Christian Denominations and Sects Commons^™

An Imperial Collection: Exploring The Hammers' Icons, Wendy Salmond

Art Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"Changing hands one last time, in the 1950s, for many years the icons at BJU lived as it were incognito, the details of their glamorous origins largely forgotten. Reuniting this core group-the cream of the Hammers' imperial icons--with others that passed into American museums in the 1930s allows us to appreciate the full significance of Armand and Victor Hammer's foray into marketing icons Americans.Viewed in isolation, most of their "imperial icons" are perhaps no mo than a poignant reminder of the vast destruction and dislocation of Orthodox culture during the Soviet Cultural Revolution. Taken together, however, they paint a vivid …

Witnessing The Web: The Rhetoric Of American E-Vangelism And Persuasion Online, Amber M. Stamper

Theses and Dissertations--English

From the distribution of religious tracts at Ellis Island and Billy Sunday’s radio messages to televised recordings of the Billy Graham Crusade and Pat Robertson’s 700 Club, American evangelicals have long made a practice of utilizing mass media to spread the Gospel. Most recently, these Christian evangelists have gone online. As a contribution to scholarship in religious rhetoric and media studies, this dissertation offers evangelistic websites as a case study into the ways persuasion is carried out on the Internet. Through an analysis of digital texts—including several evangelical home pages, a chat room, discussion forums, and a virtual church—I investigate …

Evangelicalism And Religious Pluralism In Contemporary America: Diversity Without, Diversity Within, And Maintaining The Borders, William Vance Trollinger

History Faculty Publications

Not that many people need convincing, but the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) provides confirming evidence that evangelicalism in America is alive and well. In this survey, which involved 54,461 telephone interviews, the 76% of respondents who identified themselves as Christians were asked a follow-up question: "Do you identify as a Born Again or Evangelical Christian?" Forty-five percent answered yes. This number obviously includes a fair number of folks within "mainline" denominations and within predominately African-American churches; more surprising, perhaps, 18.9% of American Catholics identified themselves as "born again" or "evangelical."

If one were to depend solely on the …

The Politics Of Special Collections And Museum Exhibits: A Civil War Or The War Of Northern Aggression?, Christopher J. Anderson

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This essay examines the political nature of curating special collections and museum exhibits. Exhibits are designed to draw attention to historical or contemporary issues in order for viewers to reflect on the past and to ask questions in the present. The contents of an exhibit also echo the educational backgrounds, interests, and biases of both curator and curatorial team. As a result exhibits are framed ideologically, sociologically, and even theologically in order to give voice to the voiceless and to champion certain positions from history. This essay investigates the contested nature of exhibits by highlighting their basic and complicated spectrums …

An Evaluation Of The Growing Healthy Churches Program As A Method For Producing Healthy, Growing, And Reproducing Southern Baptist Congregations, Donald Hardaway

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current status of Southern Baptist churches in the United States necessitates the development of a strategy for renewal toward health and multiplication. The purpose of this project is to suggest a proven model for local church revitalization through the "Growing Healthy Churches" program developed by Dr. Paul Borden. Based on responses from churches participating in the Growing Healthy Churches program and pastors who have led their churches through the strategies presented by Borden, the project explains the revitalization process, reviews the results, and makes a recommended plan of action for local church renewal through association-led programming.

The Banner - V. 147, No. 12 - (December 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Living with a Foot in Each World by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Wake Up and Pay Attention by Joyce Kane / 8 - IMHO: Muzak by Frank DeVries / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 11 - News: Christmas Dinner for Lacombe / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 18 - God’s Belly Button by Leonard Vander Zee / 21 - Relating: When Traditions Fail Us by Mary Vandervennen / 22 - The View from Here: ’Tis the Season by Joel Boot / 23 - Finding Truth Amid Turbulence in China …

Leadership Training Program For Shared Leadership Based On Super Leadership At Cheo-Eum Korean Presbyterian Church : A Study Of Christian Leadership, Houng Jin Youn

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Banner - V. 147, No. 11 - (November 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Rich Toward God by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Resonance by Jennifer M. Parker / 8 - IMHO: Arm in Arm by Harry Kuperus / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Board of Trustees Endorses U.S. Asylum Legislation / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 18 - Can a Growing Business Sustain a Healthy Planet? by Evert Van Der Heide and Cal Jen / 21 - Next: I’m Staying by Tom Kok / 22 - Many Tribes, One Gospel by Nancy Vander Meer / 26 - The View from …

„Zurück Zu Schleiermacher! Und Von Schleiermacher Aus Vorwärts!“ Georg Wobbermin And The Legacy Of Schleiermacher In Weimar Liberal Protestantism, Brent A. R. Hege

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

As dialectical theology rose to prominence in the years following World War I, the new theologians sought to distance themselves from liberalism in a number of ways, an important one being a rejection of Schleiermacher’s methods and conclusions. In reading the history of Weimar-era theology as it has been written in the twentieth century one would be forgiven for assuming that Schleiermacher found no defenders during this time, as liberal theology quietly faded into the twilight. However, a closer examination of this period reveals a different story. The last generation of liberal theologians consistently appealed to Schleiermacher for support and …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 47 No 2 - November 2012), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: All Is Well by Stanley D. Walters - 192 / A Good Sermon Is Hard to Find by Stanley Mast - 215 / Preaching the Creeds and Confessions of the Church: The Case for Theological Literacy by Wilbert M. Van Dyk - 224 / Applying Gracefully by Scott E. Hoezee - 237 / Balancing the Spiritual Diet: Suggestions for Preaching from the Book of Hebrews by Thomas J. Niehof - 248 / Applying Daniel's Messages to the Church Today by Sidney Greidanus - 257 / Scripture and Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary by Arie C. Leder, Katrina M. …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 10 - (October 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: On Principle by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: A Teachable Moment by Gayle Boss / 8 - IMHO: Christian Tradition or Temptation? by Lilly Eggink / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Director of Canadian Ministries Resigns / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 18 - Can We Talk First? The Art of Respectful Dialogue in an Election Year by Peter Vander Meulen, Edward Gabrielse, and Kate Kooyman / 21 - Discipleship: Political Partisanship by Leon Schaddelee / 22 - Surprised by Transformation by Kristen Vanderberg / 26 - …

From Profane To Divine: The Hegemonic Appropriation Of Pagan Imagery Into Eastern Christian Hymnody, Jordan Lippert

Scripps Senior Theses

Spanning the first seven centuries of Christianity, this paper explores how Eastern Christian and Byzantine hymn chant was developed alongside pagan and Jewish worship traditions around the Near East. Comparison of hymns by Christian composers such as St. Romanos the Melodist and pagan poetry reveals many similarities in the types of metaphorical imagery used in both religious expressions. Common in Christian hymn texts, well-known metaphors, like the “Light of God,” are juxtaposed with pagan mythological gods, such as Apollo and Helios. This paper attempts to explain how and why Christians appropriated and adopted ancient pagan imagery into the burgeoning musical …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 9 - (September 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Not Bad by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Reality Check by Rebecca Jordan Heys / 8 - IMHO: Getting Ready for Church by Calvin Seerveld / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Colorado Church Responds to Theater Shooting / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 18 - Negotiating Coffee Time: Introverts at Church by Otto Selles / 20 - Leadership: Peanut Butter to Potblessings: A Guide to Finding a New Church Home by Brian Pikkaart / 22 - Bringing the Seminary to You by Nathan Bierma and Peter Choi …

A Comparative Study: Traditional Evangelical Friends Pastors With Contemporar Evangelical Pastors For Twenty-First Century Application, Thomas Crawford

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This is a study of the dominant views of traditional evangelical Friends pastors and contemporary evangelical pastors. A comparative study of lifestyle, methods of ministry, and primary doctrinal beliefs is used to discover areas of agreement, differences, and points critical to successful leadership for Evangelical Friends pastors. Being a pastor and denominational leader in the Evangelical Friends Church-Eastern Region for the past 32 years gives the author a critical interest in this study. Every church and denomination wants to effectively reach people for Christ. The author and Evangelical Friends are no different. Academic research is combined with interviews of evangelical …

After Edwards: Original Sin And Freedom Of The Will, Allen C. Guelzo

Civil War Era Studies Faculty Publications

Book Summary: Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is widely regarded as one of the major thinkers in the Christian tradition and an important and influential figure in American theology. After Jonathan Edwards is a collection of specially commissioned essays that track his intellectual legacies from the work of his immediate disciples that formed the New Divinity movement in colonial New England, to his impact upon European traditions and modern Asia. It is a unique interdisciplinary contribution to the reception of Edwardsian ideas, with scholars of Edwards being brought together with scholars of New England theology and early American history to produce a …

Extending Story Listening As A Practice Of Communal Formation At The Lake Orion Church Of Christ, Eric R. Magnusson

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project that explores the potential for extending a practice of story listening as a way of forming community across social circles at the Lake Orion Church of Christ in Lake Orion, Michigan. The intervention involved guiding a group of six participant-researchers, each of whom had previous experience in story listening, through six sessions in the fall of 2011. Each phase of the project was informed by a participatory social Trinitarian theology. The first three sessions were designed to empower participant-researcher pairs to facilitate story listening groups of four to five …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 8 - (August 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: A Tippy Canoe by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: In Pursuit of Solitude by Kathryn Van Zanen / 8 - IMHO: Be Still and Know by John Franken / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Ontario Youth Event Draws Record Crowd / 18 - Fiction: He Knows Each One by Name by Hugh Cook / 21 - Leadership: Ten Questions for Debriefing after a Mission Trip by Dave Miller / 22 - Building a Church You Can Call Home by Sandy Swartzentruber / 26 - The View from Here: …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 7 - (July 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

9 - Editorial: Boldly Proclaim and Profess by Bob De Moor / 10 - Candidates for Ministry 2012 / 15 - Catch Your Breath: A Wise Investment by Kory Plockmeyer / 16 - Under the Radar by Mark Nelesen / 18 - Discipleship: Celebrating Faith Milestones: Profession of Faith by Jill Friend / 20 - Just for Kids: Small Wonders by Joanne De Jonge / 22 - Tuned In: Ten Mainstream Albums Every Christian Should Hear by Adam Stout / 24 - Relating: Ask . . . and Make a Friend by Jim Kok / 25 - Next: Hungry for …

The Application For Church Planting Through The Intercessory Prayer Ministry Of Young Adult Ministry In Choong Hyun Presbyterian Church, Kwang Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis is about researching church planting through the intercessory prayer ministry. This project describes several spiritual awakenings through this ministry. The most important result of spiritual awakenings is that skeptical believers in spiritual life have been changed into positive ones and passive believers have been transformed into active ones. Actually the author as an assistant pastor ministered in Choong hyun Presbyterian Church for almost five years. His wife and he led this ministry for one and half years. The author tried to find out the biblical background related to intercessory prayer through the New Testament, write …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 6 - (June 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: A Political or Apolitical Church? by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Missing Maggie by Judy Hardy / 8 - IMHO: Let’s Break the Mold by Nicole Launiere Bode / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 17 - News: Synod 2012: What to Watch For / 18 - The Gifts of God for the People of God: Deepening Table Practice for People of All Ages by John Witvliet / 21 - On the Journey: Sunday Morning by Cal Buquet / 22 - Living Out the Mission by Matt Kucinski / 26 - The …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 5 - (May 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Which Line to Toe? by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: What’s That Smell? by John Luth / 8 - IMHO: The Blessing by Richard Vandezande / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Synod 2012 Asked to Make Climate Change Declarations / 18 - Pentecost Dreaming by Mary S. Hulst / 20 - On the Journey: “How’s Your Mom?” by Stacia Polinder Hoeksema / 22 - Leaders for a Growing Church by Sarah Van Stempvoort / 26 - The View from Here: Once . . . and Four ‘Alls’ by …

The Initiation Of Growth-Focused Relationships Involving Healthy Accountability At The Carbondale Church Of Christ, Stephen Shaffer

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

After several years of transition, the Carbondale Church of Christ is in the early stages of becoming a spiritual growth-focused community. However, the emerging growth community appears to reflect the prevailing cultural assumptions that growth is a personal, private, and an individual task. To shape this emergent growth culture, this project initiated a group of congregational opinion leaders, organized in pairs, into the practice of growth-focused relationships involving healthy accountability. The initiation involved a theological orientation followed by a four-week healthy accountability praxis.

The theological framework of the project involved three main aspects. First, the project used the body image …

Defined By What We Are Not: The Role Of Anti-Catholicism In The Formation Of Early American Identity, Brandi Hatfield Marchant

Masters Theses

From the colonial era through the mid-nineteenth century, anti-Catholicism colored key points of development in America's early history. Amidst the English colonial experience, the Revolution and establishment of the republic, and the educational reform efforts of the nineteenth-century, anti-Catholicism emerged as a fundamental factor in the development of America's characteristically Protestant political and religious identity. While many studies of early American anti-Catholicism focus on one region or time period, drawing connections across geographic boundaries and constructed historical periods attests to the sentiment's pervasive and enduring influence. While this sentiment varied in intensity throughout America over time, its presence profoundly shaped …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 4 - (April 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Show Some Respect by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: Gardens and Cemeteries and Parks by Wayne Brouwer / 8 - IMHO: Food for Fuel? by Bernie Vander Molen / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 12 - News: CRWRC Seeks Approval to Change Name / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 18 - Why Did Jesus Die? by Sylvia Keesmaat / 20 - Practicing Resurrection Where It Matters Most by Ken Baker / 22 - A Ministry of Encouragement by Chris Meehan / 26 - The View from Here: The Christ Folks …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 47 No 1 - April 2012), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: Revisiting the Psalm of Jonah by Amanda W. Benckhuysen - 5 / Calvin's Theological Appropriation of His Philosophical Sources: A Note on Natural Law and Institutes 2.2.2 2-23 by Charles D. Raith II - 32 / Vos and Berkhof on Union with Christ and Justification by J. V. Fesko - 50 / Groen van Prinsterer: Godfather of Bavinck and Kuyper by Harry Van Dyke - 72 / It's About Time: Opening Reformational Thought to the Eschaton by Nicholas Ansell - 98 / Reforming Public Theology: Two Kingdoms, or Two Cities? by James K. A. Smith - 122 / …

A Hierarchy Of Love: Myth In C.S. Lewis's Perelandra, Joseph Walls

Masters Theses

In C.S. Lewis's Perelandra, the transposed creature is drawn up into its "kindly stede" as a sacramental symbol of Christ through that fictional planet's unbroken relationship between meaning and form. Although Perelandra's "wheels-within-wheels" hierarchy may at first seem reminiscent of Catholicism's teachings on symbol, as a Protestant, Lewis believes that human beings cannot be truly sacramental symbols until the return of Christ. Lewis's optimistic depiction of a cosmic hierarchy is one of perfect love: superiors rule their subordinates with agape, and creatures who discover their submissive roles reciprocate with eros or adoring love. Every created being in Perelandra is part …

The Pharisee Church: Why The Heart Of The Modern American Church Does Not Match The Heart Of Christ And What We Can Do To Change It, Samantha J. Blue

Senior Honors Theses

Religious discussions often hinge on semantics. Currently debate abounds concerning the state of the modern American Church. Is it failing? Is it flourishing? Who is a part of it? Comparing the biblical understanding of church to the state of the modern American Church provides great insight into how the modern church has erred. Investigating the semantic range of the word “church” also sheds light on why perceptions of the modern American Church vary. Additional comparisons are made between the typical American Christian and Pharisees. Potential similarities are identified and analyzed. Finally, suggestions are made regarding church reform so that the …

The Postmodern Church, Timothy C. Lawless

Senior Honors Theses

Within the past twenty years, the Church (especially in America) has experienced dwindling membership and attendance, along with a host of other problems. Many of these problems are symptomatic of a massive cultural shift toward postmodernism, leading to discontentment with the Church. In attempting to respond to these challenges, the emergent Church has arisen as a major element of American religious culture. Their methodology and doctrine is heavily influenced by postmodernism, which presents a further challenge for Christian leaders and ministers. This paper will survey the challenges facing the Church, will describe the emergent Church’s origin and response to these …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 3 - (March 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Can Good Stewards Grow the Economy? by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: God the Parent by Joan De Vries / 8 - IMHO: The Belhar: Social Gospel or Confession? by Julian Ross Hudson / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Michigan Group Responds to Synod’s Decision on Homosexuality / 18 - Changing the World—One Creative Act at a Time by Don Perini / 20 - Frequently Asked Questions / 21 - On the Journey: Celebrating Our Baptism by Dale Melenberg / 22 - A Heart for the World by …

The Banner - V. 147, No. 2 - (February 2012), Christian Reformed Church In North America

The Banner

6 - Editorial: Nothing to Write About by Bob De Moor / 7 - Catch Your Breath: A Theology of Transition by Cecil Van Niejenhuis / 8 - IMHO: Playing by the Rules by George Vander Weit / 8 - Letters to the Editor / 10 - News: Daughter of Slain Officer Becomes Police Chaplain / 17 - Frequently Asked Questions / 18 - Redeeming Ritual by James K.A. Smith / 20 - Caring for Our Scientists by Phil Reinders / 22 - Coffee Break Goes Global by Nancy Vander Meer / 26 - The View from Here: A Break …