History of Christianity Commons^™

A Comparative Study Of The Apocalyptic Kingdom Of God In Second Temple Jewish Literature And The Teachings Of Jesus In Matthew, Jeremiah Stallman

Masters Theses

The apocalyptic kingdom of God is a common theme in Second Temple Jewish literature. This kingdom is often presented differently in the various literary works of this era. This first chapter of this thesis considers the various aspects of the kingdom in relation to God's coming judgment and the coming messiah who is often seen as the one bringing judgment and setting up the kingdom of God. The second chapter elaborates upon Jesus' teachings about the apocalyptic kingdom of God and compares and contrasts them with the teachings of the kingdom in His day as understood through the Second Temple …

Headship, Gender, And Ordination In The Writings Of Ellen G. White, P. Gerard Damsteegt

Faculty Publications

The study will focus on the teachings of Ellen White on the role of the Bible in this controversy and the principles for interpreting the Bible to find a solution to the current situation. The paper will also look at her understanding of equality and submission in God’s universal kingdom, and the function of headship in Jesus’ model of leadership and its relation to gender in regard to the qualifications for the biblical office of overseer in the church and their implications in regard to ordination. All of these aspects form an integral part of 16 Ellen White’s theology of …

Women's Status And Ordination As Elders Or Bishops In The Early Church, Reformation, And Post-Reformation Eras, P. Gerard Damsteegt

Faculty Publications

This paper will investigate the views of the status of women in the church and whether women were ordained as elders, bishops, or priests in certain periods of the history of the Christian Church. The main focus of this paper will be on the Early Church, the Reformation, and Post-Reformation eras. The sources for the early church are limited to the early church fathers, and for the Reformers to their commentaries on the Bible. Martin Luther and John Calvin have been chosen because of their emphasis on the Bible as the rule for doctrine and practice, which was adopted by …

The Ordination Of Women In The American Church, Nicholas Miller

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

When Ye Are Assembled Together: Congregational Patterns And Worship Practices Of The Early Latter-Day Saints 1829-1846, Matthew Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The worship experience in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inextricably linked to the ward or branch. This thesis examines the development of the Latter-day Saint congregation at the church centers from 1829 to 1846: Palmyra and Fayette, New York; Harmony, Pennsylvania; Kirtland, Ohio; Independence, Liberty and Far West in Missouri; and Nauvoo, Illinois. This work not only documents the creation and development of congregations, but also gives attention to the other important elements developed during the early years that are still associated with modern Latter-day Saint wards: meeting and worship patterns, physical locations where meetings took …

Your Sons And Your Daughters Shall Prophesy...Your Young Men Shall See Visions: The Role Of Youth In The Second Great Awakening, 1800-1850, Trevor Jason Wright

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contends that youth from age twelve to twenty-five played a pivotal role in the revivals of the Second Great Awakening in New York and New England. Rather than merely being passive onlookers in these religious renewals, the youth were active participants, influencing the frequency, spread, and intensity of the Christian revivals. Relying heavily upon personal accounts written by youth and revival records from various denominations, this work examines adolescent religious experiences during the first half of the nineteenth century. Chapter 1 explores the impact parents had on youth religiosity, showing how the teaching and examples they saw in …

Baldwin I Of Jerusalem: Defender Of The Latin Kingdom Of Jerusalem, John Francis Lowe

Dissertations and Theses

The reign of King Baldwin I (1100-1118) has thus far received little noteworthy attention by historians as the important pivotal period following the First Crusade conquest of Jerusalem in 1099. The two decades of his rule marked the extension of Latin conquests in the east, most notably by the conquest of the important coastal cities of Arsulf, Acre, Caesarea, Beirut and Sidon. These vital ports for the early Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem provided outlets to the sea for commerce, as well as safe harbors for incoming assistance from the west. Further, Baldwin led in the establishment of strong secular control …

South Carolina Conference Journal 2013, United Methodist Church. South Carolina Conference

South Carolina Conference Journal

THE JOURNAL OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CONFERENCE OF The United Methodist Church Southeastern Jurisdiction

VOLUME I 2013

Price: $30.00 per year paid in advance by subscription only (Volumes I and II included)

Edited for the Conference by KAREN H. RADCLIFFE Secretary of the Annual Conference

Florence Civic Center Florence, South Carolina

June 9-12, 2013

What Did Anglican Preaching Look Like 200 Years Ago?, Robert H. Ellison

English Faculty Research

This was a talk given during the morning worship service at Trinity Episcopal Church in Huntington, West Virginia on June 9, 2013. It was meant to offer the congregation a window into Anglican preaching of another time and place. Topics include the typical length of sermons; whether they should be read or delivered extemporaneously; and the Bible verses and topics the Victorians turned to most often in their preaching.

Dealing With Doctrinal Issues In The Church: Part 3, Richard M. Davidson, Paul S. Ratsara

Faculty Publications

The 1888 Minneapolis Bible conference exemplifies using wrong attitudes to deal with doctrinal controversy. In contrast to the 1888 debacle, the 1848 and the 1855 conferences exemplify right approaches toward dealing with controversial issues in the church. These illustrate the principle that the key toward dealing with controversial subjects in the church is a personal relationship with God.

The Akron Offering: A Ladies' Literary Magazine, 1849-1850, Jon Miller

University of Akron Press Publications

FREE FULL-TEXT PDF DOWNLOAD

From 1849 to 1850, Calista Cummings edited and published Akron's first literary magazine, The Akron Offering. At the time, Akron was a booming canal town on the verge of even greater prosperity. By turns religious, comic, romantic, and political, this extraordinary collection of early midwestern creative literature expresses a wide range of sometimes contradictory opinions on both the important questions of its day and the important questions of today: historical events such as the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the 1848 revolutions in Europe are considered alongside more timeless contemplations on truth, justice, and …

Star Spangled Saints: Ritual Practices That Legitimate War And Violence In The American Church, Terry Dewayne Shoemaker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The objective of this research is to analyze the ways in which the conservative,
American church has been ideologically and ritualistically shaped by an imperial culture enamored with war, the military, and violence; and how those positions and practices, in effect, legitimate war and the military. While many authors have surveyed historical Christian positions regarding war and the current nationalistic tendencies of conservative Christians, little research has been conducted to assess the effects of violence, nationalism, patriotism, and military enchantment on Christian rituals, practices, and ethos. Within this research, I argue that contemporary, conservative Christians have surpassed previously held nuanced …

Active Religion: James Ireland, The Separate Baptists, And The Great Awakening In Virginia, 1760-1775, Cooper Pasque

Masters Theses

In the mid-eighteenth century, the religious fervor of the Great Awakening entered Virginia. Evangelical Baptists soon threatened to undermine the authority of the Anglican Church and its planter patrons. Despite their efforts to quiet the Baptists, evangelical religion took root in Virginia by the end of the American Revolution. Historical works on these events offer valid but incomplete explanations. Puzzling dynamics in the Virginian context require a more complex interpretation. The life of James Ireland provides a unique window into possible answers. His autobiography provides evidence for what appears to be the most fundamental reason for evangelicalism's successes in Virginia. …

Transformational Effects Of Museum Exhibits Upon Their Patrons: The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cassandra Caruso-Woolard

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Laser Therapy On Baseball Pitchers, Connor Barnes

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

“This I Say Not As One Doubting”: Traditions Of The Apostle Thomas From The Beginning Of The Common Era Through 800 Ce, Janna Y. Strain

Honors Projects

Historically, Thomas has a rich identity. Much of the apocrypha was named for the "doubting" disciple, such as The Gospel of Thomas, The Book of Thomas the Contender, and The Acts of the Apostle Thomas, yet these traditions do not address Thomas's story from The Gospel of John. In fact, Thomas becomes the favored disciple in The Book of Thomas the Contender and logion 13 of The Gospel of Thomas. In The Acts of the Apostle Thomas the disciple leaves Rome to evangelize in India where he is eventually martyred. Today, he is still revered in South India …

A Short History Of Ordination (Part Ii), Darius Jankiewicz

Memory, Meaning & Faith

No abstract provided.

Junia The Apostle, Nancy Vyhmeister

Memory, Meaning & Faith

No abstract provided.

A Short History Of Ordination (Part I), Darius Jankiewicz

Memory, Meaning & Faith

No abstract provided.

Uprooting Where Others Sowed? Presbyterian And Moravian Missionaries In Russian Orthodox Alaska, George Faithful

Collected Faculty Scholarship

The arrival in Native Alaskan communities of Russians in the mid-18th century and Americans in the mid-19th century brought lasting change. What that change constituted is a matter of debate. This paper will attempt to look at multiple sides of the story, considering the perspectives of Russians and Americans, and, most importantly, that of the indigenous Alaskans themselves, as well as that of ethno-historians. By disentangling the layers of polemic and hagiography left by Presbyterian and Moravian missionaries, I will demonstrate their corrosive impact at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century on the cultures and …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 48 No 1 - April 2013), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: The Imitation of Christ as Illumination for the Two Kingdoms Debate by John Bolt - 6 / "Abraham had two sons": Augustine and the Allegory of Sarah and Hagar (Galatians 4:21–31) by Wendy Elgersma Helleman - 35 / Jonah 1:9—An Example of Elenctic Testimony by Carl J. Bosma - 65 / Missionary Ecclesiology in an Age of Individualization by Stefan Paas - 91 / From a Neo-Calvinistic to an Ecumenical Theology of Religions: The Development of the Theologia Religionum of Johannes Verkuyl by Rudolph Edward Stiemer - 107 / Pierre Viret on War and Peace by Robert D. …

Homegrown Pastors: Seven Timeless Reasons Why You Should Consider Starting A Church In Your Community, Joshua Turner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis is an investigation into the advantages of planting churches in the lead planter's hometown. According to Dr. Jim Slack, missiologist for the International Mission Board, "The only feasible and viable means of planting enough churches to gain on the yearly population gains and the primarily unchurched/unsaved basic population is to plant indigenous, generationally multiplying neighborhood, `house' churches initiated by neighborhood laymen who can pastor those new churches." This claim is reinforced by the understanding that the best person to reach a national is a national within that people group who already possesses valuable connecting resources through family and …

From Evangelistic Preaching To Mentoring: A Model For The Local Church, Seunghyun Yoon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Throughout Christian history, biblical and historical figures have used strategic invitation methods that focused on the needs of the people who were listening to their evangelistic appeal. This demonstrates that evangelism and the invitation process is relevant to those who respond to the message.

Hangin' With Judas: A Narrative Analysis Of Stephen Adly Guirgis's 'The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot', Constance Falconer

Masters Theses

Stephen Adly Guirgis has created an era-melting play, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, which explores the timeless debate between divine mercy and free will. A systematic application of Walter R. Fisher's narrative analysis, through form identification and a functional analysis, determined how Guirgis accomplishes persuasion. This qualitative study focused on Guirgis's narrative, using Walter R. Fisher's narrative paradigm as a framework to answer the research question(s): (1) If Guirgis's ideology and created world in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot are foreign and imagined, how is narrative probability and narrative fidelity achieved?; and, (2) How does Guirgis persuade his …

Does God Have A Right To Judge? The Aztecs' False Worship Practices Result In God's Judgment In The Unlikely Form Of Hernán Cortés, Lisa Timmons

Masters Theses

This thesis covers religious aspects of the Aztec culture before and after the conquest of Hernán Cortés between 1519 and 1521. One aspect of this thesis details the Aztecs' history and rise to power, followed by their rapid demise at the hands of Spanish conquistadors, while the other examines the highly flawed but effective instrument used in the destruction of their sprawling Mesoamerican empire--a conquistador from Spain by the name of Hernán Cortés. At the root of this controversial topic is God's perfect justice in relation to this culture's blatant and repeated disregard for those created in His image--by all …

They Came Up Out Of The Water: Evangelicalism And Ethiopian Baptists In The Southern Lowcountry And Jamaica, 1737-1806, Samantha Futrell

Masters Theses

The Ethiopian Baptists in the eighteenth century Atlantic were not actually Ethiopians at all, but people of West African descent, traded as slaves to the southern lowcountry and Jamaica. Their identification with Ethiopia did not come from their geographic ancestry, but from a Christian heritage that they became a part of when they accepted the salvation of Jesus Christ. The evolution of this evangelical Afro-Baptist movement occurred in three stages. First, white evangelicals, like George Whitefield, carried Christianity to African American populations in South Carolina during the Great Awakening. Second, African American leaders, such as George Liele, rose up as …

A Case Study In The Ministry Of Harold Willmington: Seven Major Contributions To Liberty University, Rick Buck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this thesis project is to provide a qualitative case study regarding the major contributions of Harold Willmington to Liberty University. The project highlights the significant contributions to discipleship and education of non-traditional adult learners within the Liberty University family. The research questions seek to collect data regarding the degree of satisfaction of Bible education and ministry training of post-graduation alumni. The thesis project analyzes the development of the various Bible Institute programs established at Liberty University and other major contributions made by Harold Willmington from 1972 to the present. A significant amount of data is obtained through …

Unbelief, Lawlessness, And Satan: Viewing The Freer Logion As A Scribal Response To Open- Ended Eschatological Themes In Mark, Seth Clark

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

The focus of my study is to demonstrate that major variants in the text of Early Christian Literature were purposely inserted into the text in light of theological controversies by scribes who represented a certain perspective on behalf of an Early Christian community. The text on which this paper is focused is the ending of the Gospel of Mark and the major textual variant known as the “Freer Logion.” I will argue that the Freer Logion was purposely inserted to conclude themes that were left open by the author of Mark and not addressed by the scribe who inserted the …

The First Mission Of The Twelve Apostles: 1835, Maclane Elon Heward

Theses and Dissertations

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an administrative and ecclesiastical quorum. The Church, first organized in 1830, did not organize the Quorum of Twelve Apostles until 1835. When it was organized, Joseph Smith outlined the quorum's responsibilities through revelation. The Twelve were assigned two unique and specific responsibilities: to take the gospel to the nations of the earth and to form a traveling high council for the regulating of the Church outside of its stakes. The first opportunity for the Twelve to fulfill their responsibilities was in May 1835 when …

Behold An Angel Of The Lord Came And Stood Before Me:A Cultural Examination Of Joseph Smith's 1823 Visions Of Moroni, Adam Price Hock

Theses and Dissertations

Literary historian Terryl L. Givens referenced the visions of Moroni as "exhibit A" of Mormonism for nineteenth century believers. The 1823 visions constituted one of the core tenets of the religion as an underlying premise of The Book of Mormon. The significance of the visions, however, has not translated into many studies on the 1823 visions. This thesis seeks to fill portions of this gap by evaluating the visions within post-Revolutionary evangelical and treasure seeking culture. I contend that the visions drew upon various elements of the culture, but ultimately diverged from the culture. The introduction recounts the vision from …