Practical Theology Commons^™

Culture And Interreligious Understanding According To The Romanian Philosopher Lucian Blaga, Michael S. Jones

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

Culture affects how we interpret our experiences and the way we construct our world. It also affects our ability to communicate with one another. The late Romanian philosopher Lucian Blaga developed a systematic philosophy of culture that explores and explains how culture challenges and at the same time facilitates interideological communication. This article introduces and explains these aspects of Blaga's philosophy and then applies them to the issue of interreligious dialogue. It concludes that Blaga's philosophy of culture promotes a high regard for culture and cultural distinctness and at the same time vindicates, enables, and promotes efforts at interreligious understanding.

Lucian Blaga On The Existence Of God, Michael S. Jones

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Youth Ministers' Perceptions Of Character Qualities, Leadership Competencies, And Leadership Flaws That Facilitate Or Hinder Effective Youth Ministry, Troy W. Temple

Faculty Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Using Assessments In Facilitating The Assimilation Of Adults At Calvary Church In Grand Rapids, Michigan, David D. Nemitz

Faculty Dissertations

The goal of assimilating believers into the community of faith has been, is and will continue to be a crucial element and a significant challenge for churches. Most commonly, assimilation is used to describe the process by which people are absorbed into the cultural tradition of an existing population or organization. This thesis explores the impact that a standardized assimilation process has on the incorporation of people into the community of a large church setting.

Preaching: A Ministry Of Newness, Gregory A. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The message of the New Testament draws heavily on the concepts of newness and renewal. Nearly three dozen New Testament passages discuss “new” things—new wine, new commandment, new creation, new song and new Jerusalem, to name a few. The imagery of newness occurs in narrative, didactic and apocalyptic literature and is used by every New Testament author except James and Jude. Not only does the biblical concept of newness provide a useful paradigm for interpreting New Testament theology, but it also outlines the contours of the task of preaching. Preaching is the proclamation of a new message for the purpose …

Evaluating Employee Performance: Insights From The Churches In Revelation 2-3, Gregory A. Smith

Faculty Publications and Presentations

One of the most significant biblical passages bearing on the issue of evaluation is Revelation 2-3, where the risen Christ assesses the spiritual performance of the churches of Asia. It is the purpose of this article to discuss four principles of evaluation that are clearly visible in Christ’s letters to these churches.

• Effective evaluation is based on accurate information

• Effective evaluation recognizes both positive and negative performance

• Effective evaluation increases awareness of accountability

• Effective evaluation provides incentives for improved performance

Pastors and church administrators would do well to observe these guidelines when assessing their subordinates’ performance.

The Gospel Inn: Paul’S Mission To The Expatriate Communities, David J. Pederson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.