Practical Theology Commons^™

Marxist Humanism In Dialogue With Christianity, Richard Lischer

Bachelor of Divinity

In this paper I will attempt to follow Garaudy's suggestion, mentioned above, and retain my own Christian perspective. With that factor in mind, plus an obvious limitation of space, much of the Christian doctrine of man will be presupposed.as I investigate Marxist humanism. The goal of this paper is not the isolation of two humanistic concerns but the description and analysis of their intersection.

Attitudes And Policies Of The Lutheran Church Toward The Negro, George Hans Liebenow

Bachelor of Divinity

We believe that when Christian congregations make a distinction among people because of race and bypass Negroes in their program of saving souls a problem of moral theology is involved. Dr. o. P. Kretzmann, president of Valparaiso University, once offered the following steps to aid in solving a problem in moral theology, namely, first, there must be a hard cool appraisal of the situation as it is; secondly, we must turn to the New Testament and look at the divine will; thirdly, we must take the situation and the divine will and bring them together. In this paper we propose …

Principles Of Planning A Manual For Use By The Pupil In First-Year Confirmation Class, Paul Richard Malte

Bachelor of Divinity

The study summarized in this thesis was undertaken to explore the principles of producing a guidebook for the Lutheran pupil in first-year confirmation class. The need for a guidebook--psychologically, educationally, theologically, and aesthetically adequate--was brought home to the writer by experience in confirmation class teaching and by conversation with other pastor-teachers. The need was accentuated not primarily by the failure of any manual currently available, but by the desire for a manual which would be more useful, interest-catching, and challenging. This considered need, then, motivated the research into principles which might undergird the construction of such a guidebook.

The Easter Season, Roger Pittelko

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this paper is to investigate Easter and its season. The pertinent questions to be answered are these: What is the history of Easter, and how does this history effect the observance today? What special message do the propers have for the Church today? What is the accent of the season? How has Easter affected folkways and customs?

The Psychology Of Persuasive Preaching With Special Reference To The Campus Ministry, Kenneth Lee Frerking

Bachelor of Divinity

Hence the Christian preacher will seek to direct his Message to the ear of his audience in the clearest and most Powerful manner possible. He must be like a window through which the light of' God’s Word shines to the hearer. This implies that the preacher must understand the defects of public speech which cause a man to seem unpersuasive, self-conscious, or distasteful to an audience. It means that will have to cultivate harmonious cooperation between his Own mind and emotions, speech organs and body, to the end that become a good channel for the Word of God toward people. …

An Evaluation Of The Arguments For And Against Tax Exemption For No-Profit Private Schools In California, Robert K. Menzel

Bachelor of Divinity

The development of the thesis will focus on the years 1951 to 1956. The first marks the passage in the California Legislature of the measure exempting from taxation non-profit private schools of less than collegiate grade. In December, 1966, a decision of the United States Federal Supreme Court declared that the California statute presented no substantial federal question. This action. In effect, quashed efforts of opponents of tax-exemption to foil the will of the majority of voters in the state.

An Evaluation Of Current Proposals For Religion In Public Schools-Practical, Edgar Trinklein

Bachelor of Divinity

Within the past decade there has been an increasing concern among educators and religious leaders over the problem of religion in the public school curriculum. It is the purpose of this study to examine some of the proposals currently made by influential groups and individuals to introduce religion into the curriculum of the public schools. The proposals will be evaluated in the light of published statements of the Lutheran Church --Missouri Synod.

Vespers, Its History And Theology, Thomas N. Green

Bachelor of Divinity

When the Church of Christ worships it is inevitable that the worshipers use Forms, or Rites, or Orders, for only in this way does the worship become meaningful to all. One of the Orders which the Church Catholic has used for centuries is Vespers. This Order is being used more and more in the Lutheran Church today, and hence it is necessary to make a careful study of the Form.

The thesis which follows takes up just these problems, namely, the history and theology or the Order or Vespers.

Luther's Principals Of Education, Eldor Richter

Bachelor of Divinity

The title of the research is ''Luther’s Principles of Education.” The problem was to learn what the basic educational principles of Luther were. Through general reading, the writer had come to look upon Luther as a great educator as well as religious reformer. The purpose of this research, therefore, was to gather enough data on Luther’s educational views as to be able to draw specific conclusions as to his over-all principles. After the data were gathered, the writer arranged these views under headings of major principles in a systematic manner.

Integration And The Lutheran Church In The South, Joseph William Ellwanger

Bachelor of Divinity

It is the purpose of this paper to analyze the Southern climate in which integration is taking place and to determine what role the Lutheran Church can and ought to play in this process.

The Church And Its Individual Teen-Agers, Paul L. Wagner

Bachelor of Divinity

The objectives of this thesis are to discover the needs of the te teenager that the church must meet and to find a practical program that will maintain contact with each teen-ager to deal with these needs. Of chief concern is the part that the pastor must play in the program of counseling individuals.

The Old Testament Concept Of Polygamy, Jerome Newton

Bachelor of Divinity

Polygamy, which may be defined as "the union for life of a man with two or more women,” has always been a problem for Christians, since it apparently js in contradiction to the Biblical concept of marriage. Was God's original plan for His people a marriage union of one male and one female as we hold today, or are we to follow the examples of polygamy which we find in the Old Testament?

A Comparison Of The Frequency And Effectiveness Of Contemporary Preaching In The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod And Protestantism On Selected Social Issues As Represented In The Concordia Pulpit And The Pulpit Digest, Paul Philip Krueger

Bachelor of Divinity

It is not the purpose of this paper to establish the ideal frequency for directly dealing with social issues from the pulpit. The purpose is rather to compare objectively the instances of preaching on social themes found in the Concordia Pulpit and the Pulpit Digest and to allow the reader to determine the ideal frequency for himself. It may be helpful, nevertheless, to present another's opinion on the matter. One man may say it is never necessary to preach on social themes because, if the Gospel is preached, the Kingdom of God is established and the problems of society are …

Teaching For The Intergration Of The Christian Personality, Ronald Arthur Michel

Bachelor of Divinity

Teaching for a full-orbed commitment or for the complete integration of the Christian personality is not substitution for the work of the Holy Spirit. God. has placed the means for Christian education into human hands, for He has given the Church the command to teach the Word of God through which the Holy Spirit enters into the hearts of men. Christians educators are co-workers of the Holy Spirit in achieving the desired goal.

This, then, is the purpose of this paper: that we discuss those factors which are essential in teaching for the fullest possible commitment to Jesus Christ.

Divine Healing As Defined By Thomas Wyatt, Leonard R. Kutscher

Bachelor of Divinity

The problem reviewed in this study is as follows: what are the basic concepts and presuppositions upon which Thomas Wyatt builds his teaching of divine healing? The presentation of the problem will reveal to what extent Thomas Wyatt bases divine healing on Scriptural premises. It is an object of this study, furthermore, to take cognizance of the primary emphasis in Wyatt’s teaching. Just as justification by faith describes Lutheran theology, in the same way, an effort will be made to discover what the distinctive feature is in Thomas Wyatt’s teaching. The statement of the problem might be summarized in still …

The Pastor's Relation To The Social Agencies In His Community, Carl L. Wagner

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this thesis will be to examine the pastoral office with the view to seeing whether there are areas in which community resources and pastoral work can be coordinated. The scope of the thesis will be to take into account some aspects of pastoral counseling. A brief overview of social service and social work, including some of the methods and settings, will be given. Some suggestions will be cited as to the possibility of coordinating pastoral counseling and social work.

A Study Of The Values And Uses Of Group Dynamics For The Pastor's Work In Church Groups, Walter James Wenck

Bachelor of Divinity

This thesis will attempt to set forth the possibilities of effective group action within the spiritual fellowship of the Christian Church, An attempt will also be made to determine what acceptable group experiences may rightly be utilized in the work of the church.

The Practice Of Hymn Singing During The Sixteenth Century, Theodore Paul Klammer

Bachelor of Divinity

If this work of restoring an intelligent appreciation and usage of the Lutheran musical heritage and traditions is to continue and become increasingly effective, it becomes apparent that every minister of' the Church, whether pastor, choirmaster, or organist, must to a greater or lesser degree study and become acquainted with the musical principles and usages of the Church in her golden age, the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. This thesis is an effort in that direction.

The Prayer Life Of St. Paul, Donald Walter Balster

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this thesis is to correlate, catalog, and analyze all references to prayer in the Pauline Epistles and the Book of Acts. The Apostle's prayers and commands to pray give insight into his prayer life and point up the Christ-centeredness of his faith.

Contemporary Architecture In The Lutheran Church Of America, Arlis John Ehlen

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this study baa been to report, on the state of the so-called “contemporary1” (or "modern,” or “functional” architecture in American Lutheran circles. Special emphasis has been placed on describing how Lutherans have accepted modern design and the forms which it has taken in the churches they have built.

Instrumental Music From The Golden Age Of The Lutheran Heritage, Robert R. Bergt

Bachelor of Divinity

It shall be the objective of this thesis to explore the use of literature and instrumental music within the church up to 1750. This will for the most part not include a discussion of the development and use of the organ literature in the church. Only when the structure of organ works influences directly the style and character of compositions for wind and stringed instruments shall these be discussed.

The Industrial Chaplain, Paul John Thielo

Bachelor of Divinity

Under the inspiration of such Industrial Chaplains as Reverend Geiseman and with the incentive of sharing the fruits of this ministry with others the author has written this paper. He felt our church must be informed about this work amongst the industrial workers. It is his hope that this paper will in some measure acquaint the church with this one facet of the church's potential ministry to the industrial worker.

A Practical Program Of Adult Evangelism, Thomas A. Droege

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this paper has been to present a unified program of adult evangelism on the congregational level. The need for such a program became evident to the writer during his vicarage year in West Portal Lutheran Church, San Francisco, California.

The Gospel As Motivation For Santification In Sermons Of Spurgeon, George Rattelmuller

Bachelor of Divinity

This topic has significance because of two important facts. The first is that it deals with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the greatest power which can be exerted in the lives of men. The second is that it deals with sanctification, a holy life. This is significant because it involves the whole purpose of God’s 1eaving the Christian to dwell on earth. The second cannot be accomplished without the first. With the first properly applied, there is no limit to the possibilities of the second.

The Importance And Means In Achieving A Balance In Appeals To Intellect And To Emotionin Preaching, Arnim Henry Polster

Bachelor of Divinity

The study seeks to determine the relationship of intellect and emotion in preaching, to discover the relative importance of each, and to point out the factors involved in achieving a balance between appeals to intellect and appeals to emotion. Preaching tends in varying degrees to the extreme of dogmatic lecturing on the one hand, and on the other, to the extreme of the revivalistic tent-service. Therefore, answers to these questions are here sought: (1) What is the nature and importance of intellectual appeal in preaching? (2) What is the nature and importance of emotional appeal in preaching? (3) What is …

Administrating The Church Toward Stronger Spiritual Relationships Among Its Members, Edward E. Busch

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this thesis is to use these efforts: (1) to determine the New Testament pattern for the Church; and (2) how, in today’s world, one can administrate a congregation toward this pattern, that is, toward stronger spiritual relationships among its members. To do this, we must first clarify the factors which hinder attainment of this goal.

Promoting Congregational Public Relations In Public Press And Parish Journalism, Norbert E. Hattendorf

Bachelor of Divinity

This study will seek to look at the church's use of the public press and parish journalism in the light of good public relations.

Filing And Indexing Methods For Students And Pastors, Palmer G. Ruschke

Bachelor of Divinity

Since the average pastor has available no one qualified to assist him in this task, he must do most of it himself. Aside from the task of reading and evaluating printed materials, the pastor must find some way of storing these materials and organizing them so as to have available the materials he needs, when he needs them. Dr. Elgin S. Moyer, librarian at Moody Bible Institute, reports a comment from one of his professors, “There are two ways of securing the information we need; one, having it in our memory, and the other, knowing where to find what we …

The Place Of Fund-Raising In The Program Of Women's Organizations In The Lutheran Church, Philip C. Gehlhar

Bachelor of Divinity

This thesis involves women's activity in the Lutheran Church. One purpose of the research is to show the Scriptural basis and standard for women's activity in organizations of the Church. Another purpose is to determine the place of buying, selling, or other money-making activities in such a women's program. It should answer the question: What should women's organizations be doing?

The Factors Of Attention In Preaching, Paul Andrew Boecler

Bachelor of Divinity

The problem that initiated this study centered around the importance that must be placed upon attention. If a man is to preach the Word of God he can do little if he does not have the attention of the listeners to his message. Even the correct doctrinal preaching of the Word will come to nothing if the message cannot gain the attention of the hearers.