Religion Commons^™

The Religious Lexicon Embedded In Public American Curricula, Daniel R. Jones

Student Publications

What is the relationship between one's own religious beliefs and their everyday colloquial diction choices? Moreover, why is the subfield that encompasses the intersection of sociolinguistics, education, and religious studies one that has gained little scholarly interest in recent years, where one could argue the importance of religious belief, and other socio-political beliefs in education have come center stage in the heart of American political debate? This article will tackle this broad range of topics through a case study focusing on my primary research question: How does a teacher’s own religious identity affect the religious language utilized in their classroom …

Acceptance To Expedience: A Comparative Analysis Of Ellen G. White And Arthur G. Daniells Counsel For Race Relations, Jon-Philippe Ruhumuliza

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This article offers a comparative analysis of Ellen G. White’s and Arthur G. Daniells’s positions concerning race relations. Through a careful survey of White’s writings—especially Testimonies to the Church, vol. 9, pp. 199–226 and The Southern Work—I argue that she never supported separationism. I hypothesize that Adventist separationism gained precedence through Daniells’s selective compilation of White’s counsels in his 1906 response to the People’s Church. My findings unpack White’s beliefs in spiritual leadership and ministry. She called for workers able to simultaneously accommodate culture and undermine prejudice internally through the gospel. Her vision necessitated the adjustment of methods on a …

"Justification" [Review]/Michael, Horton, Dennis E. Akawobsa

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Dennis Akawobsa.

"Madaba Plains Project 9: The 2004 Season At Tall Al-Umayri And Subsequent Studies" [Review]/Herr, L. G., D. R. Clark., And L. T. Geraty, Owen Chesnut

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Owen Chesnut.

"Jesus And John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted A Faith And Fractured A Nation" [Review]/Du Mez, Kristin Kobes", Michael W. Campbell

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Michael W. Campbell.

Bridging The Gap: A Guided Journey Engaging The Christian Faith Across Generations, Chad Ibach

Doctor of Ministry

The need that is addressed through this project portfolio is the recognition that there is a lack of space for intergenerational relationships and conversations around spirituality and the Christian faith to occur between older generations and Generation Z specifically. As we look at the church today, we are seeing many different gaps occurring between generations, these two in particular. The focus of this project portfolio is to address this problem of the generational gaps within the church in hopes of creating long-lasting intergenerational relationships. The problem is addressed by gathering individuals from different generations and taking them through a sixmonth …

The Satnav Series: Discipleship Journeys In Today's Culture, Tracy Cotterell

Doctor of Ministry

The Project was developed in response to the following NPO (specifically opportunity): In a disorientating culture, forming disciples in the way of Christ needs a relational, experiential model that enlarges their capacity to integrate Bible, Spirit, self and context. A key insight emerging from research was millennial Christians’ sense of being outmaneuvered by a rapidly changing culture. This left them feeling stranded with insufficient way-markers towards flourishing, fruitful lives as followers of Jesus in their context. Research also identified a yearning for a discipleship model that was relationally rich, holistic and experiential in its approach, and which responded directly to …

Concordia Seminary Magazine Spring 2022, Vicki Biggs

Concordia Seminary Magazine

Made through Him

Examining Discipleship Strategies In Christian And Missionary Alliance Churches, Osvaldo A. Alvarado

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

In this quantitative study, discipleship strategies of churches in the Christian and Missionary Alliance were surveyed, to determine if discipleship strategies were effective at fulfilling the mission of helping people connect with God and grow spiritually. Data were collected from 30 church attenders from Western Pennsylvania churches, 27 of which fully completed the research survey. The internal reliability level of participant responses was evaluated and considered excellent. Results showed that the study participant perceptions that they grew in their faith in Christ through the discipleship opportunities provided at their church was statistically significant with a very large magnitude of response …

Seeking Reconciliation: An Examination Of Churches' Response To A History Of Lgb Discrimination, Alexandra Kauffman

Senior Theses

The Church’s response to LGB people has evolved quickly in the past century. Gay visibility and understandings of sexuality as it is known today only began to emerge in the mid- to-late 20th century. Within that time, responses to constantly evolving science and shifting understanding of LGB people invoked a variety of religious and political responses to the issue of legal protections of gay people. Theological interpretations of the Biblical passages surrounding same-sex relations have evolved as the church’s response to gay people has shifted from ex-gay therapy, to calls for celibacy or affirming gay marriage. The issues surrounding LGB …

Eucatastrophic Tales: Tell The Story Of God Through Children's Literature, Matthew Beck

Doctor of Ministry

In this Project Portfolio, I will address the following NPO: Teachers of children have underappreciated or not recognized the faith formation possibilities found in children’s literature. The overall key finding of my research is that children’s literature is an ideal medium through which adults can facilitate conversations about God with children. This finding emerged from the ministry setting of the local church, and as an extension, the Christian university. My project is a thorough, informative book on the faith formation possibilities of children’s literature, and a more accessible companion resource: a universal bookmark guide. The book contains 5 chapters plus …

Exploring The Root Causes Of Intergenerational Conflict And Its Resolution Between First Generation Korean Missionaries And Second Generation Korean American Leaders In Ubf, Sarah Ahn

Doctor of Ministry

The context of my ministry is the University Bible Fellowship (UBF), a nondenominational, world mission and campus mission organization. In this context, my NPO is to identify the root causes of intergenerational conflict and to propose practical solutions for conflict resolution between first generation Koreans missionaries and second generation Korean American leaders in North America UBF. My Project consists of two parts. Part 1 is the outline of the position paper. It includes sending the outline to people for their feedback. My benchmarks are based on this outline. Part 2 involves the position paper based on the analysis and findings …

Apprentice Life: Finding Life In The Way Of Jesus, Tim C. Mccarthy

Doctor of Ministry

The Apprentice Life: Finding Life in the Way of Jesus course is a project designed to address the difficulty of mobilizing more experienced believers at a large, western Canadian, evangelical anabaptist church to embrace their role in helping new believers grow up in their faith. The author has explored Old and New Testament teachings, various historic Christian traditions, contemporary faith formation theory, disciple-making literature, and the insights of local and expert contributors. Based on these discoveries, new believers are most likely to become resilient apprentices of Jesus when more experienced mentors in faith accept responsibility to pass on a living …

Single And Christian Masterclass And Community, Ryan Lui

Doctor of Ministry

As the number of people marrying later in life or not at all in the church and world continue to rise, singleness as a significant stage of life and ministry area must also rise. However, with the Western church’s traditional focus on evangelism, family, and church growth, among other things, singleness is not given the attention it needs and results in single Christians languishing.

As a pastor at an urban church who has worked primarily with single people in their 20s and 30s, the issues related to a person’s singleness have been a reoccurring source of challenge regarding pastoral care, …

Biblical Contradictions: Embracing The Errors Of Scripture As Our Spiritual Teachers, Henry Craig Hadley

Doctor of Ministry

In 2016, Barna Group reported that “Among practicing Protestants, nine out of 10 in every age group say either that the Bible is the actual word of God (should be taken literally, word for word) or that it’s the inspired word of God without error.” This belief system causes Protestant Christians to ignore, gloss over, and explain away all the contradictions they discover in the Bible, rather than participate with the contradictions wholeheartedly. There is an opportunity to help Protestant Christians take part in more dialogue about contradictions, engage in more study of the Bible because of the contradictions, and …

The Jewish Organizations Fighting Fascism In The United States, Maya Leibold

Honors Theses

Recent years have shown a rising trend in fascist and antisemitic actions and attitudes in the United States. In response to this trend, communities have organized into various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) committed to mobilizing people to combat fascism and antisemitism as they see it. An analysis of these organizations’ methods and varying degrees of success will offer a blueprint for future action against fascism. Due to their historical connection to this type of mobilization against fascism, this research will be focused on Jewish-led and organized NGOs. NGOs are often the first to call attention to actions by groups and states …

Behold Your Mother: Wives And Mothers As Partners In Christ's Priestly Mission, Jordan Mccormick

Honors Theses

This research explores the Catholic Church's teaching on the priesthood of the laity and, specifically, how the lay priesthood of women, as wives and mothers, works in tandem with and complements the ordained priesthood. The concept of lay priesthood is rooted in our baptism - where we are invited into and given the power to participate in Jesus Christ's priesthood through our own prayers and sacrifices, our ministering to others, etc. In this study, the lives of five lay women from the 19th and 20th centuries, who are either canonized saints in the Church or who are on their way …

Towards A "Pedagogy Of Beauty": The New Evangelization, English Education, And Renewal Of The Catholic School, Elena Niese

Honors Theses

In the complex cultural landscape of the modern world, evangelization, or the proclamation of the Gospel, cannot look the same as it once did. In 1975, Pope Paul VI addressed this need for renewal, calling for a “new evangelization.” Subsequent popes, including Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis, have continued to place this missionary impulse at the forefront of their initiatives. Yet, despite this emphasis, much remains elusive. What exactly is the new evangelization? This thesis will trace the evolution of the new evangelization from its conception to today, proposing how the English educator within the Catholic school can …

Corinth Baptist Church Records, Zach S. Henderson Library Special Collections

Finding Aids

This collection consists of the records of Corinth Baptist Church, as well as records pertaining to the Ogeechee Baptist Association. Spanning, 1896-1969, materials include Corinth Baptist Church’s founding decorum, a deed for the land and some church-related personal correspondence, as well as a composition book repurposed as an informal record compilation, in addition to Corinth Baptist Church’s meeting minutes between 1903 and 1952. It also contains Corinth Baptist Church’s Uniform Letters to the Association from 1955 and 1956, and then from 1959-1967, as well as the Ogeechee Baptist Assocation’s meeting minutes from 1924 and 1963.

Finding Tov: A Workbook, Playbook Sketchbook & Coaching Framework, Henry John Graf V

Doctor of Ministry

Need, Problem, Opportunity (NPO)

In telling a more accurate story about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (TKGE), I want to guide creatives to find and live their tov.

Key Benefits

Two key benefits emerged in the process of this research. First, anchoring TKGE in tov has evangelistic impact. Nones and Dones are the fastest growing religious demographics in America. Releasing tov from morality and mediocrities addresses the theodicy and brings gospel back to TKGE. Second, people are invited and, more importantly, equipped to participate in living their miyn as tov.

Ministry / Vocational Context

This project has …

Economic Impact Of Covid-19 On The Christian Camp Industry In 2020, Tori Beckwith

Senior Honors Theses

This study seeks to develop a greater understanding of the economic impact of Covid-19 on the Christian camp industry in 2020. The sample used to conduct this study was 778 camps in the United States. These were subdivided into four population groups (list the four groups here in the parenthesis) for optimal comparison analysis. The 2020 camp’s operational status was assessed through a four-question quantitative survey on the Covid-19 impact. The survey was emailed to various camp organizations and uploaded to google forms for greater population exposure. A comparison was made between the 2020 camping year and the non-Covid-19 camping …

Agentic And Receptive Hope: Understanding Hope In The Context Of Religiousness And Spirituality Through The Narratives Of Salvadoran Youth, Jennifer Medina Vaughn, Pamela Ebstyne King, Susan Mangan, Sean Noe, Samuel Hay, Bridget O’Neil, Jonathan M. Tirrell, Elizabeth M. Dowling, Guillermo Alfredo Iraheta Majano, Alistair Thomas Rigg Sim

All Faculty Open Access Publications

Hope contributes to positive development in adolescents, and religious and spiritual contexts may be particularly important for developing and supporting hope. However, extant literature on hope, religion, and spirituality neglects their synergistic relation, leaving questions about how they work together to support development. In this study, we explore how religiousness and spirituality (R/S) inform hope by identifying unique synergies that might be particularly useful in difficult contexts. Multilevel qualitative content analyses of interviews conducted with 18 thriving Salvadoran adolescents (50% female, Mage = 16.39 years, SD = 1.83) involved in a faith-based program provided evidence that the ideological and relational …

A Rebuttal To The Word Of Faith Movement, Brant Wenger

Senior Honors Theses

The Word of Faith movement teaches that all believers will experience good health and wealth. Issues arise, however, when not all believers enjoy health and wealth like they were promised. The intent of this study is to examine the history of the Word of Faith movement and expose the falsehoods that are propagated by them. It is the position of this writer that the Word of Faith movement is grounded in the manipulation of Scripture and perverts the gospel preached by Jesus and His disciples. As a result, these teachings do not present a message of salvation but one that …

Missiological Intelligence: Taking Cultural Intelligence To A New Level In Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Adam Vaughan

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Many people thrive on the mission field while others seem to flounder. This includes some missionaries who must return to their home country prematurely. The correlation between flourishing and floundering for missionaries on the field is not necessarily limited to a lack of passion, biblical knowledge, effort, or even language proficiency. All missionaries need a comprehensive set of tools, and one that has been seriously neglected in missiological training is Cultural Intelligence (CQ). CQ is a modality of intelligence within the umbrella of Social Intelligence, as categorized under the Multiple Intelligence Theory. With the rapid increase of globalization, those who …

The Prevalence Of Unaddressed Trauma In The Lives Of Ministerial Leaders And Pastoral Care-Oriented Steps To Greater Spiritual And Emotional Health, Deanna D. Shrodes

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Ministerial leaders carry an abundance of responsibility in innumerable areas while simultaneously managing life-threatening crises at the same time. They provide pastoral care for those they serve in addition to overseeing a plethora of areas such as discipleship, program development, fundraising, and conflict management. Pastoral leaders often keep unhealthy and unsustainable schedules and receive inadequate compensation particularly in comparison to their professional counterparts. The weight of the ministry alone lends itself to stress and burnout if the leader is not careful to maintain adequate self-care. If unaddressed trauma is present along with all of the stressors commonly found in the …

Intentional Male Allies/Advocates: How Male Leaders Can Successfully Champion Female Ministers In The Assemblies Of God U.S.A., Saehee H. Duran

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

While the Assemblies of God (AG) endorses women in ministry through its position paper and bylaws, a dichotomy has existed between its egalitarian theology and practice since its inception in 1914. One key to narrowing such a gap involves intentional and countercultural male leaders who actively train, empower, affirm, and mentor women called to ministerial leadership. This research defines biblical egalitarian leadership, identifies exemplary female leaders and their male champions in the Old and New Testaments, and explores the best practices of male allyship for female leaders through a literature review and a qualitative survey of active AG male allies …

A Pneumatological Theology And Christological Philosophy Of Church Conflict For The Post-Pandemic Western Church To Outlive, Outlast, And Outlove, Scott Bowman

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Church conflict is increasingly at the forefront of denominations as they suffer internal and external conflict. The need to develop a better perspective and manage relationships in church conflict may depend on the church’s theology. The research of this project seeks to establish a pneumatological theology in dialogue with family systems theory and Christological philosophy of church conflict. The theology of church conflict is divided into four sections: reason, experience, history, and scripture. The Christological philosophy centers on Jesus’ conflicts as every passage in the book of Luke is examined through the lens of conflict. A contextually transferrable Spirit-empowered theology …

A Gospel Centered And Holistic Approach To Caring For Indivduals Experiencing Poverty, Leon Battle

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Poverty is a major contributor of negative effects to individual health, mental health, and quality of life. The call God has for Christians is to care for individuals experiencing poverty. The question the research aims to answer is: “What elements are important to provide a holistic feeding program that meets the need of an individual physically and spiritually?” Literature on the issue of poverty, a thorough review of scriptures, as well as insights from experts in the field provided information on historical and contemporary issues affecting the poor. Data for this project was collected through a mixed methods study consisting …

Prayer, Leadership, And Church Planting Movements : Learning From The Prayer-Lives Of Western Renewal Movements And Their Leaders, Matthew Porter

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Reading The Signs Of The Time: Three Voices In The Confessional Lutheran Church As They Relate To Segregation, Racism, And Apartheid In South Africa From 1900–1978, Christoph Dietrich Weber

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Weber, Christoph, Reading the signs of the time: “Three voices in the confessional Lutheran Church to segregation, racism, and apartheid in South Africa from 1900–1978.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2022. 425 pp.

According to August Vilmar, reading the signs of the times was an essential task of all pastors and theologians. It was a part of their prophetic task to interpret the world and its context with the word of God and to proclaim the voice of the church in law and gospel. The three theologians analyzed in this dissertation: Karl Meister, Hermann Sasse, and Friederich W. Hopf respected Vilmar …