Religion Commons^™

Luther's Understanding Of Grace And Its Implications For Administration Of The Lord's Supper In The Lutheran Church Of Christ In Nigeria (Lccn), Yelerubi Birgamus

Master of Theology Theses

This thesis will describe Luther’s understanding of grace and its centrality for the Lutheran understanding of the Lord’s Supper. The thesis will also describe and analyze theological and pastoral problems of withholding the sacraments to non-communicant members by the LCCN, which claims to follow after Luther’s teaching. This thesis is not anti-church discipline, but rather, will argue for a better form of church discipline than withholding the Lord’s Supper from the excluded members of the church. The thesis will also provide some suggestions for a better form of church discipline than withholding communion from excluded members of the church. This …

Pursuing Racial Justice In The Us: What Religious Educators Need To Learn From The Blacklivesmatter Movement, Mary E. Hess

Faculty Publications

This is a prepress version of a chapter that will appear in a book, focused on religious education and human rights.

Looking High And Low For Salvation In Luke, Matthew L. Skinner

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Better Together: Leadership That Enhances Ministry Collaboration, Kristine K. Bjorke

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This project is an exploratory case study research project of three different collaborative efforts consisting of one or more congregations working together or a congregation and agency working together. Each entity operated independently prior to working together. Collaboration was understood through the theoretical lenses of adaptive leadership and collaboration theory as well as a biblical and theological understanding of the body of Christ and perichoresis. Qualitative research using interviews and focus groups was used to identify how leadership enhances ministry collaboration. Three findings emerged with regard to leadership: flexibility, proactive communication, and external support, each with internal and external indicators.

Great Members, Great Churches: Adaptive Change And Missional Theology In The Local Church, Christopher Jacobsen

Doctor of Ministry Theses

An Action Research (AR) project focusing on congregational participation in ministries within the church and outside it. Theological lenses of Trinitarian theology, missional theology, and spiritual practices. Theoretical lenses of adaptive change theory, consumerism and social capital, and organizational theories of relationship, four-frame model, and open source model. Identifies adaptive challenges faced by a small Reformed Church in America church in northern New Jersey, with a strong emphasis on the tension between living busy lives and active participation in the ministry of the triune God. Reframes leadership through the lens of writing the church’s story.

The Spirit's Playground: How God Speaks Through Scripture To Develop Contagious Missional Imagination, Sarah Birkedal Nye

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This mixed method Action Research project sought to answer the question: How might an AR intervention involving engaging Scripture playfully expand missional imagination? The study documented play in the engagement of Scripture within worship services, Bible study, and board meeting devotions. Appreciative Inquiry interviews and a congregational event provided insight into the growth of missional imagination in this congregation. Lenses employed include those of the theology of play, narrative imagination, the Bible as metanarrative, the creative Word made flesh, playful passages, and participation in the perichoretic relationship of the triune God. Missional leadership is imagined as perichoretic play.

Celebrating The Congregational Anniversary: Planning The Congregational History, Part 3, Paul Daniels

Ask the Archivist

This article provides answers to some common questions that arise when planning a congregational history.

Celebrating The Congregational Anniversary: Planning The Congregational History, Part 2, Paul Daniels

Ask the Archivist

This article discusses style and tone considerations of planning a congregational history.

Celebrating The Congregational Anniversary: Planning The Congregational History, Part 1, Paul Daniels

Ask the Archivist

This article discusses deciding scope, audience, and format of composing a congregational history, as well as determining the capacity for completing such a project.

Will You Come And Follow Me? Engaging High School Youth In Discipleship, Maria Scherer

Master of Theological Studies Honors Theses

Jesus’s command: “go make disciples,” resonates during this historically liminal time. Discipleship is not new. Intentional discipleship is “ever ancient,” found in Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and “ever new,” as programs adjust to “make disciples,” of today’s high school youth. Today’s teens are different from previous generations. By understanding their cognitive, social, moral, and faith developments a comprehensive picture can be formed. Identifying the forces enticing teens from discipleship is crucial in forming followers of Christ. This paper explores the importance of relationship, accompaniment and evangelization using Koinonia, Kerygma, Worship and Diakonia experiences, to provide a wholistic intentional discipleship foundation.

Logos I - Philosophy And The Nature Of Morality: The Abolition Of Man, C.S. Lewis, Lucie Steiner

Aristos

C.S. Lewis’ objective stance on ethics is argued to be superior to the moral sentimentalism of David Hume, because if there is not agreement on what constitutes moral action, then there is no basis for argument over the existence of moral law.

Logos Ii - Virtue Ethics And Political Corruption: An Ethical Case Study, Nicholas Potter

Aristos

This ethical case study will apply virtue ethics in moral decision making. It is argued that exposing corruption defends virtue and protects the good life by demonstrating a commitment to honesty and truth. Virtuous behaviour allows us to live socially and undermines the attempts of dishonest individuals to secure a comfortable life immorally.

The Thin Blue Line Of Theodicy: Flannery O’Connor, Teilhard De Chardin, And Competitions Between Good/Good And Evil/Evil, Sue Whatley

Faculty Publications

This essay explores the concept of theodicy in Flannery O’Connor’s works of fiction. O’Connor’s fiction complicates the subjects of good and evil, moving the reader through what seem to be competitions not only between good and evil, but also between actions of good and actions of evil. Characters align themselves with one force, then another, in a constantly fluctuating system, and there is no traditional pattern of Christian warfare that we would expect orthodox Catholic writing to produce. Sometimes, evil brings about the resolution of the narratives, and sometimes actions of good fail to redeem. It is only through the …

On Lament, Steven Classen

Faculty Publications - Department of Communication and Cinematic Arts

Not long ago, I had the privilege of participating in an invigorating roundtable conversation with regionally-based artists, scholars, and administrators in downtown Portland. We met to discuss the funding of the arts as well as strategies and concerns connected to issues of “Faith and Art” in the region. We convened in a beautiful space—the remodeled Pacific Northwest College of the Arts. It was a heady time, marked by generous curiosity. We talked art, faith, futures, frustrations and dreams. We initiated new friendships and discussed new projects. I was inspired and encouraged.

The Apostle’S Creed, Kerry Irish

Faculty Publications - Department of History and Politics

Excerpt: "Today, when the problem with the written word is not too little, but too much-- too much that is either a waste of time, vulgar, or blasphemous-- the power of a memorized creed lies in its reminder of the majesty of God, who He is, and our relationship to Him. Some Christians object to creeds, claiming the Bible is all they need. The mistake in this thinking is the idea that a Biblical creed is something outside the Bible, when in fact it is a memorable and valuable expression of Biblical truths that help us explain what we believe. …

The Relationship Between Religiosity And Mental Illness Stigma In The Abrahamic Religions, Emma C. Bushong

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Numerous studies have established and examined the critical interplay between religion and mental health. A systematic review of existing literature found that the endorsement of religious beliefs and frequent attendance at religious services were routinely associated with greater physical and psychological well-being (Koenig, 2012; Tsaousis, Karademas, Kalatzi, 2013). Yet, history has shown that religion can be a source of conflict and prejudice and that individuals fostering negative religious perceptions can exhibit poorer mental health (Lee & Newberg, 2005; Pargament, 1997). Because religious and spiritual beliefs often guide perceptions and affect behavior toward others, the present study examines such influence as …

Increasing Ministry Participation Through Effective Recruitment And Retention, Lyndon F. Robinson

Education Dissertations and Projects

For many years churches have found it to be a great challenge to staff programs and ministries, and that challenge will become greater. There are many churches that face difficulties getting people to volunteer and stay engaged volunteering. This is a critical issue for churches to figure out. Volunteering is crucial to many ministries in the church. Most ministries would not be able to function without volunteers. Increasing Ministry Participation Through Effective Recruitment and Retention was a challenge The Park Church, as other religious organizations, were facing on a daily basis.

The Park Church (as known as The Park Ministries) …

Improving Ministerial Effectiveness In A Multi-Site Church, Randa M. Ross

Education Dissertations and Projects

In the modern church, it is not uncommon for churches to be comprised of congregations that worship at multiple locations offering several worship times and some even offering a virtual worship experience. In order to effectively manage Sunday worship along with other church activities, churches rely heavily on their congregants to volunteer in the various church ministries. The need for actively engaged volunteers is only amplified when the resources are spread across multiple campuses. The Park Church is one of those churches presented with the challenge of Improving Ministerial Effectiveness at a Multi-Site Church.

The Park Church desired to improve …

Theological Libraries And Scholarly Publishing In Religion And Theology, Andrew J. Keck

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

Theological libraries and scholarly publishing in religion and theology operate within multiple overlapping contexts and economic markets: faith communities, theological education, scholars, libraries, and publishing. This paper will complete an analysis of available religious publishing and theological library purchasing trends in order to create a thicker description of the system of scholarly communication. Even allowing for degrees of uncertainty in the data presented, there remains a significant disconnect in the rising collective costs for publishing versus the declining expenditures among theological libraries. The trend appears to be that the average theological library is purchasing a declining portion of the scholarship. …

Ijcs News, Volume 6, The Institute Of Judaeo-Christian Studies

Newsletters

The 2018 issue of IJCS News, the Institute of Judaeo-Christian Studies' annual newsletter, Vol 6.

Are There Many Philosophies Or Is There Just ‘Doing Philosophy’?, Richard Sofatzis

Aristos

The term ‘philosophy’ may be used in more than one sense to refer to both the subjective human activity of ‘doing philosophy’ and its result, namely the production of systems of thought – philosophical theories – which history demonstrates as many and various. It will be argued that there is only one way of doing philosophy and that this is proceeding from the common principles of the human mind in the search for truth of what is real. The mark of true philosophy is unity. A unity of true philosophy may be sought from what seems disparate: Aquinas embodies this …

The Totality (Chapter In Into The Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion), Abigail Rine Favale

Faculty Publications - Department of English

Excerpt: "For over a decade, the maleness of the priesthood kept me away from the Catholic Church. By the time I was a junior in college, my feminism was in full swing, and the ordination of women had become my litmus test for whether or not I could be part of a particular church or denomination."

God And Interpersonal Knowledge, Matthew A. Benton

SPU Works

Recent epistemology offers an account of what it is to know other persons. Such views hold promise for illuminating several issues in philosophy of religion, and for advancing a distinctive approach to religious epistemology. This paper develops an account of interpersonal knowledge, and clarifies its relation to propositional and qualitative knowledge. I then turn to our knowledge of God and God's knowledge of us, and compare my account of interpersonal knowledge with important work by Eleonore Stump on "Franciscan" knowledge. I examine how interpersonal knowledge may figure in liturgical practice, in diffusing the problem of divine hiddenness, and in motivating …

Editor’S Perspective: The Fusion Of Religion And Business, Michael E. Cafferky

Faculty Works

This article provides a summary of the ancient Hebrew concept of emeth (truth, faithfulness) and how it is relevant to contemporary business.

Powerpoint: Critical Engagement: Colin Kaepernick, Mason Sargent, Tate Henrikson, Sean N. Bennington, Justin M. Porter, Nicolete D. Moyo

Womanist Ethics

Critical Engagement is the use of practical strategies and pedagogical methods [that] challenge dominant intellectual legacies, theological resources, and ideologies that undermine the goals of Womanist ethics, namely, the empowerment of black women. It is a concept created by Floyd Thomas, in whose writings, it is one of the five Womanist tenants. We decided to base Colin Kaepernick’s ‘take a knee’ movement as an example of Critical Engagement. Using this perspective, we examined the various aspects of the movement and analyzed the effects on American culture and society through a Womanist lens.

Magazine: Alice: A Womanist Ethics Magazine, Lucy Kebler, Grace Dematteis, Karli Stankus, Laurin Hopping

Womanist Ethics

Alice is an academic magazine that focuses on the topic of womanism and one of its primary tenets, radical subjectivity. Incorporating both historical womanist content, and modern womanist perspectives, Alice brings a modern twist to the idea of radical subjectivity. The magazine concentrates heavily on current womanist celebrities, who bring womanism to the public. Alice maps out both straightforward and ambiguous instances so that the reader can better understand them. The magazine also incorporates interactive material, such as a womanist quiz, and two womanist recipes.

Sr. Carolyn: Voice For The Voiceless, Michele Hill

Ask a Sister: Interview Wisdom from Catholic Women Religious

This paper discusses parts of an interview I conducted with Sr. Carolyn on the roles of women religious and how they, including herself, are involved in activism.

Sr. Christine: Immigration Reform, Ella Iacoviello

Ask a Sister: Interview Wisdom from Catholic Women Religious

I interviewed Sister Christine in December of 2017 about her lived experience as a woman religious. This paper includes segments of the interview in which she discusses her time helping new immigrants gain American citizenship.

Sr. Maggie: "Secular" Counseling, Mina Magalhães

Ask a Sister: Interview Wisdom from Catholic Women Religious

This paper includes part of an interview with Sr. Maggie, who has worked as a therapist for over thirty years, and how she has made a separation of faith and work lives to help others, created in part through her ease with change.

Sr. Kathy: Journey Of Vocation, Grace Logan

Ask a Sister: Interview Wisdom from Catholic Women Religious

This paper includes a compilation of sections from an interview with Sr. Kathy, a religious sister who has performed a variety of service-focused tasks in her many years with her community, and it illustrates her vocational journey.