Practical Theology Commons^™

Schillebeeckx And Homilies: Why Should Sermons Be More Than Words?, Paulinus Daeli

Obsculta

This article highlights the importance of good preaching by exploring the relationship between theology, rhetoric, and spirituality through the theology of Edward Schillebeeckx. It argues that preaching must go beyond words to create a deep experience for the congregation. By exploring Schillebeeckx's theological foundations, the article also discusses the conflict between the liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist in Holy Mass, and suggests a comprehensive approach to preaching. The article emphasizes that both aspects of the Mass must work in harmony to provide spiritual nourishment. Finally, it concludes by emphasizing the importance of preaching as a communal act, which …

Assessing The Needs Of A Church’S Older Adults To Promote Their Flourishing, Royston Terrell Booker Iii

DMin Project Theses

The purpose of this project was to lay the groundwork for creating a holistic Senior Adult Ministry to support the flourishing of older adults through the activities of God’s people, the church. This approach to help older adults’ well-being is best accomplished through holistic support to enhance well-being, but many churches have not considered a holistic approach or developed a supportive capability. To create a holistic Senior Adult Ministry, I assessed the needs of senior adults in the Brentwood Hills Church of Christ (BHCC) in Nashville, Tennessee, within the United States. The findings and conclusions of this dissertation provide a …

Missional Hermeneutics And The Lukan Version Of The Great Commission (Luke 24:44-49): The Dual Hermeneutical Key, Israel Martin Lemos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines the relationship between Christological fulfillment and the mission of God within the framework of biblical interpretation, with special emphasis on Luke 24:44-49. In recent decades, missional hermeneutics has moved from the margins of theological discussion to a more visible place within biblical studies, although the field remains conceptually diverse and methodologically underdefined. On one hand, a growing body of scholarship has argued that Scripture must be read within the horizons of the missio Dei, understood as God's redemptive purpose for creation and the nations. On the other hand, mainstream biblical scholarship has often continued to privilege either …

Caring For Our Neighbors: Public Prayer As A Pastoral Tool For Multicultural Communities, Gilbert Perez

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

Throughout 2025 and in the first few months of 2026 there has been an increased presence of immigration law enforcement in the state of Minnesota, which has extended into the central Minnesotan diocese of St. Cloud.

Minimizing The Gap Between Church And Disability In Churches Of Christ, Paris Freeman

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

Church members with intellectual and developmental disabilities often experience disconnection from their churches. This qualitative study examined this disconnect in three suburban Church of Christ congregations within the North Texas area. Using an ethnographic approach, data was collected through interviews with ministry leaders, participatory observation, and a literature review. The analysis of the data, in conjunction with family systems theory, was utilized to construct a model for disability ministry which validates personhood and promotes awareness of self and others. The impact of the church growth movement on disability was also examined, but no definitive correlation could be determined. Further research …

Recapturing Evangelism: A Biblical-Theological Approach, Bruce Gregory Gale

Witness

No abstract provided.

Jesus-Centered Preaching: A Christocentric Approach Based On The Hermeneutical Implications Of The Gospels As Βίοι., Mark Palmer

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover the implied hermeneutic of the Gospels as βίοι and to propose a congruent homiletic. The study addressed the following research questions: What is the genre of the Gospels and the resulting hermeneutic? Does current Christ-centered preaching account for his hermeneutic? Does Christological research account for intrinsic characteristics? What is the intrinsic Christology of Mark’s Gospel? What homiletical process is needed to align with the genre-based hermeneutic of the Gospels? The methodology of this study followed a four-step process: Genre research confirming the Gospels as βίοι, Christological research including the development of an …

Selections From The Milindapañha (Section On The Simile Of Fire), Maksim Astashinskiy

Faculty Papers and Publications

The Pāḷi text of 3. Tejaṅgapañha from the Milindapañha is anthologized in The Buddhist Era 2500 Great International Council Pāḷi Tipiṭaka: 40 Volume Edition in Roman Script B.E. 2548 (M.L. Maniratana Bunnag Dhamma Society Fund, 2005), https://suttacentral.net/ms. An English translation is available under Section 7.4.3: Fire in SuttaCentral; the translation is adapted from “The Questions of King Milinda,” trans. T.W. Rhys Davids in The Sacred Books of the East Vol. XXXVI ed. Max Müller (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1894), 311–312, https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe36/sbe3611.htm.

Concordia Seminary Magazine Spring 2026, Ken Ohlemeyer

Concordia Seminary Magazine

Shaped for His Service

The Fellowship Of Christ's Sufferings: Toward A Practical Philosophy Of Worship For Missions In The Latin American Church, Moriah Hope Joseph

Senior Honors Theses

Within Latin America, evil and suffering are ever-present realities that cannot be concealed, and the Hispanic society is aching for relief. Liberation Theology and the prosperity gospel – and their accompanying worship practices – have been offered as tools to help alleviate the experience of suffering. But these theological perspectives and practices have accomplished little in edifying the Church by way of truth. Thus, the call for the modern missionary is to instead preach worship that is a response to the incarnate Christ in suffering. The missionary must advocate for worship practices that provide space for biblical lament, reveal a …

Adventist Church Next, Gerardo Oudri

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Working Out Your Self-Image: Strength, Self-Esteem, And Human Flourishing, Kingston K. Christie

Honors Projects

This project integrates empirical research in exercise science with theological anthropology to examine the psychological effects of resistance training and the meaning of strength within a Christian framework of human dignity and flourishing. The empirical component investigated the effects of a four-week progressive resistance training intervention on global self-esteem and physical self-concept among undergraduate university students with moderate-to-low baseline self-esteem. Eleven participants (N = 11; 20.15 ± 1.52 yrs) completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Physical Self-Description Questionnaire Short Form (PSDQ-S) before and after the intervention, with muscular strength assessed via submaximal testing across the squat, bench press, deadlift, …

Grace Within The Holiness Code, Michael B. Bowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Leviticus introduces the concept of God’s holiness—his unique, innate, and ontological otherness—and calls his people to reflect that holiness in their own lives. While scholarship has traditionally focused on Israel’s sacrificial cult practices, it has often neglected the theological trajectory of holiness within the broader canonical framework of the Torah. This dissertation seeks to reframe the Holiness Code (Leviticus 17–26) not merely as a set of ritual prescriptions, but as a theological narrative that exposes the limits of human effort and invites reflection on divine grace.

Chapter 1 surveys the history of interpretation and critiques the limitations of historical-critical and …

Beyond The Pulpit: How Theological Training Equips Believers To Discern Their Ministry Calling, Gladys Elizabeth Moy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation will examine the theological and practical dimensions of ministry calling through the framework of the Fivefold Ministry as indicated in Ephesians. “And He gave some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, evangelists, and some, pastors and teachers” (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Ephesians 4:11-12). It will challenge the prevailing assumption that a divine call to ministry is primarily expressed through pulpit-centered roles, arguing instead that ministry encompasses a broader spectrum of functions within the body of Christ. Grounded in theological reflection and contemporary scholarship, the study will contend that while all believers are called to ministry, their specific callings …

Technology Idolatry: Daniel’S Fourfold Ancient Antidote To This Modern Problem Facing A Christian Singles Group In Dallas, Kimberlee Bousman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the rise of artificial intelligence and devices like cell phones, humanity is more connected to technology than ever. Increasingly, many people, including Christians, have become addicted to technology, spending hours scrolling. One biblical character who lived in an idolatrous culture yet remained entirely devoted to the Lord was Daniel. Making spiritual disciplines an integral part of his life enabled Daniel to stay obedient to God. This study was conducted to help a singles group that was struggling with spending too much time on technology and making it an idol. This qualitative phenomenological study was designed and implemented over seven …

Asynchronous Theologetics For A Digital Church, William Ck Yomes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The world is currently living through a digital reformation. The advent of the smartphone has forever changed the way people share information and communicate. In the same way that the technological advancement of Gutenberg's printing press fueled the Protestant Reformation, the widespread rapid adoption of the smartphone has begun a digital reformation. Just as academia has proven education can be accomplished online, so too can the local church adopt online teaching strategies. Teaching has always been foundational to formation in the faith. Now, in the era of digital reformation, the local church can take full advantage of tools like asynchronous …

Supporting Parents Of Pre-Adolescents: Equipping Parents Through Focused Instruction On Biblical Parenting Practices, Lillian Michelle Mitchell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This action research project addresses the problem that parents and grandparents of pre-adolescent children at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church do not receive sufficient intentional spiritual support, biblical guidance, and instruction to teach them how to raise their children using parenting skills grounded in a biblical worldview. The purpose of this research was to equip parents and grandparents of pre-adolescent children with biblically based parenting skills using an eight-week group study. The project examined the results of the Bible study group, which focused on Genesis 1:26, Deuteronomy 6:5-9, Proverbs 22:6, Luke 2:46, Ephesians 6:1-4, and Titus 2:1-8. The study implemented …

Inviting A Personal Response To Ite, Missa Est: Developing And Offering A Focused Retreat To Extend The Sensory Experience Of The Holy Mass, Celina Chavez

Master of Theological Studies Honors Theses

Holy Mass is a deeply sensory experience, connecting the human with the divine by way of the human senses. At its close, the faithful are sent forth with the final blessing and dismissal; however, some may not understand what this entails.

This thesis examines the necessity of a relationship with Jesus Christ in and stemming from the Eucharist with reference to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, spiritual writings regarding the liturgy and Christian love, and reflections on the missionary nature of the Catholic Faith. It proposes catechesis in the form of a teatime retreat, engaging the senses as a …

On Thursdays, We Wiggle, Beth Evers

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Churches of all stripes, including Roman Catholic, mainline Protestant, and non-denominational churches, have early childhood learning centers (sometimes called daycares, preschools, or child development centers) as part of their ministry profiles. Many of these churches are missing an important opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ by not intentionally ministering with the children and adults of their early learning centers.

In September 2019, University United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, began a worship gathering specifically designed for the infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and adults of their Child Development Center. While the specifics of University UMC’s decision to begin Wiggle …

A Hospital Spiritual Care Volunteer Program: Embodying Vocation And Decreasing Social Isolation And Loneliness In Adults Sixty-Five And Older, Stacy L. Auld

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Social isolation and loneliness have become familiar terms since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the problem did not start there. We have seen a steady rise in the number of people who face social isolation and loneliness over the past fifty years, and now research shows that this problem is impacting people’s health, especially in adults sixty-five and older. These social diagnoses are being addressed by public policy and in health care settings, but they should also be addressed by United Methodist clergy in their care for their parishioners. Therefore, I am writing this dissertation to my clergy colleagues to raise …

The Church As Provider Of Pastoral Care: Relational Presence, Narrative Listening, Preaching, And Advocacy In African American Missionary Baptist Churches In Southside Fort Worth, Texas, Michael R. Timberlake

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Abstract

Michael R. Timberlake, Sr.

May 1, 2026

THE CHURCH AS PROVIDER OF PASTORAL CARE: RELATIONAL PRESENCE, NARRATIVE LISTENING, PREACHING, AND ADVOCACY IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCHES IN SOUTHSIDE FORT WORTH, TEXAS

The purpose of this research project is to restore and maintain the resiliency in the African American Missionary Baptist churches in the Southside of Fort Worth, Texas. The research identified a high level of importance for African American churches in Fort Worth to resemble the historic legacy of spiritual leadership, communal care, and social advocacy while ministering within contexts marked by racial and economic marginalization. Enabling practical …

Realizing Reality — C.S. Lewis And The Hierarchical Model Of Christian Neo-Platonism, Jordan Spina

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Spina, Jordan, H. “Realizing Reality: C.S. Lewis and the Hierarchical Model of Christian Neo-Platonism.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2025. 253.

In recent years there has been a growing interest in C.S. Lewis’ intellectual relationship to the Medieval cosmological model. Scholars have demonstrated that, for Lewis, the Medieval cosmological model represented more than a scientific picture of earth in relation to other heavenly bodies. Its significance was not dependent upon the number of planets or the order in which they were positioned. Instead, it represented a philosophically robust view of reality

However, what has yet to be demonstrated is the roadmap …

Studies In The Reception Of The Council Of Trent In 16th-Century Lutheranism As Seen In The Eucharistic Theology Of Martin Chemnitz’S Examen Concilii Tridentini, Sebastian A. Grünbaum

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Grünbaum, Sebastian, A. Studies in the Reception of the Council of Trent in 16th-Century Lutheranism as Seen in the Eucharistic Theology of Martin Chemnitz’s Examen Concilii Tridentini. Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2025. “[338]” pp.

This dissertation focuses on the intra-Tridentine dialogue during the Council of Trent Session XIII (1551), which treated question related to the Lord’s Supper, and the Lutheran theologian Martin Chemnitz’s (1522–1586) examination of it.

The Council of Trent (1545–1563) largely defined the theological and administrative direction of the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. On the one side the Council tried to systematize, organize, and understand the church’s …

Returning Home: Vocation As A Theological Lens To Foster The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus’ Holistic Ministry Among Migrant Returnees In Ethiopia, Ebise Dibisa Ayana

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This dissertation examines return migration in Ethiopia, focusing on Ethiopian Domestic Worker Returnees (EDWRs) and the role of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) in addressing their holistic needs. Using theological and institutional analysis, the study finds that, although the EECMY affirms holistic ministry as its motto, it lacks clear policies and official statements specifically addressing the spiritual and psychosocial needs of the returnees’.

The research argues that migration and return migration are theological and moral issues that require a holistic response grounded in a Lutheran Theology of Vocation. Such an approach fosters an integrated ministry that attends to …

St. John Henry Cardinal Newman’S Mariology: A Distinctively Patristic And English Understanding Of Marian Doctrine And Devotion, Erin Meikle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

St. John Henry Newman’s understanding and reception of the dogma of divine motherhood grew during his pre-Catholic years. This study employs a form of reception theory to argue that Newman exercised reserve and compromise in his discourse on Mary’s identity as the Mother of God during both his evangelical and high church Anglican periods. The first three chapters conduct a historical investigation of Marian devotion and reception of the dogma of divine motherhood in England from the period of the apparition at Walsingham (1061) up until the nineteenth century. The analyses indicate that England had an intense Marian devotion and …

Penitential Systems In The Latin West And Byzantine East, Elijah C. Dodson

Honors Theses

This thesis examines the development and organization of penitential discipline in early medieval Christianity through a comparison of the penitential tradition associated with Theodore of Canterbury in the Latin West and the canons attributed to John the Faster in the Byzantine East. The study focuses on how these texts regulated sexual sin and what their structures reveal about the institutional role of the Church in different historical contexts. The analysis is based on a comparative reading of penitential texts, supported by patristic writings and modern scholarship. By examining how specific categories of sexual misconduct are classified and disciplined, this study …

Connected Pastors: The Importance Of Having Safe Support Systems In Ministry, Karin A. Hines

Senior Honors Theses

Pastors minister to broken people, but sometimes they need help themselves. Many pastors do not seek help or do not have anyone safe to go to, often for fear of losing their influence or job. This thesis argues that sharing one’s life with safe people is essential, especially for those who are in high-stress professions. It explores pastoral support systems, examines comparable stigmas against seeking help in other fields, analyzes the science of sharing and isolation and their effects on the brain and body, and considers the Bible’s instructions on living in community for one’s personal well-being. Pastors require intentional, …

A Place At The Table: Lessons In Hospitality For Women Elders In The Churches Of Christ, Karen Cooke

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project concerns women who serve as elders in Church of Christ congregations. In the fall of 2023, a survey found that these women desire training to better serve their congregations. In response to that expressed need, a group of collaborators engaged in Participatory Action Research (PAR) to create the plan for a conference to provide training to women serving as elders in Churches of Christ. The conference will provide training in the theology and practice of hospitality to support these women in guiding their churches to be places of welcome. This dissertation presents a theology of hospitality drawn from …

The Moral Influences On Non-Denominational Christian Students’ College Major Decision And Future Career Outlook, Makayla Frame

Honors Projects

This is an undergraduate research project for the Honors College. A qualitative research project in the form of case studies was conducted on the influence of Non-Denominational Christian morals and values on how college students decide college major and future career. Non-Denomination students in particular were chosen for this study because of the recent rise in popularity of the Non-Denominational belief in the US, especially among young adults.

The study outlines previous research on the Christian religion, the history of Non-Denominationality, and how typical college students decide their major. The conclusions of the study are that Non-Denominational Christian college students …

A Case For Right-To-Right-Brain Youth Discipleship, Emily Ellis

Journal of Adventist Youth and Young Adult Ministries

Many people sitting in pews weekly undergo little to no change in their lives throughout their Christian journey. Currently, the primary approach when someone feels a bit dissatisfied with their faith or wants to grow in their spiritual maturity is to prescribe more Bible study, more prayer, or more church engagement. In this paper, I am going to explore how understanding brain science and attachment theory should influence how discipleship occurs in churches.