Of The Disabled Christ And What That Shows Us About Our Human Sacredness In Healthcare, Hannah Miers

Obsculta

This paper explores the significance of Christ’s identity in relation to disability, emphasizing the need for a liberating theology that acknowledges and affirms the dignity of disabled individuals in healthcare settings. It advocates for a Christological perspective that integrates the image of a disabled Christ, calling for awareness and equitable treatment for the disabled within a healthcare framework. By recognizing the connections between disability theology and the holistic needs of human beings, this paper aims to inspire a shift towards greater respect, grace, and compassion in caring for vulnerable populations, thereby addressing systemic inequities inherent in medical practices.

An Acrostic Ekphrasis On The Frauenkirche In Dresden, Germany, Aaron Christie

Obsculta

The Frauenkirche in Dresden, Germany, is widely regarded as the apex of confessional Lutheran architecture. This acrostic ekphrasis is written from the viewpoint of a Lutheran parishioner shortly after the Frauenkirche’s dedication in 1743. The church was built in the milieu of the confessional struggles that ensued in Electoral Saxony when Augustus the Strong converted to Roman Catholicism to become king of Poland. Several sections of this ekphrasis move forward into modern times to recount the Frauenkirche’s destruction in WWII and her rededication in 2005.

The Rise And Fall Of Religion: An Agent-Based Model Of Secularisation, Security And Prosociality, Ivan Puga-Gonzalez, F. Leron Shults, Ross Gore, Konrad Talmont-Kaminski

Center for Secure and Intelligent Critical Systems (CSICS) Publications

The relationship between religion, society, and individual behaviour has been a subject of extensive inquiry, drawing upon a rich collection of historical and contemporary perspectives. The scientific study of religion at the social level has often found its roots in the foundational work of Durkheim (Durkheim, 1912), who posited that religion serves as a catalyst for social order and the promotion of prosocial behaviour. At the same time, Malinowski’s observations regarding the connection between ritual and anxiety have led to a number of lines of inquiry that have come to extend to other aspects of religion. Yet, taken together, these …

Editorial, Bruce L. Bauer

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

These international contributions are important because mission in the Adventist Church is a shared task with more of the Adventist divisions becoming sending divisions.

Full Issue

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

This issue of the Journal of Adventist Mission Studies marks a high point in Adventist missiological literature, for all the authors of the articles reside outside of North America.

Oil And Wine: A Christian Reflection On The Sacred Oath, Faith Abraham

be Still

This essay explores the intersection of medicine, faith, and the deeper calling to heal. Reflecting on experiences at the Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF) Conference, it examines the weight of the physician’s oath—not just as a professional obligation, but as a sacred commitment to justice, dignity, and human connection.

Week 8: A New Set Of Clothes, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 4: The Family Expands, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 7: Follow The Leader, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 1: Overview Of Growing Up In Christ, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Mark 6:30-44, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

Week 2: Our Origin Story, Calvin University

Campus Ministries Resources

No abstract provided.

A Strategy To Address The Challenges Of Intergenerational Conflict In The Haitian Churches At The Southeastern Conference In Florida, Nicolas Louis

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Haitian churches in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) of Florida, are severely affected by intergenerational conflict, persisting between young people and adults who cannot get along. Churches affected by this misunderstanding are facing a loss of young people, particularly college-educated members and people with vocational skills. This conflict has touched entire congregations, decreasing growth numerically and financially. Between 2013 and 2018, there was a 60 percent decline in members with college degrees and vocational skills. This study analyzes this intergenerational conflict, which manifests in disagreements over leadership preferences and worship styles.

Method

To address this problem, I established a series …

Spiritual Exercises In Novarodok Mussar And The Early Work, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper compares aspects of the teachings launched in pre-revolutionary and revolutionary Russia of two spiritual figures: Rabbi Yoseph Yozel Horwitz and George Gurdjieff. Yozel founded the Novarodok school of Mussar within Judaism; Gurdjieff founded the spiritual tradition known as “the Work” or “Fourth Way.” There are of course great differences between Judaism and the Work, but some similarities might be expected between spiritual disciplines, especially similarities in practice as opposed to doctrine. This paper explores similarities of some spiritual exercises in the Mussar school of Novarodok and secondarily in later or other Mussar teachings and in the early Gurdjieff …

Image: Mary Statue, Garrett S. "Faustino" Miller Oblsb

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

From Cappadocia To Baden: The Development Of The Theology Of Relation From The Cappadocian Fathers To The 20th Century Systematicians, Tristan Stuart

Obsculta

This piece discusses the continuity in theology from Athanasius to the Cappadocian Fathers and from the Cappadocian Fathers to modern Systematicians. Firstly, it testifies that neo-Nicene theology was in line with the theology of the Nicenes. Secondly it testifies to a continuity in the foundational memes of neo-Nicene theology through the centuries all the way to 20th century Systematicians.

Project Portfolio: Strengthening Marital Bonding In Indonesian Christian Spouses Through A Contextually Designed Marriage Enrichment Retreat Curriculum, Dinka Nehemia Utomo

Doctor of Leadership

Numerous couples in our local church struggle to maintain their marital commitment and longing helps to overcome marriage hurdles. Regrettably, the denominations in our context, have not developed a coherent plan or roadmap for empowering and enriching married couples. While serving as a pastor, I witnessed countless couples in many congregations dealing with marital troubles in solitude without the required support from the church. I started developing a curriculum to satisfy this requirement in response to this circumstance. This project seeks to strengthen marital commitment, increase intimacy, and promote harmonious and loving relationships by applying biblical principles. A Marriage Enrichment …

Project Portfolio: Connecting Through Conflict, Jennifer Vernam

Doctor of Leadership

The Connecting Through Conflict project was designed to respond to the following NPO statement: “Christians are prioritizing their ideologies above core tenants, which is challenging their Christ-centered freedoms and presenting barriers to living in community.” Using a collaborative design model for discovery with various stakeholder groups, it was identified that Christian leaders do not have strategies for managing ideological conflict in their communities. This deficit, in turn led to conflicts to being avoided, driving those with minority views to perceive themselves as outsiders to their communities of faith. The resulting product was designed to empower Christian leaders to normalize the …

Project Portfolio: Ties, Strong And Weak: Toward The Flourishing Of A Leader’S Network, Matthew Travis Vaughn

Doctor of Leadership

NPO: Presbyteries promote connectionalism, yet pastors and ministry leaders experience isolation and burnout, lacking healthy communication, trustworthy relationships, and healthy life-rhythms which affect their well-being. I serve as the executive director of church planting for a regional presbytery in the Presbyterian Church in America denomination. Additionally, for many years I have served as a coach and consultant to pastors, church planters, and executives primarily in the nonprofit space. Prior to this project, I was aware of various resources available to pastors and ministry leaders who are stressed out, lonely, or discouraged. At the same time, there was a gap in …

Hayek And Tawney: A Forgotten Conversation On Economics And Christian Ethics, Roger J. Newell

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

The dramatic British election of 1945 and an unlikely best-seller on economic philosophy provides the setting for a respectful conversation, rather than an acrimonious debate, between two long-time colleagues of the London School of Economics, the economic theorist F.A. Hayek and the economic historian R.H. Tawney. Their dialogue highlights divergent approaches to key moral issues embedded in economic thought, including the nature of freedom, the role of the state, and the reasons for poverty. The article examines the way in which Christianity underpins Tawney's approach to these questions and how, for Hayek, a network of secular beliefs performs a parallel …

Review Of Steven Nemes, Theological Authority In The Church: Reconsidering Traditionalism And Hierarchy, Isaac Choi

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Nemes correctly identifies the key difference between Protestantism and its Catholic and Orthodox siblings as not being about justification, transubstantiation, or the Marian dogmas, but as rooted in the question of theological authority: are there individuals or groups in the church who have “the standing to tell other persons (not) to do or believe something for the sake of friendship with God” (xiii)? Nemes’s contention is that only God has such authority, and he makes the case for this claim in this book primarily by appealing to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. The analysis of the New Testament …

Faith In Small Things: The Rlds Church, The New Left, And The Global 1970s, David J. Howlett

Religion: Faculty Publications

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