Practical Theology Commons^™

Review Of The Leader's Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, And Multiplying Leaders, By J. C. Maxwell, Angel D. Acevedo

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Review Of Anatomy Of A Revived Church: Seven Findings Of How Congregations Avoided Death, Bythom S. Rainer, Byron H. Corbett

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Review Of Eight Innovations To Leading Millennials: How Millennials Can Grow Your Church And Change The World, By Benjamin Windle, Ivanildo Almeida Lopes

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Dissertation Notices, H. L. Penna, H. Parker, E. C. Scott, C. J. Danquah, D. R. Williams, C. O. Agbarakwe

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Church Planting In The Secular West: Learning From The European Experience By Stefan Paas, Keith R. Sellers

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Donald A. Mcgavran: A Biography Of The Twentieth Century's Premier Missiologist By Gary Mcintosh, Keith R. Sellers

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Women In Pastoral Leadership Within The Assemblies Of God: How Can The Numbers Advance?, Carolyne D. Butler

Selected Honors Theses

The number of women in pastoral leadership within the Assemblies of God grows by the addition of credentialed women. While the numbers seem increasingly exponential, their validity in credentialed growth of women is staggered, lacking true egalitarian equality. It is questioned how many credentialed women are actually in an active, executive role of leadership within the A.G. Data from the A.G. examines the increase in female credentialing and ministry status over a fifteen-year span and its contribution to the total number of female ministers. Biblical theology and historical examples enhance the credibility and authority of female leadership while gender roles …

God Does Not Show Favoritism: The Intentional Inclusion Of Minorities In Pentecostal Leadership, Terrell Robert Raburn

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Although the Azusa Street Revival, known for launching the modern Pentecostal Movement, was initially characterized by minority diversity in regard to leadership, it quickly splintered into three classic Pentecostal fellowships formed along racial lines. The research presented herein examines the racially segregated history of the Pentecostal Church in North America—acknowledging the need for the implementation of a biblically based theology of racial integration—and presents a four-step process in which minority leadership within individual Pentecostal churches is promoted, combatting the unbiblical ideology of a segregated body of Christ. The four steps include (1) the necessity for a strong visionary leader; (2) …

Church-Based Research: Challenges And Opportunities, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

Because the church is the body of Christ, research focused on the Great Commission and Jesus’ concern for evangelism and disciple-making needs to be church-based. The goal of such research is to better share God’s love to a world who does not know him by building up a collection of knowledge that will enable us to do so. This research may be both theological (focusing on what the Bible and other theologians have said) and scientific (focusing on collecting new data and interpreting it, especially in light of theology). Church-based scientific research may be either qualitative (exploring broad ideas and …

The Power Of Faithfulness In Relational Evangelism, Lance C. Hahn

Great Commission Research Journal

Many evangelistic efforts bear little fruit. It may be due to our inability to convey the right information, but it may also be due to an inappropriate environment for the information to be interpreted correctly. This article describes a process that God may use to engage a person whose heart has been prepared, so that the seed sown is received, not only as truth, but with joy. Relational evangelism carried out faithfully allows consistent sowing until chaotic moments open the heart.

A Missional Outreach Model In The Czech Republic: A Postchristian, Secular Culture, Petr Činčala

Great Commission Research Journal

The Czech Republic is one of the most secular countries in the world. Moreover, the church has not been growing over the last few decades. This case study presents the church planting efforts in the city of Liberec, focusing on an outreach center started by a small number of Christians with the goal of sharing Christ’s love in culturally relevant ways. The initial efforts led to a family-centered activity center with many programs that helped develop personal relationships, trust, and open doors to share the gospel. An English class and gospel choir have been at the center of the outreach, …

Narcissistic Pastors And The Making Of Narcissistic Churches, Darrell Puls

Great Commission Research Journal

Can churches take on the pathological behaviors associated with narcissism through the influence of a narcissistic pastor? While there is a large body of literature on narcissistic individuals, and a smaller body of research into narcissistic organizations, there is little research on the prevalence of toxic narcissism in clergy and little to none on narcissistic churches. This paper is written from the perspective of currently available research and the author’s experience in working with churches suffering from severe internal conflicts in which both the pastor and church evidenced toxic levels of narcissism. The intent is to increase awareness, open a …

Book Review: A Guide To Church Revitalization Edited By Albert R. Mohler, Jr., Dustin Slaton

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The Hospitable Leader: Creating Environments Where People And Dreams Can Flourish By Terry A. Smith, Harvey Mitchell Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Planting Reproducing Churches By Elmer L. Towns, David Thiessen

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The Return Of Oral Hermeneutics: As Good Today As It Was For The Hebrew Bible And First-Century Christianity By T. A. Stephen And W. Bjoraker, Regina Manley

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Evangelism - Sharing The Gospel At Work (Overview), Theology Of Work Project, Bill Peel, Leah Archibald, Randy Kilgore

Theology of Work Project

• The Mission of Sharing the Gospel
• We Are Called to Serve as Christ’s Ambassadors
  • Four Ways to Serve as Christ's Ambassador at Work
    • Sharing the Gospel Through Competence
    • Sharing the Gospel Through Character
    • Sharing the Gospel by Showing Concern
    • Sharing the Gospel Through Wise Conversation
  • A Final Encouragement for Ambassadors of Christ

George Floyd Protests, Pivot Nw Research

Blog

No abstract provided.

Recognizing And Overcoming The Problem Of Individualism In A Local Church, Michael John Jackson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Individualism, the concept that a person’s own thoughts and interests are ethically paramount over any governmental system, can be a problem in a church, especially a small church where changes in numbers can directly affect the church’s ability to carry out its vision and mission. This project will look at a rural Illinois church to show how it handles the problem of individualism, specifically in its leaders, by emphasizing the biblical concepts of the body of Christ and the family of God. The project will include an interview with a Bible college president who has researched church leadership to talk …

Digital Occult Library, Alexis Brandkamp

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project is a website, titled Digital Occult Library, hosted by the CUNY Commons and built with WordPress. The site address is:

digitaloccultlibrary.commons.gc.cuny.edu

It features (in this iteration) twenty-five unique pages with information on and discussion of occult and esoteric topics. It also hosts a forum that can be accessed and utilized by anyone, not just those registered on the Commons. The purpose of the site is to inform three types of interested parties on the highlighted topics: a general audience with no current knowledge of the occult, practitioners of esoteric traditions, and academics. Not only is the …

Impact Of Elder Training In Law And Gospel Discernment, Christian Vocation, And Two Kingdom Theology At Grace Lutheran Church Woodbridge, Virginia, Lannon Martin

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Martin, Lannon, R. “Impact of Elder Training in Law and Gospel discernment, Christian Vocation, and Two Kingdom Theology at Grace Lutheran Church, Woodbridge, Virginia.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2020. 139 pp.

This Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) Major Applied Project (MAP), studies the board of elders at Grace Lutheran Church in Woodbridge, Virginia, and seeks to determine how their influence from federal government and military culture has shaped how they view and carry out their service. They are then taught foundational theology including Law and Gospel, Christian vocation and two kingdoms. The qualitative research study seeks to …

‘Remember The Deeds Of The Lord:’ Collective Memory’S Role In A Reasonable Faith, Baily Ray Mcdaniel

Masters Theses

Faith has long been regarded by secular scholars as unreasonable and unjustified. One of the largest issues that Christians face today is working against the notion that faith is blind. Best-selling author Richard Dawkins states, “religious faith is an especially potent silencer of rational calculation, which usually seems to trump all others.” The irrationality of faith is echoed consistently by other scholars including Bertrand Russell. As Kelly James Clark points out, “Bertrand Russell was once asked, if he were to come before God, what he would say to God. Russell replied, ‘Not enough evidence God, not enough evidence.’” The claim …

Talk This Way: A Look At The Historical Conversation Between Hip-Hop And Christianity, Joshua Swanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Christianity and Hip-Hop culture are often said to be at odds with one another. One is said to promote a lifestyle of righteousness and love, while the other is said to promote drugs, violence, and pride. As a result, the public has portrayed these two institutions as conflicting with no willingness to resolve their perceived differences. This paper will argue that there has always been a healthy conversation between Hip-Hop and Christianity since Hip-Hop’s inception. Using sources like Hip-Hop lyrics, theologians, historians, autobiographies, sermons, and articles that range from Ma$e to Tipper Gore, this paper will look at the conversation …

Capitalism And Biblical Ethics, Sarah D. Stewart

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

There has been a growing trend in some expressions of Christianity to view Capitalism as fundamentally incompatible with the Christian faith. This article looked to a variety of sources to argue that Christianity and Capitalism are not fundamentally incompatible. Rather, Capitalism developed alongside developments in Christian theology during the Middle Ages. This traditional form of Capitalism is defined and argued for in this article. The article attempts to demonstrate that the elements that allow Capitalism to thrive are compatible with Christian ethics. The case is made by first examining the historical development of Capitalism and its relationship to Christianity. From …

Overview And Acknowledgments, Marc Roscoe Loustau

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

A Mixed-Method Study: Executive Pastors And The Performance Of Fast-Growing Churches, Donald Wouter Bosch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Based on available literature, little systematic investigation has explicitly considered the extent to which investing in church management, including hiring executive pastors, affects church performance. The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed-methods study is to assess phenomenological and correlational data from one hundred of the fastest-growing churches in the United States, as ranked by LifeWay Research (2018) for calendar years 2017-2018 and draw available conclusions on church executive leadership capacity versus performance. Phenomenological data was used to qualitatively examine the executive management functions at these churches and analyze how each determined its need for such expertise based on leadership team …

¿Dios Bendiga Whose América? Resisting The Ritual Theologizing Of Nation, Carmen M. Nanko-Fernández

Journal of Hispanic / Latino Theology

No abstract provided.

Following The Guide: A Wilderness Theology Of Youth Ministry, Rachel M. Weisz

Honors Projects

Scripture offers readers a unique characterization of wilderness spaces and provides us with a great deal of information about what to expect. This discussion traces various scriptural narratives of encounter with God in the wilderness, offering the reader a model for what a wilderness experience of God may entail, and then turns to more current conversation about wilderness youth ministry. The project traces current research of fields that are tangentially related to wilderness youth ministry including wilderness therapy, outdoor adventure education, and camp ministry, and seeks to highlight the ways that they can enhance, alter, and confirm various practices within …

Biblical Friendship In Historical, Theological, And Practical Perspective: Aelred As Paradigmatic Model For Christian Friendship, Hank Voss

Essays

No abstract provided.

From Environmental Activism To Environmental Education A Historical Overview, Evaluations And A Suggestion For A Path Forward For The Religious Institutions As Partners For A Global Green Shift, Tom Sverre Tomren

Consensus

In this article, the author shows how all the major world religions have engaged in climate and environmental activism by developing theology and practical projects for more than fifty years. Using metadata from the European Social Survey, he shows that members of all religious traditions in Europe have become increasingly positive to the environment and nature. Especially noticeable is the increased engagement of Protestant Christians. Tomren uses a case study from the Lutheran Church in Norway to show how religious actors have a great influence on their own members. Against this background, the author argues that religious institutions should see …