Christianity Commons^™

Fatherlessness And The Longing For The Father: A Biblical-Theological And Apologetic Account Of Desire, Belonging, And Ecclesial Remedy, Walter Marshall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines fatherlessness as a sociological, psychological, and theological problem while advancing an abductive apologetic argument that the persistent human longing for paternal presence, identity, security, and belonging is more comprehensively explained by the Christian worldview. Building upon C. S. Lewis’s Argument from Desire, the study develops the Christian Argument from Paternal Longing, employing inference to the best explanation to evaluate whether paternal longing provides meaningful evidence for God’s existence. Through interdisciplinary research integrating sociology, attachment theory, biblical theology, and historical-theological analysis, the dissertation compares Christian explanations with developmental, evolutionary, sociological, and psychological alternatives. Its central finding is that …

Review Of Robert Menzies And Craig Keener, Acts, Wsnt Commentary, Lora Angeline E. Timenia

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A Review of Acts. Word and Spirit Commentary on the New Testament. Robert P. Menzies and Craig S. Keener. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2025. 368 pp. $29.99.

by Lora Angeline Timenia

Review Of Chinese Christian Witness By Xiaoli Yang And Daryl R. Ireland, Yi Qian

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A Review of Xiaoli Yang and Daryl R. Ireland tackle this challenge in their book, Chinese Christian Witness: Identity, Creativity, Transmission and Poetics, by Yi Qian.

Review Of Alex Sosler, A Short Guide To Spiritual Formation: Finding Life In Truth, Goodness, Beauty, And Community, Katrina Krtek

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A Review of A Short Guide to Spiritual Formation: Finding Life in Truth, Goodness, Beauty, and Community, by Alex Sosler. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2024. 224 pp. $21.99.

by Katrina Krtek

The Machine In The Mirror: What An Ai-Created Religion Reveals About Spirit-Empowered Ministry, Todd J. Korpi

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Spirit-empowered ministers face questions about how artificial intelligence is shaping the people they serve. Congregants may turn to chatbots for spiritual counsel, while pastors weigh the use of AI tools in their ministries. An unusual episode involving an AI-agent-created religion, the Church of Molt, offers an occasion to examine the development of generative AI and the Church’s responsibility in the face of it. This article adapts Paul Hiebert’s method of critical contextualization to examine the five tenets of this machine religion as a prophetic mirror for the Church. It exposes questions about memory, transformation, authority, attention, and belonging. Read in …

Intergenerational Christian Formation: An Incubator And Catalyst For The Transformation Of Adult Youth Ministry Volunteers, Kerry R. Loescher

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article explores the changes that bonus spiritual parents and grandparents experience as they persistently journey with adolescents through the ongoing programmed, relational youth ministry of their local church. To better understand this phenomenon, 31 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted. The findings demonstrate that intergenerational ministry significantly impacts adult volunteers, transforming their public faith, increasing anticipation of God’s work, and fostering significant relationships within the volunteer team.

How Gen Z College Students Encounter The Holy Spirit, Daniel D. Isgrigg, Anna M. Marley

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article examines the experiences of the Holy Spirit among Generation Z college students at a Spirit-empowered university. The qualitative study documents and analyzes experiences and the language used to express them, with the goal of enhancing the understanding of pneumatology within Gen Z populations. Through an oral history archival project, the researchers collected 31 testimonies regarding Holy Spirit encounters. The testimonies were analyzed and coded to identify and evaluate trends in Holy Spirit experiences, contributing to research on Generation Z spirituality.

From Prayer To Proclamation: Re-Centering The Pneumatological Foundations Of Pastoral Speech In The Digital Age, Mario Hood

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article argues that the contemporary crisis of Pentecostal preaching is fundamentally pneumatological before it is homiletical. Digital technology has not merely altered the methods of pastoral communication; it has restructured the very conditions in which pastoral authority is formed, exercised, and received. Drawing on Ray S. Anderson, Terry Cross, Truls Åkerlund, Daniel Tomberlin, and Amos Yong—alongside insights from the author’s own paracletic leadership framework— this article proposes a constructive response to the mediatization of preaching. If prayer forms the pastor, proclamation participates in Christ’s ongoing paracletic work, and discernment shapes the community’s reception of divine address, then the pastoral …

Editorial: Encouraging Discourse Between The Academy And The Church, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This editorial discusses the discourse between the Academy and the Church enabled by Spiritus.

Full Issue Spiritus 11, No. 2 (Fall 2026), [email protected]

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The full issue of Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology (Fall 2026).

Front Matter Spiritus 11, No. 2 (Fall 2026), [email protected]

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Training Confident Witnesses: Evaluating A Practical Evangelism Seminar For The Twenty-First Century, Christopher Robershaw, Katherine Robershaw, Jose Philip, Jay Moon

Witness

This article evaluates the effectiveness of the Practical Evangelism Seminar (PES), an eight-week training program designed to equip Christians to share their faith in the complexities of twenty-first century North American culture. Developed at Asbury Theological Seminary in partnership with Knox Fellowship,[1]the seminar addresses contemporary cultural complexities summarized by the acronym SPIRIT: secularism, pluralism, individualism, relativism, identity, and technology. Using pre- and post-seminar surveys from 112 participants between 2019 and 2022, along with qualitative feedback and participant observation, this study explores changes in students’ knowledge and confidence related to evangelism. Findings indicate measurable increases in participants’ confidence and …

From Nones To Affiliation: Listening To Twenty-Somethings, Jay Moon, Bethany Harmon

Witness

This exploratory article describes the religious journeys of twenty-somethings (ages 20–29) who moved from no religious affiliation (“Nones”) to Christian affiliation. Over five years, four researchers conducted interviews across the United States and gathered 101 responses to questions about what drew participants toward Jesus, what pushed them away, which aspects of Christianity resonated most, and what advice they would offer to those sharing faith with their generation. While much evangelism in North America has assumed guilt, shame, or fear as primary entry points into gospel conversations, many participants described a different posture: indifference. Yet indifference often coexisted with a longing …

Gravedigger Missiology And The Crisis Of Evangelism, Jose Philip

Witness

This article argues that the crisis of evangelism in late-modern North America reflects not only disaffiliation and secularization but also a structural and Christological deficit. Evangelism is often "practiced as managed impact under the language of missio Dei rather than as participation in the living agency of Jesus Christ.” Developing Peter Berger’s claim that Christianity has been “its own gravedigger,” the article reads Berger in two registers. The Social Construction of Reality and The Sacred Canopy explain how plausibility structures sustain belief and how their erosion weakens inherited evangelistic models. The Precarious Vision exposes how religious roles and language can …

Book Review: God Draws Near: Rethinking The Biblical Theology Of Mission, By Collin Cornell, Joseph Culbertson

Witness

No abstract provided.

Book Review: At This Time: Dialogues In Theological Education, By Corwin Davis And Ted Smith, Eds., Christopher Robershaw

Witness

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Missional Imagination: Preparation For Kingdom Innovation, By Jay Moon, Mark Teasdale

Witness

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Disability And Evangelism:The Good News Of The Fullness Of God's Kingdom, By Rochelle Scheuermann, T.S. John

Witness

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Why Millennials Don’T Go To Church, By Helen Trainor, Robert Suarez

Witness

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The Great Story And The Great Commission: Participating In The Biblical Drama Of Mission, By Christopher Wright, Nathan Clifton

Witness

No abstract provided.

Editorial, Thomas Seckler

Witness

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Christian Faith Sharing Through Social Media On Christian And Non-Christian Young Adults, Glen Bowman, Ruben Williams, Tyler Sheppard

Witness

This paper explores the influence of Christian faith sharing through social media on young adults, both Christian and non-Christian. Drawing on two qualitative descriptive studies using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, the research synthesized codes and identified key themes regarding positively oriented Christian content on social media. The content generally appealed to young adults and frequently enhanced their spiritual thinking, motivation, and behavior. However, posts with a negative tone, poor scriptural use, or perceived hypocrisy tend to provoke adverse reactions, including negative thoughts about Christianity and “fight-or-flight” behavioral responses. The findings also reveal that young adults often underestimate the influence …

Book Review: Shaping The Journey: Wesley, Merton, Mulholland, And The Spiritual Formation Movement, By Daniel Harris, Kenny Johnston

Witness

No abstract provided.

Second Annual Beth Seversen Dissertation Award, Thomas Seckler

Witness

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Baal And The Gods Of More: Rescuing Church Growth From Idolatry, By Andrew Root, Christopher Robershaw

Witness

No abstract provided.

Book Review - The Visions Of Ephesians: The Task Of The Church And The Glory Of God, Beth Ann Fisher

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

The Vision of Ephesians: The Task of the Church and the Glory of God, by N.T. Wright. Zondervan Academic, 2025. 150 pages, $30.

Ministry With Children: Navigating An Expanding And Deepening River Of Thought And Practice, Ron Bruner

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Parents and church leaders live in a unique moment in the life of the church that creates a powerful opportunity: shaping ministry with children in ways that more faithfully serve God’s ongoing purposes. A convergence of several important ongoing conversations unique to our time connects scholars, practitioners, and parents interested in children's spiritual well-being. These tributaries in thought include (1) an emerging theological vision of children, (2) improved understanding of the physical, mental, and spiritual capabilities of children, (3) developing research into the relational ecologies of family, church, and generations, and (4) ongoing developments in children’s ministry leadership, practice, and …

Church-Based Qualitative Research, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

Qualitative research is collecting, analyzing, and interpreting subjective data to answer an important research question. It can be contrasted with quantitative research, which focuses on collecting numerical (relatively objective) data to test specific hypotheses. It is an attractive form of research in church contexts because it does not require training in statistics and can be conducted in almost all ministry settings. It is especially appropriate for topics that are under-researched, poorly understood, or involve concepts that are difficult to measure. Common problems associated with church-based qualitative research include overly broad research questions, weak descriptions of what has been observed, shallow …

Maximizing The Use Of Interpreters In Shortterm Medical Missions, Barbara L. Loach

Great Commission Research Journal

In the debate over the effectiveness of short-term medical missions (STMM), the role of interpreters has received cursory attention. However, the perceived quality of care and the actual care that patients receive, and therefore their receptivity to the organization and the presentation of the gospel by faith-based STMMs, hinges greatly on employing trained interpreters who can reliably communicate on behalf of all parties involved. Each barrier to cross-cultural communication —verbal, non-verbal, and cultural—can and should be addressed to have a successful mission outreach; providing adequate training for all participants in STMM, especially for interpreters, is critical to mediate the communication …

When Everything Moves Faster Than The Soul: Spirituality In A Fast-Paced World, Pablo Marzilli

Great Commission Research Journal

This article analyzes one of the main characteristics of the hypermodern era in which we live: social acceleration. We live in an extremely individualistic era that forces us to be highly efficient and productive in everything we do. This social phenomenon leads to a sense of being overwhelmed; our culture demands that we maximize the use of our time, to the point where we feel that we are less productive than we actually are, even though this is objectively impossible. This culture of acceleration, which makes us live at a dizzying pace, also influences the church and reshapes our daily …