Biblical Studies Commons^™

Demonstration Of Nonviolence In Modern Day: Through The Lens Of Christianity, Jainism, Hinduism, And Buddhism, Lauren Mertz

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Throughout history, many groups of people have experimented with nonviolent demonstrations and concepts. Religions, countries, and a variety of movements have put the demonstration of nonviolence at the forefront of their reasoning and defenses. When people hear the word nonviolence, there is usually a person or idea that comes to mind. People in the United States often think of figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and his Civil Rights Movement demonstrations. This paper will provide a detailed literary and research analysis of the concept of nonviolence, demonstrating that it is more than just a Christian concept. I will look at …

Growing In Christian Spiritual Identity Through Enhanced Biblical Interpretation At Camino Church, Charlotte, Nc, Steve Sellers

Doctor of Ministry Projects

This project evaluated the impact of biblical study and interpretation on spiritual identity, focusing on the Latino population. The project’s goal was to assess a disciplined, historically oriented study of Scripture as a pre-condition for Scriptural perspicuity to come to fuller expression.

Findings for this project indicate the process of learning biblical interpretation leads to greater spiritual identity in Latino and non-Latino populations. While any particular aspect of the learning process could not be determined as the primary source for the effect the instructor, the learning methodologies, and biblical interpretation model had meaningful impacts on the project participants.

Breaking The Davidic Covenant And The Rape Of Zion, Holly Strother

MA in Religion Theses

Second Samuel 7 lays out the relationship between God and David through a covenant. David breaks the covenant with God when he takes Bathsheba and kills Uriah, and the consequences impact David, his lineage, and Daughter Zion (his kingdom). The language used to describe the city's fall is that of sexual violence, highlighting the horrors of rape within David’s life and lineage after he breaks his covenant with God by taking Bathsheba. The methodology of this thesis is a narrative approach to the biblical text that uses reader-response criticism while exploring the narrative of 2 Samuel 7, 11, and 12. …

The Reception Of Hagar In The Writings Of Origen, John Chrysostom, And Augustine, Mariah Case

MA in Religion Theses

The premise of this thesis is to explore the reception of the Hagar stories through three prominent early Christian thinkers -Origen, John Chrysostom, and Augustine of Hippo - in order to evaluate the theological significance she had for those particular contexts. Hagar functions predominately as a symbol in contexts where group identity, power, and ideology are contested. The hermeneutical and theological stances of the authors are examined to expose and mitigate the religious conflict occurring in their historical location. The resulting interpretations of Hagar and her story vary from Christianization of the character to outright scorn and rejection of the …

Crying Out Together: Forming A Hermeneutic Of Powerful Suffering, Harley Burgess

MA in Religion Theses

Process theology, along with its connection to questions of suffering and theodicy, presents a perspective that is largely absent within biblical scholarship. Similarly, a lack of clear cohesion with the biblical text is an evident critique of process theology. A hermeneutic that is directly informed by process-oriented passibilism meets a need that is present in both biblical scholarship and process theology, allowing for a deeper understanding of biblical depictions of suffering. This thesis aims to incorporate the theological conclusions of passibilist process theology into a new hermeneutical strategy that will allow for a more comprehensive examination of suffering in the …

Strengthening Intergenerational Bonds Through The Practice Of Learning And Mission At First Baptist Church Valdese, Nc, Joshua Lail

Doctor of Ministry Projects

An education program was designed to encourage intergenerational unity among a mixed group of youth and adults at First Baptist Church in Valdese, NC. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the program on the intergenerational experimental group. There was movement toward intergenerational unity from the pre-test to post-test in the experimental group. Insights were learned from the data, particularly that there were different rates of growth between the youth and adults, and the observation that participants may have liked the idea of working together more than actually working together. The younger participants …

The Divine Collaborative Effort: Agency As A Tool For Examining Power And Relationship In The Exodus Narrative, Harley Burgess

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Excerpt from Introduction

The character of Moses as seen within the Old Testament is perhaps the most dynamic and powerful character within the biblical text. Continually throughout the Exodus narrative, Moses faces opportunities for growth and development that lead him toward becoming the archetype for leadership. Moses’ journey is rife with choice. Though many would place Yahweh at the forefront of the narrative, it is truly Moses whom the audience witnesses generating change, making decisions, and even influencing the decisions of his God.

Advent 2017, Gardner-Webb University

Advent Devotions

Annual Gardner-Webb University Advent devotional book from the year 2017 with contributions from various students, alumni, faculty, and staff members. Each page in the book represents a day of Advent and contains a scripture and short devotion. There are also spaces provided for prayer requests and advent reflection.

Making Room: Conversations About Race And Faith Between Members Of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church In Charlotte, Nc And St. John's Baptist Church In Charlotte, Nc, Martha Dixon Kearse

Doctor of Ministry Projects

In this project, the candidate recorded personal stories from members of two different Baptist congregations: Friendship Missionary Baptist Church (a church made up predominantly of members identifying as African-American) and St. John’s Baptist Church (a church made up predominantly of members identifying as Caucasian). Using those recordings, the candidate created a podcast called “Making Room,” and invited participating group members to listen to each other’s stories. In addition, the candidate invited these same group members to participate in conversations about issues of race, especially as they present themselves in Charlotte, NC. The candidate and group members challenged themselves with the …

Practicing Sabbath To Reduce Stress Among Ministers In The Tyger River Baptist Association, Spartanburg, South Carolina, James Hailstock

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Sabbath is the zenith of God’s creation and the climax of living. The key to reducing stress among ministers is the Sabbath lifestyle which includes practicing the disciplines of prayer, silence, feasting and fellowshipping in addition to identifying the signs and symptoms of stress. The Sabbath lifestyle empowers ministers with coping skills that can be personalized and implemented consistently as they progress and deal with the daunting demands and responsibilities of ministry. This project tested and compared the stress levels of the research and control groups before and after teaching four courses (disciplines) in the context of a Sabbath …

Guiding The Members Of Polkville Baptist Church In Polkville, North Carolina Toward A Greater Awareness Of Their Place In The Body Of Christ, Richard Lee Hamrick

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A church-wide emphasis, with preaching and teaching, provided the platform for instilling in members of Polkville Baptist Church a better understanding of the individual's role in the community of faith, the goal being that a greater percentage of members take an active role in the church. The twelve-member research group was tracked individually, and the control group was tracked as a unit. Following the emphasis, care was taken to discover if there were more members involved in the life of the church than before the emphasis. There was a clear growth in understanding and in the number of active members.

The Return Of The Prophetic Ministry Of The Western Church Within The Context Of Liberation Theology And The Prophets, Cedric D. Starr

Life of the Scholar Multidisciplinary Conference

While there may still be churches in the West that take up the prophetic call against injustice their voices are the minority. Generally speaking, the prophetic church in Western Christendom is dead. Its prophetic voice has become mute. Its prophetic vision has diminished. Its prophetic call has vanished from the ears of its members. The Western Church has lost its prophetic role in the Global World. The prophets of the West have vanished. However, the prophetic call has been taken up by a new church tradition that rises upward from the ruin of oppression. The Southern Church of the developing …

Developing Parental Leadership Through Biblical Love As Expressed In Presence, Communication, And Discipline In The Homes At Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, Shelby, North Carolina, M. Lamont Littlejohn Jr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A Christian education curriculum was established at Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Shelby, North Carolina, to develop parental leadership centered on biblical love. The goal was to train parents to model biblical love in their homes. Relying upon scripture affirming parental leadership in the home, parents were enlisted and participated in a six-week study. Surveys measured experience, involvement, practice, and understanding of biblical knowledge. There was no significant statistical difference between the control group and focus group quantitatively; however, the focus group was also assessed qualitatively by means of theological reflection, presence, communication, and discipline application activities. Final reviews indicated …

A Training Program For The Mentoring Ministry At Spencer Baptist Church In Spindale, North Carolina, Bruce Ray Caldwell

Doctor of Ministry Projects

A training program was developed to equip adult volunteers to be mentor/encouragers to adolescents. Believing Christian adults have a responsibility to nurture and encourage the church's children and youth, adult volunteers were led through training to enable them to give this support. Surveys and questionnaires measured the effectiveness of the weekly training sessions. Following the training, the mentor/encourager program was initiated.

Exposed Heads And Exposed Motives: Coverings As A Means To Unity At Corinth, April M. Hoelke

MA in Religion Theses

This thesis argues that in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Paul asserts most centrally that women should wear head coverings while praying and prophesying in the Corinthian Christian assembly. I examine the honor and shame value system of the Greco-Roman world, both generally and in specific reference to head adornment, since head coverings and hairstyles were connected to honor and status. Then I look at Paul's treatment of honor and shame throughout 1 Corinthians, which denounces the worldly value system of status seeking in favor of the value system of the cross. Paul's stance leads him to subject cultural norms to gospel …

The Cleansing Of The Temple In The Fourth Gospel As A Call To Action For Social Justice, Douglas Thompson Goodwin

MA in Religion Theses

Historically, there has been the attitude that the writer of the Fourth Gospel, due primarily to his emphasis on the high Christology of Jesus, is uninterested, or even unconcerned, with the issues of social justice. The contention of this study is to show that this is just the opposite. By placing the Temple cleansing episode at the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry, instead of the end as the Synoptics do, the author of the Fourth Gospel uses Jesus' Temple episode as the vehicle for showing the importance of caring for those in society who have no voice and no future. …

Discovery And Integration: A Framework Of Spiritual Formation For The Leadership Team Of Via Faith Community, Winston-Salem, Nc, Linda Marie Jones

Doctor of Ministry Projects

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. (2 Corinth, 3:17-18, NLT )

The process of spiritual formation can be seen throughout all of scripture; men and women, growing in faith, learning to truly love God, themselves and God's people. There is something so special to be on this journey of faith …

Mobilizing Cedar Spring Baptist Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina, For Creation Care Through Project "C.A.R.E." (Christians Assuming Responsibilty For The Earth), Malcolm Todd Lowe

Doctor of Ministry Projects

For many Baptist churches, the theology and practice of environmental stewardship has historically been viewed as irrelevant to the Great Commission. However, as environmental degradation increasingly affects the lives of people and the earth's ecosystems, it is imperative that Christians understand the connection between the care of the environment and God's redemptive work for humanity. Through a designed project called C.A.R.E. (Christians Assuming Responsibility for the Earth) which involved the congregation and a Bible study group from Cedar Spring Baptist Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina, this project proves that theological education can positively influence attitudes towards environmental stewardship.

Stations Of The Cross: An Imitative Devotional Exercise Conducted At Lamb Of God Lutheran Church Spartanburg, South Carolina, John Rickert

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The general goal of this project was to strengthen the spiritual life of the members of Lamb of God Lutheran Church, Spartanburg, SC. It was held that introducing a form of the Stations of the Cross at Lamb of God could help towards this goal. The congregation responded to both a pre-project survey and a post-project survey. Three couples were also interviewed before and after the project. The results indicate that the Stations of the Cross can indeed be valuable in strengthening the spiritual life of believers who use them.

Yahweh As Father: The Image In Ancient Israelite Context And Modern Appropriation, Joshua Wayne Lovelace

MA in Religion Theses

The goal of this thesis was to appropriate the image of Yahweh as father for modern Christendom in light of feminist critiques of the image. The methods in accomplishing this task were as follows: defining feminism and feminist biblical interpretation, conveying the critiques of Rosemary Radford Ruether and Julia M. O'Brien who were scholarly dialogue partners, studying the social milieu of ancient Israel, using historical, literary, textual, and social criticism to exegete texts that mention Yahweh as father, comparing findings of exegesis with social milieu of ancient Israel, responding to critiques of Ruether and O'Brien, and lastly taking the findings …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Outreach And Retention Methods Of Six Congregations Of The Brunswick Baptist Association, Jeffrey Gibby

Doctor of Ministry Projects

I chose two hypotheses to form a survey. The first hypothesis is that persons are reached by the style of building, existing relationships, or advertising. The second hypothesis is that persons maintain their membership based on the content of preaching, the quality of teaching programs, or fellowship.

I employed the Mann-Whitney Statistical Test to analyze the data.

The data revealed that good preaching, good worship, and good fellowship make a growing church. The data results also show the significance of the Pastor and revealed that age-graded Bible study groups are still valid in reaching and retaining members.

Helping The Parents Of Middle School Students Communicate Biblical Truths Of Sexuality At The First Baptist Church Of Lenoir, North Carolina, Thomas Russell Hinton

Doctor of Ministry Projects

An educational program was developed to discover the role of the church in promoting healthy parent/child communication about sexuality. Believing scripture affirms sexuality as a blessing from God, parents and middle school youth were recruited and led through the study. Surveys measured attitudes, opinions, and understanding of biblical knowledge, anatomy, and communication levels. After the program the families were given two months to observe parent/child communication. Final surveys indicated that the church can play an active role in promoting parent child communication about sexuality, and participants reflected a positive outcome by recommending the continuation of this program as a part …

The Israel Of God: A Literary-Historical And Sociological Examination Of Paul's Use Of Israel, Thomas Joshua Whitley

MA in Religion Theses

This paper attempts to test the hypothesis that the meaning of the term "Israel" actually was open to debate and that Paul was not the only one who defined "Israel" in such a way as to endorse a particular understanding of the term. This paper further examines whether there was literary precedence for Paul's use of Israel. These claims are examined how the use of "Israel" expanded during the relatively short period of time between the appearance of post-exilic Israelite literature and Paul's writings. This is accomplished by citing various examples of Jewish and Christian literature during this time period.

Developing A Process For Missional Formation: A Ministry Project In The Baptist Church Of Beaufort, Sc, Eric Thomas Spivey

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Traditionally, Christians and church leaders compartmentalize their lives into growing spiritually and serving other people. One studies the Bible, worships or serves others without much thought for how these spiritual disciplines of formation and missional living impact and influence one another. Through a designed pastoral experiment involving twenty-four individuals in three community groups, this project proves that missional living combined with spiritual practices increases the spiritual growth in the members of The Baptist Church of Beaufort (SC).

Ordination Training For Bi-Vocational Clergy In The United Cornerstone Churches International, Inc. Of Thomasville, North Carolina, George Bernard Jackson

Doctor of Ministry Projects

In many rural communities there exists a stereotype about clergy education perpetuated since slavery. This project offered bi-vocational clergy opportunities to be equipped, empowered and certified for servant leadership. Data captured from 2006 through 2008 was taken from the 25 ordinands. Questions that guided this study were grouped into two sets: examination by quantitative measurements through the passing of a catechism; and by qualitative measurements from personal and telephone interviews. The results of the research revealed a discrepancy in the ordination process where prerequisites and retention studies must play a greater role for future ordinands.