Liturgy and Worship Commons^™

The Role Of Standard Business And Biblical Principles In The Strategic Human Resource Management Practices Of Contemporary Protestant Churches, Brandon Marshall Mccutchen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Strategic Human Resource Management (HRM) practices have consistently evolved in the for-profit business sector to support business profitability. Nonprofit organizations have also adopted strategic HRM practices. Despite their status as tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, contemporary Protestant churches have not been included in the current literature discussing the use of strategic HRM practices in nonprofit organizations. Adoption of an HRM strategy varies across the spectrum of nondenominational Christian churches, and churches that are affiliated with a denomination. This qualitative study assesses the leadership perspective of five local churches to determine how standard business practices and biblical principles combine to create a formal …

The Orthodox Parish And Community: A Reflection On The Post-Totalitarian Model Of Identity In Bulgaria, Presb. Sava (Shtoni) Kokoudev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines parish multifaceted identities and its function as a Eucharistic community, while also exploring its cultural, and historical influences in post-totalitarian context. The study delineates two identities and ecclesiological models—liturgical and institutional—to facilitate comparative analysis. The confusion and mixture of these models has caused a loss of parish community identity and function, which is evident in contemporary post-totalitarian status quo. Important issue is the restoration of the Orthodox Church’s authentic catholic identity (ɫɴɛɨɪɧɨɫɬ). This predicament gives rise to the second challenge of revitalizing liturgical life in parishes and reestablishing communion between bishops, priests, and laypeople. It also necessitates …

Stewardship, Generosity, And Percentage Giving Changing Attitudes On Financial Generosity Through Bible Study Concerning The Tithe For The New Testament Christians Of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church In Kingman, Az, Timothy A. Barkett

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

The Church today finds itself navigating a landscape shaped by economic uncertainty, generational shifts, and a growing sense of spiritual indifference. Within this context, generosity continues to serve as a profound expression of both faith and mission. The research presented in this project affirms that when generosity is taught with a spirit of grace, rooted in Scripture, and exemplified by leadership, it has the power to bring renewal—not only to individual believers but also to entire communities. In an era characterized by financial anxiety and spiritual consumerism, the biblical and theological foundations of stewardship and generosity provide both a necessary …

The Indications Of The Need For Training For Biblical Worship Principles In Evangelical Churches In Texas, Carlos Benson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite numerous Evangelical churches in Texas, most churchgoers hold limited ideas about what defines worship. There is a shortage of biblically principled teaching in the Evangelical Church, particularly in the areas of First and God-honoring worship and its practices, including the Great Commission. This research primarily defines and explores the current state of worship in the Evangelical Church. This research examines how the original Adam and Eve beings, created to worship, have transformed into present-day worshipers. Today's worshipers include Sunday-only attendees, schedule-driven individuals, and spiritually drained souls, with a particular focus on those in Texas. This study will also provide …

Biblical And Spiritual Disciplines And The Worship Leader, Milagros Rodriguez Trinidad

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the expectation of spiritual leadership from worship leaders, many of them may struggle with consistently practicing biblical and spiritual disciplines. This qualitative study examines the need for spiritual preparation, the importance of spiritual community, and the spiritual life of the worship pastor/leader, all of which are central to the spiritual health of worship leaders. To build and grow in the daily practice of spiritual disciplines and to mature in spiritual formation, worship leaders must have a correct understanding of these disciplines and a humble spirit to self-evaluate their presence through the lens of Scripture. This understanding is crucial not …

Toward A Biblical And Missiological Framework For Transformational Advocacy In The Seventh-Day-Adventist Church, Michelet William

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a dissertation abstract.

איהה תעה The Hebrew Bible And Its Role In Daniel 12:1 A Diachronic And Synchronic Study On The Semantics Of Narrative And Prophetic Temporality, Araica Roger David Ruiz.

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a dissertation abstract.

Dominion Shifts In Biblical Apocalyptic Literature: A Narrative Reading Of Daniel 7 And Revelation 12–14 Vis-À-Vis Genesis 1–3, Flavio Prestes Iii

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a dissertation abstract.

An Analysis Of Herbert Douglass And Woodrow Whidden’S Use Of Ellen G. White's Writings On The Human Nature Of Christ, Cyril Marshall

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a dissertation abstract.

Prophetic Reuse And Chronotope: The Reuse Of Prophecies And The Representation Of Time And Space In Daniel 10–12, Felipe A. Masotti

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a dissertation abstract.

Indicators Of Typology In The Narrative Of Elijah: An Investigation Into The Predictive Nature Of The Typological Use Of The Old Testament In The New Testament, Jônatas De Mattos Leal

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a dissertation abstract.

Which Reader? Interpretative Virtue, Ecclesial Context, And Social Loaction In Ephraim Radner And Richard Hays’S Proposal For Theological Interpretation Of Scripture, Iriann Marie Irizarry

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a dissertation abstract.

“You Must Prophecy Again”: The Mission Of God’S People In Revelation 10–14, Adenilton Tavares De Aguiar

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a dissertation abstract.

The Clarity And Obscurity Of Inspired Writings: A Historical Survey From Late Antiquity To Early Nineteenth- Century America, Denis Kaiser

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

Throughout Christian history, pastors, scholars, and church leaders have discussed whether, or to what extent, Scripture is clear or obscure. This article surveys the views on the clarity and obscurity of Scripture as advocated by Christian writers in five eras from late antiquity to early nineteenth-century America. Writers in the Protestant tradition have generally objected to the common notions among Roman Catholics that Scripture is obscure, consists of a four-fold sense, and that normative teaching authority is in the hands of the magisterium. Lutheran, Reformed, and Pietist scholars have generally emphasized the importance of having an educated clergy that understands …

Editorial Vol 60 No. 2, Martin F. Hanna, Oliver M. Glanz

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is the Editorial

Table Of Contents Vol 60.2, Auss

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is the Table of Contents

The Communal Lyric: Poetry In Devotional And Oppressed Communities, Michael N. Yacoub

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the interaction between lyric and community; it asks what a communal lyric is, how it functions, and to what ends. In Chapter One, I compare Jonathan Culler’s performative model of lyric with the theory of Takhyīl as expounded by Arab philosopher-critics al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, and al-Qartajanni to argue that a communal lyric is a form of audience-oriented public discourse distinguished by formal features that prompt the poem’s (re-)iteration and establish an interpersonal relationship with the audience in order to influence them and make shareable value claims about the world. In Chapters Two and Three I provide close-reading …

Full Journal

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

Reformed Worship (Rw) 156 - Doxology (June 2025), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Editorial: Of Thresholds, Stones, and Doxologies by Joyce Borger....2

Release and Receive by Gary Brouwers....6

Full Circle by Colin P. Watson, Sr.....8

A Chorus of Praise by Diane Dykgraaf....12

Q&A: Developing Identity as a Worship Leader by Paul Ryan....13

For Pastors: The Word of the Lord by Scott Hoezee....15

Singing Stones by Bethany Besteman....17

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words by Joyce Borger and Dean Heetderks....18

Songs for the Season: Sonic Standing Stones by Chris Walker....25

Mile Markers by Trudy Ash....31

Creation's Song by Diane Dykgraaf....36

The Goodness …

Head Of Roses, Remy Levine

University Honors Theses

Head of Roses is a slow-burn religious horror novel, the first five chapters of which constitute this thesis project. In order to examine its themes -- that of grief and trauma, guilt and shame, motherhood, religion and faith, and the redemptive power of love -- the novel carefully subverts religious horror genre conventions regarding the traditional roles of protagonist and site of horror. Head of Roses deconstructs these genre archetypes with an inverted narrative: the protagonist inadvertently produces the horrific element and the religious institution become the victims. Rather than addressing tensions in faith through demonic or occult subject material, …

An Ethnodoxological Approach To Developing A Worship Leader Training Program In Infanta, Quezon, Philippines, Lindsay Kay Oakley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although there has been an increase in pastor training programs in the Philippines to fulfill the need created by the steady growth of evangelical church plants, there are few initiatives to create worship leader training programs. Worship is central to the evangelical church, and music plays an important role in the spiritual formation of believers in churches throughout the world. However, because of worship theology constructs and the implications of Filipino culture for worship contextualization, more attention must be given to equipping worship leaders for ministry in the Philippines. This study sought to identify the training and resources needed to …

Perspectives Of Korean Christian Worshipers On Spontaneous And Liturgical Dance In Worship Engagement, Young Mee Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

While the Bible recognizes dance as a form of worship and certain cultures have embraced it for its potential to deepen faith, dance has experienced restricted acceptance in numerous societies and denominations and has received minimal scholarly attention, limited to the study of liturgical dance. This study explores ways for Korean Christian worship, predominantly characterized by Oriental conservative principles, to consider dance as a regular form of worship expression. Exploring responses in a context where spontaneous dance is seldom studied contributes to a deeper understanding of this dance form as a worship practice. The study involves in-depth interviews with six …

The Role Of Hymnody In Shaping Religious Identity And Beliefs In Churches: An Ethnographic Case Study In The Chesapeake Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Erwin Gabriel Nanasi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explores how varying worship style preferences influence worship experiences, theological beliefs, and sense of belonging among clergy and congregants within the Chesapeake Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. While music and hymnody are integral to Adventist worship, differing stylistic preferences can lead to tensions, satisfaction gaps, and fragmented community life. Despite the formative role of congregational singing in shaping religious identity, little research has examined these dynamics within the Adventist context. Using a mixed-methods ethnographic case study design, the research combines qualitative interviews with 26 pastors and quantitative survey data from 257 congregants across diverse churches. It investigates the criteria …

Perceptions Of Congregational Engagement In Evangelical Church Worship Programs, Tim Allums

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite existing research on worship leader training and choosing music for congregational worship, a study on the perceptions of congregational worship engagement from the perspectives of worship leaders and congregants has yet to be examined. Congregational worship is formational and helps believers continue to grow in their faith by singing their praise to God with one voice and declaring the tenets of their shared faith. This study sought to reveal perceptions of worship engagement by surveying nineteen worship leaders and one hundred fifteen congregants from thirty-nine evangelical churches around the United States to identify the musical aspects that either enhance …

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 …

Preparing Meals As A Metaphor For The Use Of Arts In Worship: A Liturgical Arts Curriculum For Nourishing Chinese-Indonesian Congregations, Carolien Eunice Tantra

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

Food plays an essential role in human life. It is of paramount importance to consume an adequate quantity of food to maintain good health, nourish the body, and provide the necessary energy for daily activities. In addition to its role in providing nourishment, the visual appeal of food can bring delight to the eyes, desire to the heart, stimulate the appetite, and prompt humans to consume it. Liturgical art is like food. The metaphor of food or meals, as employed in liturgical arts, serves to emphasize the significance of artistic expression and integration within worship services to nourish and reach …

“How Can We Sing In A Strange Land?” The Pastoral Musician As A Master Griot/Griotte, Dollie Howell

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

The writer of Psalm 137 asks a question that poignantly resonates with the experiences of enslaved Africans who were taken captive, exiled from their homelands, and told to forget their languages, worship practices, and tribal traditions. Their dehumanization was intensified by expectations that “required a song and . . . mirth.” The question was “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” In response to this question of engaging in song as a community while in a strange land of deep and persistent systemic suffering, enslaved African-descended people founded a unique tradition within Christianity that responded to …

Reason And All My Senses: Surveying The Post Enlightenment Frame Of Reason Through Contemporary Philosophy, Cognitive Psychology, And Cognitive Linguistics, Joshua T. Lowe Rev. Dr.

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This dissertation argues that Christian theology and practice are aided and enriched by a more complete understanding of reason by surveying recent studies and views in theology, philosophy, cognitive psychology, and cognitive linguistics. Since the Enlightenment, Christian theology has assumed widely the Enlightenment model of human reason as ideally acontextual, that is, free from constraints of contexts, and therefore universal, that is, applicable in all contexts. Recent developments from a variety of perspectives challenge this model of rationality. Some challenge the acontextualism of the Enlightenment understanding by showing how it arose from and depends on a context, and that context …

Women Deacons In The Catholic Church: Servants To The Servant, Elizabeth A. Screnock

Master of Theological Studies Honors Theses

Even as recently as this past fall at the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the question of women serving as deacons in the Catholic Church is being internationally studied and discussed. This thesis repudiates arguments against women deacons and provides historical and Biblical evidence that support the argument to include women in the diaconate. A theology of the Holy Spirit is examined, presenting a way to perceive of the Sacrament of Holy Orders by including the Virgin Mary. It concludes that women discerning the “call” to be “servants to the Servant” should be ordained deacons. …

Salve Regina: Organ Devotionals To The Blessed Virgin Mary: A Graduate Organ Recital, Caleb R. Klinzing

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

This thesis is a Graduate Organ Recital with accompanying program notes on the pieces performed. The program notes include composer biographies, formal analyses of the works, and discussions of performance practice concerns. The recital explores the rich tradition of Marian devotional music and features works by Jehan Titelouze (1562–1633), J.S. Bach (1685–1750), Charles-Marie Widor (1844–1937), Charles Tournemire (1870–1939), and Marcel Dupré (1886–1971).