Intersectionality And The American Church, Rachel Solsman

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

In recent decades, the advent of ideologies such as Liberation Theology and Critical Race Theory have spurred dialogue and societal changes in the United States. These beliefs have set the stage for a new wave of Christianity in contemporary culture. In order to determine how these theories fit in with traditional orthodox Christianity, it is necessary to understand their respective beliefs, values, and worldviews.

"If You Are Willing To Receive It": The Presentation Of John The Baptist As Elijah In Matthew's Gospel, Aaron Goldstein

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Goldstein, Aaron, J. “‘If You Are Willing to Receive It’: The Presentation of John The Baptist as Elijah in Matthew’s Gospel.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2021. 214pp.

In Matthew’s Gospel, John the Baptist demonstrates a viewpoint of himself and Jesus, in their respective roles in the in–breaking kingdom of heaven, which is correct, but also insufficient. An exploration is undertaken to better understand this phenomenon.

With John identified in the Gospel as ‘Elijah who is to come,’ Malachian texts concerning expectations for Elijah’s return are examined. From this context, three figures emerge, each with an expected role: ‘My messenger’/Elijah, the …

From Vice To Virtue: Contours Of Idolatry And New Obedience, Michael Fieberkorn

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Fieberkorn, Michael T. “From Vice to Virtue: Contours of Idolatry and New Obedience.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2021. 290 pp. What are the specific contours of life lived in accordance with God’s will? That is the primary question this dissertation seeks to answer. Discerning the particular shape of Christian sanctification is difficult. Radical Lutheranism attempts to define sanctification simply as “love,” which lacks the specificity necessary to adjudicate between competing and mutually exclusive claims concerning Christian morality. Theologians attempting to address this insufficiency by incorporating virtue ethics within a Lutheran theological construct must clearly articulate the particularly Christian telos.

Reading …

Jesus In, With, And Under The Spirit: The Spirit's Presence And Activity In Christ In The Sacrament Of The Altar, Brian A. Gauthier

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Contemporary theological scholarship has seen a turn toward pneumatology and the use of a pneumatological lens for exploring and [re]considering Christian doctrines. Spirit Christology has long been considered the first major, successful work in this movement of scholarship which has come to be called Third Article Theology.

This study proposes to consider the Lord’s Supper pneumatologically through use of a Trinitarian Spirit Christology. Three primary aspects of a traditional account of the Lord’s Supper will be the subject of pneumatological reimagining. Spirit Christology will inquire into the Spirit’s presence and activity in the presence and activity of Jesus through his …

The Significance Of Christian Iconography In Communist Mexican Muralism Of Diego Rivera, Rachel Renee Amaro

University Honors Theses

This study compares two of Rivera's fresco mural paintings; Liberation of the Peon (1923) at the Secretaria de Educación Publica building in Mexico City, Mexico and Agrarian Leader Zapata (1930) located at Palacio de Cortés in Cuernavaca, Mexico to two Renaissance Christian paintings to highlight the similar use of Christian iconography. This analysis argues that although groundbreaking in style, Rivera's art relied heavily on Christian iconography that not only came from his own background of knowledge, but also enabled him to speak to the people of Mexica in a time when they relied heavily on his art to tell the …

Christian Identity Meets Identity Politics: A Lutheran Approach To Political Engagement, Michael Hanson

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Identity politics has become a frequently referenced and much maligned term used to describe a trend in political engagement in the early 21^st century. Identity politics is employed across the political spectrum and has critics on both the left and right in the United States. Christian Identity Meets Identity Politics examines the contours of identity politics to understand and consider the concerns which lead neighbors to engage in identity politics, accounts for the needs of those neighbors who are denied God’s gift of justice through the state, considers criticisms leveled against identity politics within the greater view of Western …

Fortuita Misericordia:
 Luther On The Unchosen Figures In The Patriarchal History As Shown In His Lectures On Genesis, Chan-U "Vincent" Kam

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

In this study, we attend to Luther’s Lectures on Genesis with a specific focus—Luther’s idea of fortuita misericordiaand his view of the unchosen figures in Genesis, including Cain, Hagar, Ishmael, Esau, and the Egyptians. We suggest that Luther’s use of fortuita misericordia and his treatment of the unchosen exemplify the highpoint of his evangelical theology.

Fortuita misericordia can be understood in two ways, one personal, and another salvation-historical. Regarding the person, fortuita misericordia is part of Luther’s explanation for why God generously spared some from deserved punishment, and instead provided temporal subsistence and blessings. Regarding salvation-history, fortuita misericordiaopens …

The Source And Application Of Thomas Müntzer's Theology Of Divination In His Marginal Notes On Tertullian, Roger Drinnon

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Drinnon, Roger A. “The Source and Application of Thomas Müntzer’s Theology of Divinization in His Marginal Notes on Tertullian.” Thesis, Concordia Seminary, 2021. 101 pp.

Traditional Lutheran and Marxist interpretations of Thomas Müntzer inadequately account for Müntzer’s theology and practice. The doctrine of the order of creation tied Müntzer’s theology and practice together. According to the order of creation, the goal of the material world was to return to God at the end of time. Müntzer’s writings on the order of creation stated the doctrine was the central tenet of Christianity. By returning to God, Müntzer believed the creation would …

Placing God: Defining “Post-Christianity” For Contemporary Japanese Christians, Leryan Anthony Burrey

Master's Projects and Capstones

This work suggests that we consider a new, working definition of post-Christianity. This new paradigm is in response to Western Christian thought being too dominant a force that fails to take into enough account other global experiences— like those of Japanese Christians. These reflections are based on scholarly opinions claiming that Christianity is a “global culture,” and ultimately argues for more international inclusivity in Western Christian thought and institutions, especially regarding the Asia-Pacific. Moreover, this paper illuminates how iitoko dori allows Christian thought to peacefully coexist in Japan’s greater society. The research also explores specific Japanese cultural practices that make …

Manumission In Virginia: The Anti-Slavery Legacy Of John Lynch, Stephen A. Langeland

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

This paper is in no way an apology for the institution of slavery in any form. In fact, it is a reiteration of Biblical doctrine and natural rights philosophy that posit all humans are created equal. The institution of slavery knew few bounds throughout recorded history and was as ubiquitous and durable as the activities of marriage or warfare, practiced by every culture and religion (Drescher 2009, 7-8, 12-39). Negro slavery specifically was an institution in all colonies of the New World at some point in history (Davis 1969, vii). The morality of slavery was an unquestioned fact of life …

In Search Of The Best Practices In Preaching On Christian Stewardship, Mitchel Schuessler

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Pastors are challenged to preach Christian stewardship within their parishes in a way that they not only overcome the personal and congregational biases against stewardship sermons, but will also assist their congregations to the grow in their knowledge of stewardship and help them to become better Christian stewards. This project sought to find pastors that have discovered ways to preach stewardship that increased the congregational stewardship life and assisted individual members to become better stewards. This study intends to help the parish pastor to learn how to address stewardship on a regular basis, be more confident in his preaching of …

Reviewing Reforming The Liberal Arts, Robert Thorpe

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Reviewing Where Wisdom May Be Found: The Eternal Purpose Of Christian Higher Education, Patrick Otto, Trevor Ellis

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Reviewing Dreaming Dreams For Christian Higher Education, Jeffrey Voth

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Reviewing Called To Teach: Excellence, Commitment, And Community In Christian Higher Education, Nathan French

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Reviewing The Learning Cycle: Insights From Faithful Teaching From Neuroscience And The Social Sciences, Kezia Daniels

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Subjective Well-Being And Religious Ego Identity Development In Conservative Christian University Students, Angela Watson, Emily B. Goodwin, Claire W. Michael

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

Spiritual maturity greatly impacts psychosocial development (Bravo, Pearson, & Stevens, 2016; Dreyer & Dreyer, 2012; Power & McKinney, 2014). Much of the identity formation process occurs during adolescence and early adulthood (Good & Willoughby, 2014; Hardy et al., 2011). The current study sampled students from a private Christian university to examine the relationship between religious ego identity status and subjective well-being. Positive relationships were found between religious ego identity and subjective well-being. Discussion includes the unique developmental needs of emerging adults to help Christian universities better facilitate their students’ growth and education.

Re-Conceptualizing Inclusive Pedagogy In Practice In Higher Education, Marcia P. Livingston-Galloway, Andree Robinson-Neal

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

Twenty-first-century classrooms are becoming increasingly culturally, ethnically, and racially diverse and are looking more and more like microcosms. Consequently, students and some educational stakeholders are demanding the inclusion of race, culture, justice, and equality in the curricula and pushing the envelope for more inclusive pedagogy. Central to the concept of inclusive pedagogy are the values of fairness and equity. Proponents of inclusive pedagogy have indicated that numerous variables influence pedagogy, particularly inclusive pedagogy. These values have elicited concerns throughout the educational system regarding how instructors and facilitators serve all learners academic needs in their academies. However, there is no consensus …

The Influence Of Teacher Training On The Moodle Platform And Esl Language Learning On Students At A Latin American University, Nora P. Mendivil-Carrión, Abelardo Campana

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

Objective: To accurately know the influence of teacher training on the Moodle platform and English learning in ESL students at a Latin American university. Materials and Methods: For this pre-experimental study, the pre- and post-tests were applied to a sample of 29 students and then processed with the SPSS (Statistical Analysis Software) program. Results: The pre-test reached an average score of 13.86 compared to the post-test, which reached an average score of 17.83. This indicates a positive influence with an increase of 3.97 points, P =000. Therefore, the hypothesis stating that ESL students are able to learn in a virtual …

The Ephesians 4:15 Rule: A Socratic Approach To Political Correctness, Amir Azarvan 9550465

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

In the Apostle Paul’s words, we should “[speak] the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). Many of us are good at doing one (i.e., speaking the truth) or the other (i.e., speaking in love). But few of us excel at doing both at the same time. I argue that this “Ephesians 4:15 Rule” is relevant to the many contemporary political debates that revolve around the concept of political correctness and push us into joining one or the other extreme ideological camp. In this essay, I lay out my Socratic approach to explaining to students what I take to be the proper …

Editorial: Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning In Christian Music Therapy, Hayoung Lim

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Editor: Celebrating Diversity In Teaching And Learning For Christians In Higher Education, Hayoung Lim

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

The Testing Of Jesus In Light Of The Dead Sea Scrolls And Intertextual Hermeneutics, Donald C. Mcintyre

Liberty Theological Review

This article will seek to interpret Matthew 4:1-11, commonly referred to as the “temptation account” by taking into consideration issues from Old Testament Textual Criticism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Historical and social contexts, as well as theory on inter-textuality. This article will seek to show how Jesus is seeking to prove his Divine Sonship through creating a comparison between himself and the Second Generation of Israel who inherited the Promised Land after their parents’ failures despite satanic harassment. This will be accomplished through an examination of Matthew’s main argument for the book, and move towards grammatical and syntactical issues within …

A Renewed Christian Sabbath, After Supersessionism And After Christendom, Abigail Woolley Cutter

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

This project works toward a contemporary understanding of what the Sabbath commandment can mean for Christians, in light of both the post-supersessionist developments in Christian theology since the Holocaust and a declining (Protestant) Christian hegemony in the United States. It claims that a Christian theology of Sabbath must be developed through a serious engagement with the theology of Jewish-Christian relations. It proposes the Sabbath framework as a model for cultural engagement reminiscent of the “synthesis” type laid out in H. R. Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture, but less susceptible to the alleged pitfalls of that type.

The approach to a …

Jesus Christ, Revelation Of Love: A Christology Of The Disabled Christ, Lisa Hancock

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

Though Nancy Eiesland’s The Disabled God first introduced the identification of Jesus as disabled in 1994, sustained reflection on the person and work of Christ as disabled remains a mostly untapped wellspring for theological reflection in disability theology. Sitting with Christ’s disabled performativity, I identify Christ as disabled in both person and work, noting that recognizing disability in Christ’s person influences understandings of Christ’s work and vice versa. Establishing my use of the cultural model of disability, which I expand for use in constructive theology with Judith Butler’s notion of performativity, I examine resonances of the Disabled Christ in disability …

History And Eschatology By N. T. Wright: A Review, Benjamin C. F. Shaw

Liberty Theological Review

Wright, N. T. History and Eschatology: Jesus and the Promise of Natural Theology. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2019. 365 pp. $34.99

The Humanity Of Christ As Instrument Of Salvation In The Theology Of Thomas Aquinas, J. David Moser

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

Interpreters of Thomas Aquinas’s Christology have long observed the uniqueness of his claim that Christ’s human nature is “an instrument of the divinity.” For Aquinas, the mysteries of Christ’s life, the actions and sufferings he underwent in the flesh (acta et passa Christi in carne), cause our salvation in the present. And they have this effect because Christ’s humanity is a “conjoined instrument” of the divinity, united to the Logos, the second person of the Trinity, in person. By contrast, nearly all of Aquinas’s medieval contemporaries, like Bonaventure (1224-1274) as well as Aquinas himself, argued that the humanity …

Deliver Us: The New Eve, Coredemption, And The Motherhood Of God, William Glass

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

In what follows, I try to develop a speculative and constructive account of what Christians should say regarding whether and how Mary is a coredemptress, that is, a partner in the redemptive work of her Son. My goal is to clarify what it might mean to say Mary is a coredeemer, why anyone should say that, and what the consequences would be for Christian theology if they did. I take this doctrine to have critical importance not only for the individual loci of Christian theology (many of which are treated within) but for a meta-theological understanding of the God-world relation.