Religion Commons^™

Becoming An Ambassador Of Jesus Christ: A Strategy To Recruit, Enlist, And Develop Volunteers At Restoration Church, John Christopher Blackwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this Doctor of Ministry thesis project is to develop a biblical strategy to recruit, enlist, and develop volunteers at Restoration Church by reframing service through the scriptural identity of believers as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Within the ministry context of a rapidly growing, culturally diverse congregation, Restoration Church faces a persistent shortage of volunteers stemming from congregational mergers, spiritual apathy, negative associations with volunteering, and the absence of a sustainable philosophy of service. Therefore, this project focuses on a comprehensive, reproducible approach that connects gospel transformation to participation in ministry. A biblical curriculum called Discover Restoration was …

Creating An Adaptable Discipleship Training Guide To Address The Absence Of Young Adult Ministry Leaders At Church A, Braeden Fleck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This guide was designed to address a lack of young adult ministry leaders within the researcher’s local church. This thesis project serves as a witness to the development and implementation of an adaptable discipleship training guide. The project proclaims that a flexible discipleship curriculum is the key to cultivating spiritual formation in young adults, specifically those belonging to the Z generation. The primary strategy behind implementation was to use short term intervention through a period of five consecutive weeks to assess spiritual growth of young adult congregants who attend a hybrid satellite church campus. The research project was catalyzed by …

A Phenomenological Study Of Cultural Tightness Impacting Lived Experiences Of Female Leaders In United Methodist Churches, Genevieve M. Hamer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Gender equality captures the news highlights. Women push to assume roles similar in pay, power, and significance in all types of organizations as their male peers. It is hard to ignore this when it comes to the matter of biblical calling and the roles of women in church leadership. Researchers have devoted hours to the topic of calling. This study examined calling as it relates to the biblical call towards a vocation. While there are different theological positions regarding the roles of women in the church, scholars agree there is such a thing as a biblical calling. Even in egalitarian …

To Be Holy: How Expository Preaching On Holiness Impacts The Understanding Of John Wesley’S View Of The Gospel At Hopewell Methodist Church, Robert Moseley Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem identified in this thesis is that the adult members of Hopewell Methodist Church do not possess a Wesleyan view of the gospel and its goal. The action research project employs expository preaching to convey doctrinal truths discovered in Scripture. The project involved preaching an eight-week series of expository sermons on selected Scripture passages, covering foundational doctrines of the faith and explaining the gospel. The purpose of the sermon series was to introduce the congregation to John Wesley’s doctrine of holiness and to instate a Wesleyan view of the gospel. Furthermore, participants had the opportunity to join a weekly …

Singing Is Believing: A Case Study Of Worship Song Themes Sung By Sbc Churches, Cindy L. Beirne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is a notable gap in scholarly research on whether a denomination’s beliefs are clearly and accurately represented in the songs used in corporate worship. This study examines the themes of Contemporary Praise and Worship songs and hymns used by a sample of Southern Baptist congregations and compares them with core beliefs in the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message. The study seeks to identify the intersection of the songs commonly sung, the importance of contributing to the formation and reinforcement of SBC beliefs, and the factors that influence song selection. This mixed-methods research study examined a sample of Southern Baptist …

The Impact Of The Application Of Disability Ministry And Discipleship Within The Southern Baptist Churches Of Virginia, Minsoo Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative phenomenological study examined how individuals with disabilities serving as church leaders and congregants experienced belonging within Southern Baptist churches in Virginia. The researcher framed the study using Baumeister and Leary’s (2017; 1995) need to belong theory, which posits that human beings possess an innate drive to form and maintain meaningful interpersonal relationships. The researcher examined how belonging was expressed through physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions within congregations engaged in disability ministry and contributing to fulfillment of the Great Commission. The researcher employed purposive sampling to recruit 11 participants from Southern Baptist congregations in Virginia who self-identified as individuals …

Church Disaffiliation's Impact On Black Christian Millennials' Faith Development, Kevin M. Simmons

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher explored the faith, ways of living, and ideologies of Black Christian millennials that unite them with others and with God, leading to what James Fowler called the “ultimate environment” (Attfield, 1994). The study employed a qualitative phenomenological research design to examine whether the faith development path of Black Christian millennials had been impacted by church disaffiliation. From their perspective, identifying factors that fuel their beliefs, religious expressions, and views on their religious identity (Thomas, 2017). Faith, in its simplest form, is defined not by creeds or their institutional practices, Fowler acknowledges. However, its foundational truth lies in the …

Leading Like Christ: A Phenomenological Study Of The Biblical Shepherd Motif In Christian Parachurch Executive Leadership, Alex Sefton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Christian nonprofit parachurch organization executive leaders in southeastern Indiana (i.e., Decatur County and its adjacent counties). For the purpose of this study, executive leaders was defined as those who hold a top-level leadership position at an organization, and Christian nonprofit parachurch organization was defined as an organization designated under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) that advances biblical principles and social welfare. Shepherd-like leadership was generally defined as a leadership style that demonstrates relational care, personal guidance, and protection of well-being, as seen in Psalm …

The Emotional Aspects Of Disbelief: A Study Of Negative Emotions And Their Influence On Atheists When Reasoning About God’S Existence And Christianity, Esteban Canales

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The lack of sufficient evidence has been signaled by atheists as the main reason for their disbelief, identifying arguments such as God’s silence and the problem of evil as intellectual reasons against the existing of God and the plausibility of Christianity. While Christians found in arguments from Natural Theology, Scripture, morality, and the like, reliable sources in order to recognize God’s wonders and purpose for humanity, for atheists it seems that no argument seem sufficient neither rational. But what about if these so-called intellectual reasons are the product of an underlying emotional condition, affecting negatively the way atheists reason the …

The Harmonic Confluence: A Worship Synthesis Model For One God And One Worship Examining The Impact Of Leadership Styles And Music Selection On Congregational Unity In Evangelical Churches Of The Bible Belt, Joshua Dwayne Randle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite significant scholarship on church growth strategies and worship practices, the nuanced impact of worship leadership styles on church dynamics within the Bible Belt remains underexplored. This study examines how worship leadership styles ranging from traditional liturgical approaches to contemporary band-led services shape congregational engagement, retention, and growth within evangelical churches across this historically significant region. Tracing the Bible Belt’s revivalist heritage, denominational distinctives, and worship traditions, the research situates contemporary practices within their broader historical and theological framework. Utilizing a historical qualitative research design, the study integrates archival research, denominational reports, church bulletins, worship setlists, and livestream archives. It …

The Interactions Of Faith Development, Attachment With Relational Authenticity, And Theory Of Mind In Children With Adverse Childhood Experiences, Lisa Haley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Early exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) interrupts typical spiritual, socioemotional, and cognitive developmental trajectories. Faith Development (FD), attachment with Relational Authenticity (RA), and Theory of Mind (ToM) may serve to provide positive coping strategies for children with ACEs. Few studies explored the interactions of FD, attachment with RA, and ToM in children. Additionally, sparse research involved RA independently or in relation to attachment formation. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how FD, attachment with RA, and ToM interact in children with ACEs. The lived experiences of children with ACEs and the interactions of FD, attachment with …

James And Paul: Conflict Or Continuity, Brian Allan Elensky

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation investigates whether the Epistle of James presents a fundamentally different gospel from Pauline theology, a claim advanced by Robert Eisenman and other scholars who portray James as the leader of a rigorist, non-resurrectional, sectarian movement. The study employs a forensic investigative model shaped by the researcher’s experience as a police officer, combining historical-grammatical exegesis of James with analysis of key New Testament texts, early Christian witnesses such as Eusebius and Hegesippus, and modern scholarship on James, Paul, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The research concludes that James does not oppose Paul but complements him. James 2:14–26 rejects a …

A Phenomenological Study Of Pastoral Perspectives Of Conservative Churches Effectively Serving The Disability Community, John D. Hall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored the experience of pastors leading conservative churches engaging with and serving persons with disabilities and their families. It focused on six theologically conservative churches providing special needs ministry, with at least three distinct scheduled ministry opportunities staffed by lay leadership, meeting a minimum of quarterly, and overseen by a paid staff member. This research sought to understand the perspectives of the pastors leading these churches, focusing on their personal experiences with disability, vision implementation, and leadership development. This study explored these pastors’ leadership through the lens of Transformational Leadership Theory and whether their style demonstrates transformational …

Nature’S Sovereign: Environmental Archetypes In Isaiah’S Kingship Polemic, Christopher Ryan Sandel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines how Isaiah employs environmental archetypes to advance a comprehensive kingship polemic that asserts Yahweh’s unrivaled sovereignty over all creation. The study addresses a gap in scholarship by offering the first systematic analysis of Isaiah’s environmental imagery within a unified rhetorical and theological framework. Drawing on historical, literary, and comparative ancient Near Eastern backgrounds, the study argues that Isaiah’s civilizational, cosmic, and terrestrial archetypes function as strategic instruments that dismantle rival claims to power and reorient the audience toward covenantal fidelity. Civilizational archetypes reveal the fragility of human empires and the futility of political trust. Entities such as …

Sacred Silence: The Unspoken Realities Of Satisfaction In Marital Intimacy Among Black Christian Women, Shonda Reneé Brooks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Sexual intimacy is a vital component of marital satisfaction, yet many married Black Christian women, taught to abstain from sex until marriage, enter matrimony without adequate marital guidance. This qualitative phenomenological study describes the lived experiences of married Black Christian women, ages 30–60, who were taught to abstain from sex until marriage but received little to no instruction on sexual intimacy after marriage. The central research question is: How do married Black Christian women, who were taught to abstain from sex until marriage, describe their experiences with marital intimacy? Framed by feminist theory, attachment theory, and intersectionality, the study examines …

Dementia Caregiver Support: Offering Spiritual And Emotional Guidance To Loved Ones Filling The Gap, William Reid Bishop

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem at Tremont Church of God is that members offering caregiver support to their loved ones with dementia are unaware of the coping skills needed for support. The purpose of this DMIN action research project is to provide an 8-week training program to teach caregivers techniques for managing their emotional and spiritual needs. The sample population for this project is church members over the age of 18 who are actively caregiving for a spouse or close relative with dementia. The sample size is between 10 and 15 participants. The training is located at Tremont COG. The training is in …

Biblical Leadership And Gender: Balancing Cultural Context And Theological Conviction, Lorie Lynn Heath

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

God originally made male and female in His image, imparting to them a shared authority over creation. They were co-heirs equal in purpose, mission, and value. However, cultural practices and patriarchal traditions have long obscured this original biblical design. Consider a qualified young woman in a local church, called, talented, and valued by her congregation, yet repeatedly overlooked for preaching and teaching positions because of her gender. Her story is not unique. This misapplication of Scripture not only harms women but also weakens the body of Christ and impedes the church’s testimony to the gospel. Accurate comprehension of the Bible …

Evaluating Inner-Tainment With A Ghetto Perspective For Positive Thought Adjustment In Ghetto Communities, Shontae L. Graham

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Environmental challenges and disadvantages impact cognitive scripts and develop persistent frustration. Frustration is both mental and physical and can be negative or positive. It evokes emotion, which is prompted by memory and its associated level of importance. The integration of emotion, memory, and imagination can set the stage and create an act to transition negative frustration and align past experiences with new perspectives. This study used a qualitative Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach to investigate the use of self-scripted enactment as a self-help technique for positive thought adjustment. The technique is called Inner-tainment and was used to determine if there were …

“He Sat Down:” The Session Of Christ And Faithful Perseverance In Hebrews, Jonathan Myers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the most prominent themes in the book of Hebrews is the session of Christ – the belief that God’s Son, after successfully completing His earthly mission, was awarded the highest position of honor at the right hand of the Father. As the Davidic Son, He rules and reigns over all creation as its rightful heir, fulfilling texts such as Psalms 2, 8, and 110, as well as 2 Samuel 7. As high priest, He has atoned for sins and is presently interceding for believers. Thus, the session of Christ is no ethereal or esoteric doctrine, but a reality …

Second Maccabees As A Thematic Bridge To Early Christian Thought, Elizabeth D. Woods

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research on Second Maccabees has increased over the past century, especially since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Much of this scholarship has been confined to discussion of historical, literary, or thematic topics within the confines of the work or in relation to the Old Testament. Little scholarship, comparably, exists regarding the themes of Second Maccabees in relationship to early Christian beliefs expressed in the New Testament.

This body of research seeks to address this gap by tracing the evolution of major themes from Second Maccabees through the first century CE and examining the presence of those themes within …

Scriptural Coping And Emotional Wellbeing: Examining The Mediating Role Of Hope Among Christian Professionals In The Helping Profession, Chinedum Amene

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study examined the relationship between scriptural coping and emotional well-being among Christian medical and mental health professionals, with particular attention to the mediating role of hope. Christian medical and mental health professionals often operate in emotionally demanding environments and are frequently guided by faith-based practices, such as engaging with Scripture, to manage stress and maintain emotional stability. While religious coping has been extensively studied, limited empirical research has examined scriptural coping as a distinct construct within psychological research.

Grounded in Religious Coping Theory, Snyder’s Hope Theory, and principles of cognitive-behavioral theory, this study investigated whether engagement in scriptural …

Spiritual Mentoring In Action: Empowering Younger Women In Spiritual Growth Through The Wisdom And Guidance Of Spiritually Mature Women, Elwanda C. Richardson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This researcher presents an action thesis project that examines generational spiritual mentoring among women who are current or former members of Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church of Jesus Christ, with a focus on how structured mentoring can integrate biblical, theological, and apologetic principles into discipleship practices. While mentoring is widely used in academic and professional settings to transfer knowledge, develop skills, and foster personal growth across generations, this study adopts that model to a faith-based context. It emphasized the intentional sharing of Scripture, lived experiences, and a Christ-centered worldview to nurture spiritual maturity. The research investigates the effectiveness of a structured, …

Rosenzweig's Elements And Universal History, Martin Zwick

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper uses Rosenzweig’s conception of the three elements of God, World, and Human from The Star of Redemption in a model of universal history. The model also has some relation to Rosenzweig’s geopolitical essay, Globus, which is very different from the meta-historical Star. Based on a systems-theoretic schema of events and processes, the model views human history in terms of three linked processes: a primary process labeled “World” – the origin and development of human society embedded in nature, a secondary process labeled “God” – the origin and development of the Axial religions and philosophies, and a …

The Brethren In China: Cross-Cultural Relationships Within An Imperial Structure, Sebastian S. Kochall

History and Political Science Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Modeling The Interaction Of Electrons And Dispersive Alfvén Waves In The Io Plasma Torus, Peter Damiano, P. A. Delamere, Jay Johnson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hearing The Mystery: Musical Diversity And The Search For Beauty, John Macinnis

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"By shifting from primary reflection to secondary reflection in our thinking, from problem to mystery, we ensure that our aesthetic lives remain as expansive and vibrant as the diversity of creation."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­music appreciation 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.

Hearing the Mystery

Piranesi And Neptune: How Susanna Clarke’S Spellbinding Story Orbits Planet Narnia, Jennifer Agee

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This essay is a critical consideration and celebration of the novel Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. The book makes clear references to the Chronicles of Narnia; these connections have been noted and explored elsewhere. But what hasn’t been noticed is Piranesi’s connection to Dr. Michael Ward’s critical theory as described in Planet Narnia (2008). Ward claims that the Narnia books are secretly organized around a medieval planetary scheme that incorporates the atmosphere, imagery, and influence of the “visible planets,” which C.S. Lewis believed were spiritual symbols of permanent value. This essay briefly explains Dr. Ward’s theory and argues that Susanna Clarke …

From Maldon To Mordor: Hobbits And The Lord-Retainer Relationship In The Lord Of The Rings, Samuel A. Masters

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Content warning: this paper discusses suicide and suicidal thoughts.

Tolkien’s interest in Old Germanic heroism had a profound impact upon the hobbits of The Lord of the Rings, and the Christianised form of heroism that they represent. In his essays, ‘Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics (1936) and ‘The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son’ (1953), Tolkien praises the loving, paternalistic relationship between a lord and his retainers in Old English poetry; this aspect of medieval heroism is retained in Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin However, Tolkien also highlights several shortcomings of the Old Germanic ‘Northern Courage’. In …

From Viðkenning To Valarindi: The Enigma Of Goldberry And The River-Woman, Derek Simon

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

THIS IS A TWO-PART ARTICLE. IN ORDER TO READ OR DOWNLOAD THE OTHER PART, FOLLOW THE LINK AT THE END OF THIS ABSTRACT.

Building upon the previous examination of the eddic and skaldic contours of Goldberry’s River kenning names, this reading of Goldberry’s enigma focuses on the mythological referents of her kinship relations and their narrative consistency in the legendarium.  Tending to the intrinsic connection between “[t]he incarnate mind, the tongue, and the tale” (Tolkien, On Fairy Stories, 41), I contend that the poetics of kenning diction sustain if not demand a reading of the River-woman references mythologically through …

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Gethsemane: Christian Art And Tradition In The Passion Of Albus Dumbledore, John Anthony Dunne

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

This essay contends that Professor Dumbledore drinking a potion from a goblet administered by Harry Potter in the cave from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince evokes Jesus’s prayer in Gethsemane from the Gospels and his request that "the cup" be removed from him. Even though the Gospels portray Jesus all alone, and Dumbledore has Harry with him, I argue that Harry Potter evokes the expanded Lukan account of Gethsemane, which contains a textually uncertain passage about an angel ministering to him (Luke 22.43–44). I argue further that this Lukan text informs Harry Potter specifically as mediated through visual representations …