Christianity Commons^™

Theatre And Dance As Divine Purpose: Liberating The Christian Performer In Pursuit Of Artistic Worship, Abby Owen

Dance (MFA) Theses

This study examines the historical relevance of theatre and dance alongside religious forms of worship, with a particular emphasis on their integration into Christian churches of the Middle Ages, in comparison to the current Western era. Beginning with their origin, this research examines the creation of theatre and dance in Ancient Greece as a means of connecting with spiritual deities, tracing their recorded transition into accepted acts of everyday worship by Christian leadership. At the same time, this research scrutinizes contemporary congregations’ lack of artistic incorporation, denouncing the rise of restricted worship in response to present-day condemnation of the female …

From The Heaviest, Dirtiest Depths To The Washy Ambient Clouds: Guitar Timbre In/As Schismogenesis In North American Christianity, Joshua K. Busman, Nathan Myrick

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

This essay argues that within the socio-cultural context of North American Christianity, the timbral qualities of electric guitar, with its long lineage as a site of cultural values conflict and identity negotiation, serves a theological function in the emerging and cohering sonority of digital worship. Using as comparative case studies the timbral qualities of delay and ambience as promoted and sold by Worship Tutorials as representing normative sonic values for these Christians, on the one hand, and the dialectic and schismatic deployment of distortion by the band My Epic on the other, we suggest that these timbral qualities become important …

Taking A Closer Look: Research As Worship And Service, Angela Kroeze Visser

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"... as we learn about the world we live in, we also learn about the one who has created and upholds it."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­looking deeply and thinking critically from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Taking a Closer Look

On The Other Hand: The Unity Of Contraries In A World Of Conflict, Michael Kearney

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"How difficult will it be to keep our eyes set on God, not idols, in a world of generative AI, political polarization, rampant individualism, and anxiety about the future?"

Posting about ­­­­­­­­skilled communication from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

On the Other Hand

Why Should We Give Thanks?, Calvin Vandermeyden

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Seeing Through The Incense Smoke: Understanding The Meanings Of Ancestral Rites In Vietnam For The Sake Of A Pastoral Approach In Christian Mission, J.P. Cima

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Cima, J.P. “Seeing Through the Incense Smoke: Understanding the Meanings of Ancestral Rites in Vietnam for the Sake of a Pastoral Approach in Christian Mission.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2025. 285 pp.

The veneration of ancestors at family altars has long been a defining feature of everyday Vietnamese life that poses a critical missiological problem for Christian mission in Vietnam. May Christians participate in ancestral veneration rituals? Current and historical responses to this question, among Protestants and Catholics alike, have not been uniform. Moreover, many responses have been based on assumed or oversimplified understandings of the rites’ meaning which recent …

Hearing God's Word Through Ecclesial Listening, Nathan Burrow

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project dissertation was designed to enhance ecclesial listening when sermons are preached at the Hillcrest Church of Christ. The challenge of listening to the Word of God in a way that forms community is not unique to Hillcrest. It is a common problem for preachers and churches today. Our context, marked by shifts in church membership, societal division, and the isolating effects of digital culture, calls for a renewed emphasis on listening as a church community. This project explores the ways in which we can cultivate practices that encourage ecclesial listening—a way of hearing the preached Word that draws …

Holy Art : Reclaiming The Visual Arts For Worship And Spiritual Formation, Joey Fitzgerald

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Both/And Church: A Qualitative Study On The Motives, Processes, And Impacts Of Instrumental Music In Churches Of Christ In The Bible Belt, Samuel Scott Souder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the information available on worship styles of churches in America, perspectives of Churches of Christ who have started using instruments have yet to be explored. Since 1906, Churches of Christ have been one of many distinct religious sects in America. Expressions of this denomination are most often found in the Deep South of the United States — what many religious persons refer to as the “Bible Belt.” Known for their emphasis on weekly communion, baptism as a sacramental part of discipleship, and their embrace of extra-biblical additions to ministry like missionary societies, one spiritual practice sets them apart most …

Converting Membership Into Discipleship: A Spiritual Formation Program In Discipleship For Rural African American Churches, Ernest L. Williams Sr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project addresses the need for rural African American churches to focus on spiritual formation and discipleship for their parishioners. Churches that emphasize the importance of the gospel and believers’ daily commitment to it represent progress toward discipleship. Discipleship creates a connection between worship and lifestyle. Churchgoers, particularly African American Christians in rural settings, may struggle to understand and practice discipleship. Historically, church worship and attendance have been prioritized in this faith community. However, Sunday worship that fails to provide a plan for daily spiritual formation may contribute to the issue. If the gospel is not the church’s primary …

Analyzing The Methods And Effects Of Implementing Multiple Service Styles In The Church, Chloe E. Dillman

Selected Honors Theses

This thesis explores the motivations and methodologies behind offering different styles of worship services in churches in Lakeland, Florida. The study is inspired by the ongoing debate over modern worship, which has intensified over the past fifty years. As contemporary worship grew in popularity, many churches adapted by incorporating various worship styles into their services. In response to the controversy surrounding these changes, some churches implemented multiple service options—one reflecting a contemporary/modern style and another adhering to a more traditional approach. As this practice became more widespread, it sparked further discussion among church leaders regarding its impact on congregational unity, …

Aphantasia And Religion: Exploring The Impact Of Imageless Cognition On Spiritual Experience, Reagan J. Pletcher

Selected Honors Theses

This study examines the intersection of aphantasia – the inability to consciously visualize mental images – and religious experience, here Christianity. Taking a phenomenological approach, qualitative interviews were conducted with three self-described aphantasic Christians to examine how they conceptualize, practice, and experience their faith. Thematic analysis revealed that participants employ abstract thinking, propositional thinking, and moral reasoning rather than visual imagery when engaging with religious texts, prayer, and worship. They valued intellectual and moral aspects of Christianity more than imaginative visualization, demonstrating that religion is not necessarily dependent on mental imagery to participate spiritually. While participants did refer to challenges …

Aphantasia And Religion: Exploring The Impact Of Imageless Cognition On Spiritual Experience, Reagan J. Pletcher

Selected Honors Theses

This study examines the intersection of aphantasia – the inability to consciously visualize mental images – and religious experience, here Christianity. Taking a phenomenological approach, qualitative interviews were conducted with three self-described aphantasic Christians to examine how they conceptualize, practice, and experience their faith. Thematic analysis revealed that participants employ abstract thinking, propositional thinking, and moral reasoning rather than visual imagery when engaging with religious texts, prayer, and worship. They valued intellectual and moral aspects of Christianity more than imaginative visualization, demonstrating that religion is not necessarily dependent on mental imagery to participate spiritually. While participants did refer to challenges …

Raising Worshippers: Cultivating A Life Of Praise, Angela Perigo, Jeremy Perigo

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"One of the best things we can do for children in worship is to model what it means to be a worshiping community—especially on Sunday mornings, but also in other areas of life."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­faith formation in families from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Raising Worshippers

Cultivating The Sabbath Today: Christian Insights On Rest, Work, And Worship, Kyle J. Dieleman

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"How might Reformed Christians navigate Sunday observance in ways that are theologically informed, spiritually fulfilling, and culturally relevant?"

Posting about how to faithfully follow the fourth commandment from In All Things, an online hub that offers insight into maintaining and faithful and orthodox Reformed Christian worldview while fearlessly engaging in every aspect of contemporary life – until all is made new.

Cultivating the Sabbath Today

A $1.25 Million Grant Given For Kids Worship Project, Jennifer Vermeer

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Evidence Of Worship In The Rock-Cut Rooms On The Eastern Slope Of The City Of David, Jerusalem, Eli Shukron, Liora Freud, Helena Roth, Reli Avisar, Efrat Bocher

'Atiqot

This paper presents the finds retrieved from a unique series of rock-cut rooms found on the eastern slope of the City of David. These rock-cut rooms stand out in terms of their architectural features, as well as the artifacts discovered within them, all of which reflect on their function as a cultic complex, likely constructed in the Middle Bronze Age, with its final stage in Iron Age IIB. This complex offers profound evidence for the diversity of cultic practices in the capital of the Kingdom of Judah.

The Emergence Of Worship And Religion In The Neolithic Period: Direct And Indirect Evidence From Moẓa (Motza), Hamoudi Khalaily, Anna Eirikh-Rose, Ianir Milevski

'Atiqot

Evidence of worship and religion in the form of architectural remains is rather scanty before the shift in human behavior, from hunter-gatherers to sedentary communities, and the emergence of permanent settlements. Communal and ritual structures first appeared in the Natufian culture (12,500–9400 BCE) and expanded during the Neolithic period (9400–5300 BCE), alongside the treatment of burials linked to ritual related to ancestor worship. The excavations at Motza’s Final PPNB (7100–6700 BCE) layer exposed many non-residential structures, some presumably used for worship and ritual. Some burials, including the one interpreted here as a shaman burial, included objects of symbolic importance. Cultic …

Church Adoption: Three-Pronged Elements That Support The Revitalization Of Coastal Church Battery Park Location In Virginia, Michael Christopher Bard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The church is God’s plan for delivering the good news of Jesus Christ’s finished work on the Cross. This finished work is evidenced through the bodily resurrection of Christ (1 Cor. 15). In the US a steady decline in church attendance has been prevalent over the past three decades and church buildings are either near empty or closing. This research explores the concept of church adoption merger in hopes of one avenue that would promote revitalization of local fellowships. Though multiple elements are supportive in revitalization this research explore three elements that should lead towards centralizing the church on Christ. …

Modern-Day Idol Worship At Life Changers Church: How It Was Identified And Replaced With True Worship Of God, Franzetta L. Ivy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This DMIN project ventures to establish and further a ministry design rooted in God’s Word that instructs, equips, and enhances Christian lives. The project offers a structure by which God’s Word can renew and transform people’s minds. The ten-week project intervention utilized a weekly Bible class, interviews, questionnaires, and observations to collect information from seven participants at Life Changers Church. The purpose was to examine the problem of modern-day idol worship and foster motivation, commitment, and reverence for God by applying spiritual awareness through teaching from an intentionally designed worship handbook. This action-based research project endeavored to link the application …

Disciple-Making Through Worship : Exploring Best Practices In The Restoration Movement, Daniel Hazel

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Cultivating A Vibrant Mixed Ecology Of The Church : A Theology Of Difference For The Many And Various Forms Of Church, Tim Lomax

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ccli Vetting Project: A Reformed Voice, Katie Ritsema-Roelofs, Laura Dejong, Heather Kaemingk, Erin Hollaar Pacheco, Adam Perez, Jeremy Perigo, Paul Ryan, Ben Snoek

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.

Different Forms Of Power In Worship Spaces, Patrick Russell

Obsculta

This project examines the importance of power in a worship space. In particular, looking at the historical structures of St. Paul's Cathedral in London and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, this paper strives to lay out the presence of power inherent in places of worship. While other aspects could be used: power as a political structure, power of shared identity, power of scale, and power as a means of limits are given here for consideration.

Sunday Celebration In The Absence Of A Priest And Women's Role In Presiding, Kristyn Demers

Obsculta

This essay explores instances of Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest, specifically within the rural context where the effects of the priesthood shortage are felt most strongly. Additionally, this paper examines the role that women play in the church, especially the rural church, and calls for the church to respond by creating more equitable roles for women within church leadership and ministry.

To Embody Christ's Image: Queer Presence In Liturgy, Maggie Nadalin

Obsculta

This paper examines how approaching liturgical issues from a Queer vantage-point in both theory and practice offers a fresh lens for not only understanding liturgy but recognizing the urgent need for Queer-influenced liturgical rites.

40-Day Fit, A Journey For Heroes, Michael B. O'Neill

Doctor of Leadership

This project is a collective portfolio of discovery and development that explores the intersection of societal health and the vitality of the church, recognizing a state of decline in both areas. This critical, yet often overlooked issue, is the foundation of this research-driven initiative. It is a practical process of diagnosis and treatment of a problem or an opportunity, in context, leading to application. The portfolio project represents a journey of discovery and reframing, where research methods, strategic objectives, and project milestones guide the identification of needs, problems, and opportunities. These elements serve as the driving forces behind crafting solutions …

Spiritual Practices And Artistic Professionals Of Faith, Daniel L. Wilt

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Embedding The Theology And Principles Of Worship In Pastoral Training And Sermon Preparation, Janicka E. Newbill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A current literature investigation exposes a deficit in encouraging pastors and preachers to embed theology and principles of worship in their sermon preparation and pastoral training. This presents a concern when churchgoers gather in person or virtually to hear a sermon to strengthen their Christian walk each week. In addition, each year, seminary students and local church organizations graduate ministry leaders trained and prepared to deliver sermons designed to meet the spiritual needs of churchgoers. Yet, upon closer examination, there exist underpinning issues. Churchgoers are lacking in their understanding of worship. The Association of Theological Schools exposes a noticeable gap …

Liturgical Practices For Full Participation: Creating Opportunities For Engagement In Corporate Worship For People Living With Intellectual Disabilities At The Mooroolbark Salvation Army, Catherine Jane Spiller

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The Mooroolbark Salvation Army is a place of welcome and acceptance for people with disabilities. However, people with intellectual disabilities often have limited opportunities for engagement in corporate worship. The act of worship is a practice everyone should be able to participate in, but barriers often limit engagement for people with disabilities. This project thesis explored and sought to address these barriers and create opportunities for full participation for people with intellectual disabilities. A small diverse group of people from the Mooroolbark Salvation Army came together for ten weeks commencing in February 2022 to consider how to attend to engagement …