Religion Commons^™

Membership To Contemplative Discipleship: Using Contemplative Praxis To Enhance Spiritual Growth, Charlene N. Boone

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis explores the role of contemplative spirituality, particularly through practices such as meditation, Lectio Divina, and silence, in fostering spiritual growth within the context of Visitors Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. In an era marked by rapid change and increasing distractions, the need for deeper spiritual engagement has become paramount. This study employs a qualitative approach, utilizing interviews, teaching modules, participant observations, and reflective journaling to investigate how these contemplative practices can enhance individual and communal spiritual development.

The findings suggest that meditation serves as a vital tool for cultivating inner peace and awareness, allowing individuals to connect profoundly …

The Interplay Between Hospitality And Patronage In The Greco-Roman World And Its Implications For Reading Third John, Julie L. Denham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation will seek to explore the social concepts found within the Book of Third John, examining the intricate and nuanced relationship between hospitality and patronage in early first-century Christian communities. By employing a comprehensive approach that integrates historical, cultural, and theological methodologies, this study aims to delve deeply into the multifaceted roles these practices played in shaping the social, spiritual, and theological framework of the early Church. Specifically, this dissertation seeks to address the following questions: How did first-century Christian communities navigate the interplay between hospitality and patronage as reflected in Third John? How did these practices influence communal …

Developing A Biblical Emotional Intelligence Strength Training Program For Upper School Teachers, Jessi M. Bage

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teachers continue to leave the teaching profession at an alarmingly high rate with emotional exhaustion and stress being the leading causes of teacher attrition in the United States. Despite the high levels of stress experienced by teachers, professional development rarely includes training in emotional intelligence. Attention must be given to emotional intelligence training to strengthen teachers' emotional regulation, stamina, and resilience and cultivate their ongoing community spiritual formation for Christian education to continue to have educators that provide continuity for students and make disciples of Christ. This project collaborated with Roanoke Valley Christian Schools to develop and implement a biblical …

A Qualitative Approach To Understanding A Baptist Association’S Attitudes And Beliefs While Using Digital Spaces During Covid-19, Carolyn L. Banks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

When Covid-19 forced worldwide institutional shutdowns, many mass gatherings and public areas of socializing were forced to transition to digital spaces. Of the many institutions that were impacted were the brick-and-mortar church and face-to-face fellowship. Online worship service became the next best mode of communication to keep the body of believers engaged in worship services and other church events. A change from normal brick-and-mortar worship to cyber worship created a need for many to adapt to unchartered territory. Physically unable to be present, hug, shake hands, or personally interact with church members, a sense of belonging, and the potential for …

How The Book Of Genesis Addresses The Problem Of Evil From A Biblical Theological Perspective, Fabio Delgado

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study focuses on the conventional conception of God, specifically, the question of the problem of evil from a Biblical theological perspective. Theists believe that God is supremely powerful, completely benevolent, and all-knowing. Evil may be found everywhere, as seen in our everyday lives: sickness, natural catastrophes, warfare, a lack of opportunity for advancement, poverty, bigotry, murder, animal abuse, and the list goes on.1 According to conventional beliefs, the problem of evil arises from the apparent contradiction in stating that the Lord, who possesses unlimited power and is kind-hearted, is the origin of all that is good while also acknowledging …

The Opening Of The American Mind: The Christian Educator's Involvement In Public Education, Brett Austin Craddock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Two kingdoms theology has impacted the church and guided individual believers in various aspects of their personal lives. Religious leaders, ministers, and Christians founded the American education system. The public education system of America now serves a multicultural population of students. The works of Charles Taylor and Allan Bloom highlight changes that have occurred in the 21st century and have impacted education. The misapplication of a two kingdoms theology perspective may have caused Christian educators to leave the secular classrooms. Christian educators as redemptive citizens may serve in the secular, multicultural classrooms across America to provide unintrusive education for all …

Perceptions Of Congregational Engagement In Evangelical Church Worship Programs, Tim Allums

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite existing research on worship leader training and choosing music for congregational worship, a study on the perceptions of congregational worship engagement from the perspectives of worship leaders and congregants has yet to be examined. Congregational worship is formational and helps believers continue to grow in their faith by singing their praise to God with one voice and declaring the tenets of their shared faith. This study sought to reveal perceptions of worship engagement by surveying nineteen worship leaders and one hundred fifteen congregants from thirty-nine evangelical churches around the United States to identify the musical aspects that either enhance …

Creation's Jubilee: The Reconciliation Of All Things Through The Work Of Christ, Darrell Wayne Murphy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many have taken it upon themselves to discover the meaning of the biblical teaching of reconciliation and deduced various theories. The topic has reached an impasse for many years. This dissertation will show that God is always the subject, and that man is the object of reconciliation. Through Jesus Christ’s work, God intends to reconcile all things to himself. This assertion claims that Christ’s redemptive work extends to all categories of intelligent beings but does not propose a universal salvation for all. Instead, God has supplied the provision whereby all categories of creatures are offered the work of redemption procured …

Hope As A Source To Strengthen Chaplain Resiliency In The Christian And Missionary Alliance, Javier M. Torres-Chinea

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research project intends not only to assess the levels of hope of the population of chaplains of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, but also to educate on how hope can strengthen resilience. Using Snyder's Theory of Hope (2000) provides a theoretical framework that allows a positive vision of the social and employment situation of millions of people. Snyder's Adult Hope Scale measures the hope trait in the chaplains, both male and female, between the ages of 25-65. For the participants, a questionnaire called the Hope Questionnaire was used. The SurveyPlanet website, to be distributed, answered, and collected data through …

An Analysis Of The Adequacy Of Preparation For The Totality Of Worship Leadership, Michael Kenneth Geake

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the gradual transition of “music minister” into “worship leader,” preparation and training for the expanded roles may be considered slow in terms of total responsibilities. While degree programs have incorporated in-depth coursework in essential ministry topics – such as theology, discipleship, and evangelism – there has been little recognition of their roles as managers and counselors. Many of these programs prepare students for jobs that no longer exist. This study focuses on the worship leader, both as a student and as one who has already started their career, with responsibilities in the church and to their family. Through qualitative …

Life Immediately After Death, William Berger

Masters Theses

The Bible is the believed, canonical, complete message of God. It teaches morals, values, ethics, virtues, righteousness, truths, and salvation. Every part of life can and should be guided by the words of God for the purpose of accomplishing His final goal. God’s goal for his creation is to achieve through salvation and His grace dwelling with Him in His New Earth and New Heavens. To accomplish this, God created people to be immortal. Within this immortality, death plays an integral part. Because God begins His creation with a defining statement of how it all started, God facilitates an understanding …

The Prophet Jeremiah As A Type Of Messiah, Jc Cross

Masters Theses

How did Jesus interpret the prophet Jeremiah? Did Jeremiah function as a typological precursor to the Messiah? These questions warrant a renewed scholarly examination. While the book of Jeremiah has been the subject of extensive academic inquiry, particularly its first chapter, little research has focused on the prophet’s personal experiences as a foreshadowing of the Messiah or the textual allusions within the book to a messianic figure. Jesus repeatedly asserted that those well-versed in the Hebrew Scriptures should recognize the messianic foreshadowing present in the prophetic texts. Jesus’ disciples reinforce this interpretive framework. While a comprehensive analysis of how all …

Apologetics And Storytelling In The Lord Of The Rings, Jeffrey R. Ober

Masters Theses

Storytelling has been used for Christian education since the Christian faith first began. The problem is that while storytelling is known as a strong message of communication that has been used throughout the ages; and while it is used by some apologists like C. S. Lewis; there are more opportunities for pastors and others to engage in apologetics and evangelism using storytelling. Christians can use stories to reach others for Christ, just as others throughout history have used stories and storytelling to communicate other traditions and ideas. While this is a good start, there are more opportunities for Christians to …

Exploration Of The Congruence Between Environmental Concerns And Eco-Spirituality Programming At Retreat Centers As Experienced By Participants, Jean Golicz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this multiple-embedded case study was to explore the role of environmental awareness and concerns in influencing engagement in retreat practices that were organized around the theme of eco-spirituality and the impact on organizational leadership and program development at two retreat centers in the northeastern region of the United States. Roman Catholic retreat centers were the focus of the study as they endeavored to fulfill leadership directives reflected in the papal encyclical Laudato si’. The centers examined offered immersion in nature, reflection on the interdependence of organic systems, and the development of action plans to address environmental issues. …

Poverty And Government Policy Part One: Observations, John Visser

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"... even in the U.S., we have not fully realized that top-down efforts at distributing wealth... are as ineffective as they are when producing wealth."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the persistent problem of poverty from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Poverty and Government Policy Part One

Care And Resource Support For Surrogate End-Of-Life Decision-Makers, Evelyn L. Globe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Surrogate end-of-life decision-makers are family members facing the emergent task of making end-of-life care decisions for their loved ones many times without prior knowledge of what their family members would want. Afterward, the surrogate decision-maker is often without support to process their experience and grief. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to provide a faith-based support group for those who have had the experience of being a surrogate end-of-life decision-maker and through an advance care planning and advance directives seminar and workshop provide an informational resource for individuals who have not had the experience and want to …

A Modified View Of Unlimited Atonement: An Exegetical Claim From 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, Dillon Cole Delp

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to uncover the similarities and distinctions between limited and unlimited atonement specifically analyzing which theological perspective was most accurately represented in the text of 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. This research promotes the idea of how unlimited atonement under modified conditions is supported by the text. This modified view is distinct from both Calvinism and Arminianism. This thesis explores various methods for examining the text by using textual, historical, cultural, literal, intertextual, grammatical, and theological analyses. By using this exegetical process, this modified view of unlimited atonement contains the assertion that the death of Jesus Christ …

The Role Of Hymnody In Shaping Religious Identity And Beliefs In Churches: An Ethnographic Case Study In The Chesapeake Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Erwin Gabriel Nanasi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explores how varying worship style preferences influence worship experiences, theological beliefs, and sense of belonging among clergy and congregants within the Chesapeake Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. While music and hymnody are integral to Adventist worship, differing stylistic preferences can lead to tensions, satisfaction gaps, and fragmented community life. Despite the formative role of congregational singing in shaping religious identity, little research has examined these dynamics within the Adventist context. Using a mixed-methods ethnographic case study design, the research combines qualitative interviews with 26 pastors and quantitative survey data from 257 congregants across diverse churches. It investigates the criteria …

Seed Of The Woman, Son Of David, Son Of Abraham: Exploring The Progression Of God’S Redemptive Plan For All Nations And Rethinking Gentile Integration In Messianic Hope, Dieufort Dieujuste

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines and reconstructs the progression of God’s redemptive plan for humanity, exploring its inception from an oracular promise in Genesis and investigating how it unfolds through various promises, covenants, and prophecies culminating in Jesus, the Messiah, identified as the seed of the Woman (Gen. 3:15b), Son of David, Son Abraham (Matt. 1:1). Central to this exploration is the theological significance of key biblical figures and historical events while tracing the development of the promise of redemption from Genesis to the New Testament. One can suitably underscore the universal scope of God’s covenant to extend blessings to all nations …

Developing A Contextualized Discipleship Pathway For Spiritual Formation And Multiplication Through A Culturally Relevant And Sustainable Model, Evans Jean

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Philadelphia Church of the Newborns (PCN) is a multigenerational Haitian church that has been serving the Haitian community for over 36 years. The church has an average of 375 members who regularly attend Sunday services. Since its establishment, PCN has embraced a traditional approach to discipleship, which is conducted through Sunday school and Bible study. Its ministry context includes Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Many members were raised in Haiti and understand how church traditions operate within the Haitian context. Discipleship takes place through church activities rather than structured programs. PCN is recognized for its solid biblical …

Living The Text: A Phenomenological And Metacognitive Analysis Of Nehemiah 9 As The Embodiment Of Scripture In The Processing Of Stored Trauma, Dimitrije Stanojevic

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study defends the thesis that Nehemiah 9:5–37 is a sermon with psychotherapeutic qualities, aimed at processing unaddressed and cross-generationally stored trauma. It does so through two modes of interpretation: מְפֹרָשׁ “informing” andשֹׂום שֶׂכֶל “forming.” The sermon is delivered on the Day of Atonement, in the aftermath of a communal Scripture reading in Jerusalem, sometime after the return from the Babylonian Exile. Phenomenological and metacognitive frameworks inform the analysis of the passage as transformative and identity-shaping, grounded in repentance and self-reflection.

This textually rich passage weaves together quotations, allusions, echoes, reinterpretations, and summaries—likely the result of multiple editorial hands. Yet, …

Makt, Sex, Och Kön: St. Birgitta And Medieval Swedish Politics, Carl Andrew Lund

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Birgitta Birgersdotter (1302/3 – 1373) was a Swedish noblewoman who began reporting repeated heavenly visions beginning shortly after her widowhood in 1344, although tradition came to believe that she had had earlier visions as well. Her visions had a strong religious component. However, they also gave admonishment and advice to powerful leaders throughout medieval Europe, notably Sweden’s king, Magnus IV Eriksson, and his queen consort, Blanche of Namur. Another important motif of the visions was an insistence of the papacy returning to Rome from Avignon. Birgitta was not always taken seriously due to her gender. However, the privilege obtained from …

Complementarianism: A Biblical View Of Women In Ministry, Christopher L. Coleman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Women in ministry is a controversial subject in modern culture. The question surrounding women’s roles in the church remains a point of much debate and intense discussion. While those who subscribe to an egalitarian view believe that women can occupy any role in the church that men can, those who subscribe to a complementarian view believe that women are limited in their function in the church and, therefore, cannot occupy the same roles as men. This project analyzes the role of women throughout the Old and New Testaments from both the complementarian and egalitarian perspectives. It also conducts an exegetical …

The Nuptial Metaphor From Genesis To Revelation: An Examination Of Yahweh’S Divine Romance With Israel And Mankind In Scripture, Clement Chen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study demonstrates that the nuptial metaphor is not merely a marginally interesting literary motif but deeply embedded in the meta-narrative of the text of the Bible and hermeneutically significant in providing an interpretive thematic framework for rightly reading the Scriptures. In other words, this study is a literary and thematic biblical theological study, utilizing historical, biblical, grammatical, and canonical theological approaches to the entire biblical text, of the nuptial metaphor found throughout Scripture as a thematic framework that is hermeneutically significant. Contemporary studies of the nuptial metaphor that recognize and value the nuptial metaphor of God marrying His people …

Who Really Invented Servant Leadership?, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

"That program gave me tools and vocabulary I still carry today—frameworks like transformational leadership, emotional intelligence, and ethical decision-making. But one concept stood out to me more than any other: servant leadership.

Robert Greenleaf’s idea that a great leader begins as a servant—putting others’ needs first, listening deeply, and nurturing the growth of others—felt less like something I was learning, and more like something I was remembering.

Because I had seen it before. Not in business school. Not in theory. But in faith, family, and the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ."

Spirituality And The Quest For Transcendence On The Portuguese Way Of St. James, José Luís Braga, Miguel Pazos Otón, Isabel Borges

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela is a kind of proto tourism in a world where the number of pilgrimages has increased considerably. In the past the only motivation for such pilgrimages was religious, today we are witnessing the emergence of new motivations, such as cultural and even sporting ones. The research questions that guide this study are the following: Are faith and religion still strong enough motivations to justify pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela? Are there points of convergence between religious and secular pilgrims? Can the Camino be a means of awakening religious vocations? In short, what is the …

Crafting Myths In Modern Times: Essentialising Duty, Obligation And Exchange In Religious Tourism, Anuja Jose, Vinita Chandra, Uday Pratap Singh

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper aims to study the factors that contribute to the success of present-day myths in religious tourism. It also seeks to investigate the factors that compel modern pilgrims to accept a certain myth and the role played by stakeholders of religious tourism in the creation of a myth. In order to explore these research questions, Kauḍī Mātā temple in Varanasi, a popular religious tourist spot for Southern Indians, was chosen for Case Study. Qualitative data have been generated through in-depth interviewing. Simultaneously, several myths of goddess Kauḍī Mātā were recovered from textual and digital sources in addition to the …

The Unicorn And Christ – Metamorphosis And Symbology, Luis Mendonça De Carvalho, Francisca Maria Fernandes, Maria Fátima Nunes, Ana Maria Costa, Paula Nozes, Ana Paula Figueira

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The unicorn is a legendary chimaera that, for centuries, has been present in the mindset of Euro-Mediterranean cultures. Although its morphological description changed, tradition identifies it as an animal like a horse, albeit smaller and with a spiralling horn on its head pointing forward. The unicorn has been known since Antiquity, with references by authors such as Ctesias and Pliny. However, its relevance for medieval Europeans began with the Biblical references to this animal in several Old Testament verses. These verses gave legitimacy to the unicorn, and it was accepted as a tangible animal. During the Middle Ages and early …

The Election Of Pope Leo Xiv: A Reformed Perspective, Kyle J. Dieleman

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Reformed Christians should wisely, carefully, and prayerfully discern the Spirit’s work within our own tradition and within other Christian traditions, including the Catholic Church."

Posting about the implications of a new pope from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

The Election of Pope Leo XIV

Seeing Through The Incense Smoke: Understanding The Meanings Of Ancestral Rites In Vietnam For The Sake Of A Pastoral Approach In Christian Mission, J.P. Cima

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Cima, J.P. “Seeing Through the Incense Smoke: Understanding the Meanings of Ancestral Rites in Vietnam for the Sake of a Pastoral Approach in Christian Mission.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2025. 285 pp.

The veneration of ancestors at family altars has long been a defining feature of everyday Vietnamese life that poses a critical missiological problem for Christian mission in Vietnam. May Christians participate in ancestral veneration rituals? Current and historical responses to this question, among Protestants and Catholics alike, have not been uniform. Moreover, many responses have been based on assumed or oversimplified understandings of the rites’ meaning which recent …