Practical Theology Commons^™

Marriage As A Spiritual Discipline: Principles And Benefits, Richmond Laney

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christians use spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fasting, and journaling as methods to enhance their relationship with God. However, Christian rates of divorce are not different than the United States average where more than one in three first marriages ends in divorce. This is despite a Christian belief that marriage is a special relationship. The rate of divorce among Christians should be reduced. Marriage can be practiced as a spiritual discipline that will benefit the relationship as well as yielding sought after spirituality. Marriage as a spiritual discipline would help couples increase marital satisfaction, thus driving down the divorce rate. …

Becoming A Disciple-Making Church: A Strategic Transition For Dongshin Apostle Community, Hyuk Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dongshin Apostle Community (DAC) transitioned from being a traditional church of 210 members to a hybrid church of 700 members through an organic movement called Jesus Hope Movement (JHM). In recent years, however, DAC has also plateaued in its growth due to the limitations of its institutional structure. In order for DAC to become a healthy growing church once again, it must become a disciple-making church that implements strategic biblical steps of transition that will push the church to become more organic. This thesis project will examine diverse organic factors within DAC that enabled its growth and transition to a …

Divorce In The Christian Society And A Prescriptive Model To Rekindle The Marriage Bond, Frederick Styles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to explore the history, consequences, and guidelines of divorce in the Christian world. God's plan for marriage is procreation of children and love between husband and wife. According to a Christian study by Jack Wellman, the top three reasons for Christians divorcing are adultery, communication, and abuse (physical and emotional). This thesis will assist couples who are contemplating divorce and provide guidance on the causes and effects of divorce. In addition, it will create a prescriptive model; guidelines for those couples to follow for each of the reasons above that will rekindle and strengthen …

Clark Memorandum: Spring 2014, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Byu Law School Alumni Association, J. Reuben Clark Law Society

The Clark Memorandum

• Guardians of the Law (Sheila McCleve)
• Revisiting Humility (Brett G. Scharffs)
• Defending Innocence (Gregory W. Moeller)
• Martin Luther King and the Good Samaritan (Goodwin Liu)
• Oliver Cowdery (Jeffrey N. Walker)

Start With The Heart, Michael A. Steiner

Selected Honors Theses

There is something happening in the chapel services of Southeastern University, the largest Assemblies of God university in America. The question is, is it orthopathy? The goal of this thesis is to determine if 1st Chapel consistently provides the space for students to be engaged in Orthopathy in such a way that their affections are changed from egocentricism to theocentrism. To prove this, the first goal will be to establish what Orthopathy is both historically and theologically, something which has never been fully accomplished in the academic world. This will include defining what a proper transformational experience with the Holy …

Establishing A Revitalizing Strategy For Church Planters: An Analysis Of Church Planting Trends Of The 21st Century Within The Published Works During The Past Thirteen Years (2001-2013) In America, Ji Woon Choi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Church planting is the most valuable method to spread the Gospel, and God wants to see His churches everywhere. Nevertheless, many church planters have produced strikingly different results; depression or growth. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and research about current church planting trends within the published works during the past thirteen years (2001-2013) in the United States and to suggest a healthy church planting and growth model for local church planters in America and the World. After the analysis of the current trends in the 21st century, the particular statistical evidences and theological views about this study …

Parenting Again For The Very First Time/You're Raising Your Grandchildren: Now What?, Larry Lamb

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Grandparents raising their grandchildren are a new demographic emerging at a staggering rate because the parents are either unwilling or incapable of raising their own children. The rationale for this work is derived from the challenges this author and his wife have because of parenting their grandchildren. The research for this project has the value to offer support, wisdom, hope, and perspective for those who are parenting again as grandparents. Opportunities abound to lead grandchildren in a direction where they never would have gone had grandparents resisted the selfless act of parenting again. This project will be approached using surveys …

The General Epistles And Work, Theology Of Work Project, Kelly Liebengood, Al Erisman

Theology of Work Project

1. Introduction to General Epistles
2. James - Faith Works
   • Depending on God (James 1:1-18)
   • Working for the Benefit of Others in Need (James 1:22-28)
   • Faith and Work(s) (James 2:14-26)
   • Discriminating Against the Poor and Currying Favor with the Rich (James 2:1-13)
   • Listening Well and Taming the Tongue (James 1:19-21 and 3:1-12)
   • Selfish Ambition and Investing in Others (James 3:13-4:12)
     • Selfish Ambition and Submission to God (James 3:13-4:12)
     • Investing In Others (James 4:1-12)
   • Business Forecasting (James 4:13-17)
   • Business Oppression (James 5:1-6)
   • Waiting for the Harvest (James 5:7-20)
3. 1 Peter - Serving the World as Resident Alien Priests
   • Resident Aliens and Priests (1 …

Interview: Katherine Leary Alsdorf, Katherine Leary Alsdorf, David W. Gill

Theology of Work Project

Katherine Leary Alsdorf is co-author with Timothy Keller of Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work (Dutton, 2012). She came to Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City in 2002 to establish the Center for Faith and Work to help people nurture a meaningful integration between their faith and their professional work. Prior to this ministry role at Redeemer, she spent 20 years in the high tech industry. In California, she served as CEO of Pensare, an online management education company, and CEO of One Touch Systems, a hardware/software products company. Before that, she was President of Private …

Moore Of Feminine Style: A Rhetorical Examination Of "Wednesdays With Beth", Terrie Meeks

Masters Theses

Beth Moore is a best-selling author of books and Bible studies, a speaker to crowds that fill places like the Georgia Super Dome, as well as an international speaker, a radio and television personality, and she is achieving this milestone as a woman, in a world lit with male stars. Through all of these venues it is estimated that Moore speaks to hundreds of thousands of people each year. One of Moore's most recent ventures is speaking on Life Today with James and Betty Robison. Each week features an episode of "Wednesdays with Beth." Using Karlyn Kohrs Campbell's theory of …

Education Evangelism: Sixteen Best Practices For School Outreach, Paul Steinberg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students from non-Christian homes are coming in unprecedented numbers to Christian schools in the Milwaukee area due to the unique school voucher program begun in 2001. Each of the Christian schools in the voucher program, including the one where this writer serves, is searching for the best evangelism tactics. This new frontier can learn from the outreach efforts of Milwaukee's Lutheran voucher schools.
Pioneering experience, articles and interviews will reveal the history and practice of ministry in the voucher program and look toward the future. Surveys of ministry leaders will explain the results of different strategies. Surveys and interviews of …

Justification And Sanctification In The Southern Baptist Church In West Virginia; Implications In Worship And Practice Of Faith, Todd Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to investigate the doctrines of justification and progressive sanctification and its implications in the Southern Baptist Churches in West Virginia. In the Southern Baptist Churches in West Virginia, there seems to be much confusion concerning the subject of justification and sanctification in the life of the believer. This confusion appears to grow out of a misunderstanding of sanctification and its relationship to justification from the error of Roman Catholic doctrine of blending justification and sanctification. The result of this study will expose the disparity of understanding concerning these doctrines and produce a teaching resource …

The Pastor: Forming A Shared Vocational Vision, Skip Bell

Faculty Publications

Who defines the vocat i o n a l v i s i o n fo r pastoral ministry? Is it the employing denomination? Is it the congregation the pastor serves? Is it the church board? Is it the demand of the moment—preaching, evangelism, mission, church planting? Is it the Great Commission? Or is it the One who gives the commission? The purpose of this article is to discover a biblical foundation for a pastoral vision. Such a foundation offers the hope of transcending differing perspectives while relating to the various expectations of the church and broader community. Articulating a …

Some Historical Perspectives On The Diagnosis And Treatment Of Homosexuality, H. Peter Swanson

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Finance Overview, Theology Of Work Project, Leonard D. Van Drunen

Theology of Work Project

1. What Finance Is
2. God’s Purposes for Finance
   • Finance Helps Reveal the Glory of God’s Creation
   • Finance Helps Us Fulfill the Creation Mandate to Be Good Stewards
   • Finance Can Be a Means of Justice and Love
3. The Foundations of Finance are Created by God
   • We are Timebound
   • We are Social
   • We are Heterogeneous
   • We Act as Agents
   • We Make Promises
   • We Are Not Omniscient
   • We Create Resources for a Future that We Do Not Know
   • We Are Risk Takers
   • Conclusion to the Foundations of Finance are Created by God
4. Financial Institutions
   • Currency
   • Intermediaries
     • Can we really love someone through intermediaries?
   • Instruments …

Insights From Growing Churches In North America, S. Joseph Kidder

Faculty Publications

This article attempts to outline some of the challenges the Adventist Church in the North American Division (NAD) faces today and then develop an effective model for evangelistic ministry to overcome these challenges.

A House For Sale, Adrienne J. Royo

Faculty Works

This presentation is intended to elucidate the fact that Christ is in heaven preparing a home for us, which is free of charge. However, there is an obligation on the part of each human being of choosing to accept this free gift. This PowerPoint outlines what the prerequisites and guidelines are to be able to receive a home in heaven, and eternal life.

The Equipping Church Overview, Theology Of Work Project, Alistair Mackenzie

Theology of Work Project

1. What is God’s Mission in the World?
2. How does human work connect to God’s work?
3. What does this mean for people’s daily work?
4. How can we equip our people for God’s work in the world?
   • Equipping churches have a vision of God at work where their people work
   • Equipping churches actively hunt for examples and resources
   • Equipping churches connect daily work to worship
   • Equipping churches address the opportunities and challenges their people face at work
   • Equipping churches invest resources in equipping people for daily work
   • Equipping churches create structures to sustain this ministry
   • Equipping churches empower and collaborate with people …

Differentiation Of Self And Leadership Effectiveness In Christian Clergy: A Mixed Methods Study., Gregory D. Wasberg

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"The present study utilized a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between self-differentiation and leadership effectiveness among 97 pastors in leadership positions from a variety of Christian religious denominations. Participants completed the Differentiation of Self and Role for Clergy and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Results of this study suggest that pastors performing in leadership roles have higher levels of self-differentiation than pastors performing in non-leadership roles and that self-differentiation was moderately and positively correlated with the transformational leadership components of intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration. For the qualitative portion of the study, fourteen pastors participated in telephone interviews about their …

From The Other Side: Funeral Directors Talk About The Changing Face Of Funerals, Mark A. Granquist

Faculty Publications

This report of interviews with funeral directors will provide pastors with insight on funeral trends from the side of these professionals. More, it might serve as an impetus for useful conversations between pastors and funeral directors in their areas.

Corporate Worship’S Pedagogy, Cullyn Curtis

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

The Sanctified Life: Modesty Is Not The Best Policy, Ali C. Ferin

Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) Papers

No abstract provided.

"Another Way": The Pneumatology Of Deleuzean Minoritarian Communal Interpretation In Scripture, The 16th Century Radical Reformation, And Alternative 21st Century Anabaptist Community, Jeremy Garber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a constructive theology of the Holy Spirit called the "pneumatology of minoritarian communal interpretation," the alternative creation of meaning within an oppressive majority context. It illustrates the convergence of Deleuzean philosophy with Anabaptist pneumatology and media communal interpretation theory in three particular locations: 1) selected mentions of the Holy Spirit in the Hebrew Bible and Christian New Testament; 2) the 16th century Radical Reformation; and 3) "Another Way," a 21st century alternative Anabaptist group focused around the spiritual discussion of art and popular media. Chapter One outlines the three theories. Chapter Two examines the Holy Spirit in …

Developing Servant-Leaders Through Service-Learning At A Southwest Christian University: A Quasi-Experimental Study., D. B. Meinecke

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"this study investigated the effectiveness of service-learning as pedagogy for developing servant-leaders. Participants included 97 students at a faith-based southwest christian university. Fifty-seven of the participants were enrolled in a 15-week servicelearning course (experimental group) and 40 participants were enrolled in similar non-service-learning courses (comparison group). all participants completed the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ) as a pretest and posttest during the semester. Demographic information was collected in order to determine the participants’ age, gender, grade level, major, previous leadership training, and previous number of service-learning courses. Findings indicated that a student’s major or group (experimental or comparison) made no significant …

The Bottom Line: Friend Or Foe? (Case Study), John Beckett

Theology of Work Project

Gunter was reeling. The board of Mastech had brought him in as CEO to move the company forward. He had been selected not only because of his proven business skills, but because he cared about people. Now the board was adamant: “You’re just being soft, Gunter. You care about people so much you’re not making the tough decisions. You’ll never improve the bottom line of this company unless you start swinging the axe. Get to it, or…um…the axe may fall on you!” The directive hit Gunter right in the gut. For a year he had been trying to build a …

Appropriating The Principles Of L'Arche For The Transformation Of Church Curricula, Nathan Goldbloom

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates several of the principles on which L’Arche is based, which are articulated in Jean Vanier’s writings: belonging, vulnerability, peace, spirituality, communion, and celebration. These six principles are analyzed with the objective of ascertaining their relevance for the Church as a whole and how they might be used to enrich and enhance programs of Christian education and spiritual formation in local congregations.

Responses To A Sunday School Curriculum On Mental Illness In The Church, Megan M. Hamshar

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores perceptions and attitudes toward mental illness in the church through a literature review of existing research in psychology, supported by a qualitative study of participants in a Sunday School series on mental illness. The four-week course was taught in a class of adults in their twenties and thirties in a Free Methodist church. The results from the study largely support the empirical literature that suggests the church holds primarily negative perceptions and attitudes toward mental illness and the persons it affects. However, the study also suggested that education may encourage self-analysis of negative attitudes and behaviors toward …

When Work And Family Collide (Case Study), John Beckett

Theology of Work Project

Maria had been preparing for this day for several months, and now her Saturday morning piano recital was nearly here. Best of all, her daddy would be coming! Her excitement helped her overlook all the times he’d had to miss such events because of his work. Then, just a day before the recital, her dad’s boss called. Would history repeat? Would he be called out of town again? From what Maria overheard, she knew her dad was doing his best to get out of making the trip. But as soon as he hung up it was obvious he was unsuccessful. …

The Multiethnic Church As A Reflection Of God's Image: A Focus On Reconciliation In A Local Congregation, Jodi C. Gatlin

Seattle Pacific Seminary Projects

This thesis seeks to discover whether or not a focus on reconciliation in a local church can prompt the congregation to engage their multiethnic neighborhood and become a more diverse church. It argues that in the midst of a broken and hurting world the multiethnic congregation offers a reflection of the image of God and a message of hope to the world. Specifically, this project will explore the question, “Can a focus on reconciliation in the local church lead to an increase of social and cultural engagement by its congregants that produces positive change in the surrounding community?” As a …

Accountability In A Compassionate Enterprise (Case Study), John Beckett

Theology of Work Project

Dr. Gonzales was a highly skilled dentist who came across to his patients as unusually caring and compassionate. He took extra time so clients were reassured and understood the procedures they were walking through. He occasionally provided services without charge for those who couldn’t afford them, and followed up to make sure his patients were making good progress. However there was a problem with some members of his staff. They took advantage of their boss’s tender nature, cutting corners in ways that would never be permitted in a demanding, no-nonsense workplace. They didn’t feel accountable. Dr. Gonzales needed to make …