Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

The Clarity And Obscurity Of Inspired Writings: A Historical Survey From Late Antiquity To Early Nineteenth- Century America, Denis Kaiser

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

Throughout Christian history, pastors, scholars, and church leaders have discussed whether, or to what extent, Scripture is clear or obscure. This article surveys the views on the clarity and obscurity of Scripture as advocated by Christian writers in five eras from late antiquity to early nineteenth-century America. Writers in the Protestant tradition have generally objected to the common notions among Roman Catholics that Scripture is obscure, consists of a four-fold sense, and that normative teaching authority is in the hands of the magisterium. Lutheran, Reformed, and Pietist scholars have generally emphasized the importance of having an educated clergy that understands …

Editorial Vol 60 No. 2, Martin F. Hanna, Oliver M. Glanz

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is the Editorial

Table Of Contents Vol 60.2

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is the Table of Contents

Why Calvin? Naming A Seminary After A Theologian Of Consolation, Sam Neulsaem Ha

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Fear, Trembling, And Wonder: Psalms Of Awe, Solomon Aleph

University Honors Theses

This thesis proposes an expansion of genre form criticism within the Book of Psalms to include an additional category: Psalms of Awe. Building on scholarship that emphasizes the Psalms as expressions of religious experience, it draws from philosophical, theological, and critical scholarship to define the experience of awe as a distinct religious experience not fully captured by form critical scholarship. The thesis argues that awe is reflected in the Psalms through the combination of three key Hebrew roots: ירא (fear/reverence), פחד (fear/dread), and פלא (wonder). This is done by analyzing several psalms to explicate how each term captures a different …

The Unicorn And Christ – Metamorphosis And Symbology, Luis Mendonça De Carvalho, Francisca Maria Fernandes, Maria Fátima Nunes, Ana Maria Costa, Paula Nozes, Ana Paula Figueira

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The unicorn is a legendary chimaera that, for centuries, has been present in the mindset of Euro-Mediterranean cultures. Although its morphological description changed, tradition identifies it as an animal like a horse, albeit smaller and with a spiralling horn on its head pointing forward. The unicorn has been known since Antiquity, with references by authors such as Ctesias and Pliny. However, its relevance for medieval Europeans began with the Biblical references to this animal in several Old Testament verses. These verses gave legitimacy to the unicorn, and it was accepted as a tangible animal. During the Middle Ages and early …

Seeing Through The Incense Smoke: Understanding The Meanings Of Ancestral Rites In Vietnam For The Sake Of A Pastoral Approach In Christian Mission, J.P. Cima

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Cima, J.P. “Seeing Through the Incense Smoke: Understanding the Meanings of Ancestral Rites in Vietnam for the Sake of a Pastoral Approach in Christian Mission.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2025. 285 pp.

The veneration of ancestors at family altars has long been a defining feature of everyday Vietnamese life that poses a critical missiological problem for Christian mission in Vietnam. May Christians participate in ancestral veneration rituals? Current and historical responses to this question, among Protestants and Catholics alike, have not been uniform. Moreover, many responses have been based on assumed or oversimplified understandings of the rites’ meaning which recent …

Reason And All My Senses: Surveying The Post Enlightenment Frame Of Reason Through Contemporary Philosophy, Cognitive Psychology, And Cognitive Linguistics, Joshua T. Lowe Rev. Dr.

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This dissertation argues that Christian theology and practice are aided and enriched by a more complete understanding of reason by surveying recent studies and views in theology, philosophy, cognitive psychology, and cognitive linguistics. Since the Enlightenment, Christian theology has assumed widely the Enlightenment model of human reason as ideally acontextual, that is, free from constraints of contexts, and therefore universal, that is, applicable in all contexts. Recent developments from a variety of perspectives challenge this model of rationality. Some challenge the acontextualism of the Enlightenment understanding by showing how it arose from and depends on a context, and that context …

Sacral Glitch, Kareena Naresh Solanki

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Growing up in a multifaith environment in Mumbai, I witnessed many religious sites and people with diverse beliefs. My parents always remained open-minded to other faiths, and my house remained replete with idols of deities of different religions. I studied Nichiren Buddhism, particularly the Lotus Sutra, as my mother began practising it along with her faith in Hinduism. Philosophical studies became a part of my life at the age of nine. Catholic prayers turned into rituals in my convent school days, and Islamic prayers resonated from afar. I often reflect on the influence of multiple religions in shaping my approach …

Hearing God's Word Through Ecclesial Listening, Nathan Burrow

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This project dissertation was designed to enhance ecclesial listening when sermons are preached at the Hillcrest Church of Christ. The challenge of listening to the Word of God in a way that forms community is not unique to Hillcrest. It is a common problem for preachers and churches today. Our context, marked by shifts in church membership, societal division, and the isolating effects of digital culture, calls for a renewed emphasis on listening as a church community. This project explores the ways in which we can cultivate practices that encourage ecclesial listening—a way of hearing the preached Word that draws …

Pedro Aceves Mfa Thesis, Pedro M. Aceves

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

My Work is about looking at Cruising through a queer decolonial lens. Using multiple mediums such as photo, glass, Augmented reality, and film, I explore these queer histories and aesthetics through not just an anthropological approach but also an artistic epistemological approach weaving together narratives of prehispanic and modern queer Latinidad.

The Icarian Dilemma: The Battle Of Faith Versus Identity Addressed With Scenic Design, Allistar G. Barrett

Senior Honors Theses

American Christians and the LGBTQ+ community have long been in a cultural war with one another. However, queer Christians – individuals who are both LGBTQ+ and Christian – have rarely found solace in either community, instead being shunned and ostracized for their beliefs and identities. Using the transformative art of theatre to address cultural divides, a theatrical scenic design was developed for Joe Calarco’s Shakespeare’s R & J, a retelling of the traditional Romeo and Juliet script through the lives of four Catholic school girls. This design uses the Greek mythology of Icarus, Catholic culture, the original Romeo and Juliet, …

Religious Scrupulosity: The Law And The Gospel, Robert J. Chester

Senior Honors Theses

The clear distinction of the law and gospel for the salvation and justification of an individual, highly affects the minds, beliefs, and lives of those who suffer from religious scrupulosity. Religious scrupulosity is known as obsessional fears of thinking or behaving immorally against one’s religious beliefs. Religious scrupulosity affects many in the church, and is a form of obsessive/compulsive thought that can form due to improper emphasis of gospel truth. The way the church preaches and emphasizes certain points of the gospel can change the perception and understanding of many people in the world. The evident distinction between law and …

Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 67, No. 2

Restoration Quarterly

PDF of the cover of Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 66, No. 1.

This repository hosts selected Restoration Quarterly articles in downloadable PDF format. For the benefit of users who would like to browse the contents of RQ, we have included all issue covers even when full-text articles from that issue are unavailable. All Restoration Quarterly articles are available in full text in the ATLA Religion Database, available through most university and theological libraries or through your local library’s inter-library loan service.

Biblical Theology For God's People : Perspectives In Theological Interpretation, Benjamin J. Aich

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Following The Mission Leader: The Value Of Imitational Learning In The Training Of Apostolic Church Planting Teams At Memorial Lutheran Church In Katy, Texas, John F. Davis Jr

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Davis, Jr., John F. “Following the Mission Leader: The Value of Imitational Learning in the Training of Apostolic Church Planting Teams at Memorial Lutheran Church in Katy, TX.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2025. pp. 272

Reaching the unchurched and unbaptized in our communities with the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a huge challenge for most of our churches. In The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the number of adults being baptized in the churches (a measure of our effectiveness in carrying out the Missio Dei) is less than one per year. To reach people who have no …

Messianic Judaism And The Church, Robert C. Greer

Liberty Theological Review

One of the more curious phenomena within the Protestant Evangelical Church is Messianic Judaism. Its gospel is essentially the same as Protestant evangelicalism since Messianic Jews worship Jesus as Messiah, Savior and Lord. Yet many shun the label "Christian," preferring such titles as "fulfilled" or "completed Jews." Messianic Jews typically worship on Saturdays and observe a kosher diet. The symbol of the cross, which is ubiquitous in Protestant Evangelicalism and regarded as its most sacred symbol,, is problematic with many Messianic Jews. Messianic Judaism therefore maintains an arm's distance from Gentile Christianity. This paper is an exploration of that separation …

Defending The Doctrine Of Hell, Jordan P. Ballard

Liberty Theological Review

The doctrine of hell, or the final state of the wicked, has become one of the most objectionable Christian doctrines because it depicts God as vengeful and wrathful, which is offensive to human sensibilities. As an extension of the problem of evil, where God is put on trial for allowing what may appear to be gratuitous pain and suffering in the world, many Christians and non-Christians alike wonder how a loving God could consign people to suffering in hell forever. After all, why didn’t God make a world where all would be saved if He is truly loving? Belief in …

The Decalogue As A Transitional Model For Fear, Pamela Jensen Ikasalo

Liberty Theological Review

God’s original intention for relationships was disrupted by the fall of man as recorded in Genesis 3. From that point, fear of man played an intricate role in both interpersonal relationships and decision-making. The purpose of the Decalogue was to moderate relationships among the people and with their God. However, there is an additional purpose as well. The Decalogue serves as a transitional model from fear of man to fear of the Lord. When God’s people live according to the precedents found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 their lifestyle no longer follows the pattern set by fallen humanity. Both …

Creating A Cultural Liturgy Of Intentional Prayer: Leading Grace Lutheran Church Into Greater Understanding And Engagement With The Surrounding Community, Keith Aschenbeck

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Aschenbeck, Keith D. “Creating a Cultural Liturgy of Intentional Prayer: Leading Grace Lutheran Church into Greater Understanding and Engagement with the Surrounding Community.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2025. pp. 166

Grace Lutheran Church, like many churches, has historically approached mission and ministry with the consumer-driven approach model of attraction. The result has often had them looking at how to shape and form how the world sees them so that they would be appealing as a place to worship. This way of approaching ministry has become a cultural liturgy that forms many decisions about what ministry programs …

Intellectual Virtues For Research - Integrating Faith And Scholarship, William Coberly

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Sabbath For The Restless: Rediscovering God’S Gift Of Rest, Youngkhill Lee

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

God commanded his people to rest, embedding it in the fourth and longest of the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20, he declared: “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work” (vv. 9–10). This command was not merely a rule but a reflection of God’s love and care. By blessing and sanctifying the seventh day (Genesis 2:3), God wove rest into the rhythm of life, pointing to its sacred significance.

How Pentecostals Living In The United States Experience, Interpret, And Respond To Depression, Robert Mcbain

College of Theology and Ministry Dissertations, Projects, & Theses

The prevalence of depression in society underscores the need for awareness and support, particularly within Pentecostal communities, where depression remains underexplored. While studies suggest how the Christian context shapes depression, the literature lacks depth about the relationship between Pentecostalism and depression. This gap risks fostering misconceptions, marginalizing sufferers, and allowing dominant voices to impose stigmatizing interpretations that discourage external help and reinforce unrealistic norms. These repercussions emphasize the need to research the relationship between Pentecostalism and depression to address stigma, create supportive environments, and ensure that sufferers retain ownership of their mental health narratives. This dissertation contributes to this need …

The Fear Of God: The Foundation Of The Divine Covenants Through The Blood Sacrifice And Meal Of Exodus 24:4–11 And 1 Corinthians 11:23–32., Matthew Taylor Propst

College of Theology and Ministry Dissertations, Projects, & Theses

The Fear of God and its relevance to establishing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is vital in understanding the nature of the role of sacrificial blood and meal in Exodus and 1 Corinthians. The Fear of God acts to establish and maintain proper covenantal relations with God and a covenant community’s cohesion. There is also an element where those that participate in covenants are required to live under its commandments by self-sacrificial behavior.

Chapter 1 introduces the issue of this thesis within certain parameters and boundaries alongside the purpose and objectives this issue wishes to address. Chapter 2 …

The Calvin Forum: Winter 2025, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 35., WINTER 2025

Main Features: 2 - Letter from the President

6 - Where are the Pastors?

10 - Formation of Leaders in a Liminal season

16 - Where do Pastors come from?

23 - The minister as a manager of the mysteries of God

29 - Pastors are there and will be there

34 - Who will disciple the next generation of Disciple-makers?

39 - Raising up Ministry Leaders from the next generation

42 - Training Ministry leaders from the next generation

48 - Hope in the ruins

55 - A journey through Seminary in …

The Calvin Forum: Summer 2025, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 36., SUMMER 2025

Main Features: 2 - Letter from the President

6- How John Calvin Shaped Modern Seminary Education BY KARIN MAAG

12- Why Calvin? Naming a Seminary After a Theologian of Consolation BY SAM HA

18- Reformed Roots in the Global South: Indonesia’s Calvinist Heritage BY YUDHA THIANTO

24- Why Bavinck and Kuyper?

26- Herman Bavinck and the Mission of Calvin Seminary: Theology That Glorifies God BY JESSICA JOUSTRA

30- Why Abraham Kuyper’s Vision Still Shapes Reformed Theology and Education BY JORDAN BALLOR

34- Carrying Calvin’s Legacy: How Calvin Theological Seminary Equips Culturally Engaged Ministry …

Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 67, No. 1

Restoration Quarterly

PDF of the cover of Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 67, No. 1.

This repository hosts selected Restoration Quarterly articles in downloadable PDF format. For the benefit of users who would like to browse the contents of RQ, we have included all issue covers even when full-text articles from that issue are unavailable. All Restoration Quarterly articles are available in full text in the ATLA Religion Database, available through most university and theological libraries or through your local library’s inter-library loan service.

A Comparative Analysis Of Current Understandings Of The High Priestly Ministry Of Jesus In The Heavenly Sanctuary, Samuel Amirtharaj

Master's Theses

Problem

Seventh-day Adventists consider the subject of the sanctuary to be the kingpin that interconnects all of the other doctrines. Both Adventists and non-Adventists agree that it is the Adventist understanding of the sanctuary that sets them apart from other Christian denominations. Almost since the inception of the Church, there have been many critics of the Adventist doctrine of the sanctuary and its associated teachings, both from within and from without the Church. Former Adventists and non-Adventists alike have discredited the significance of the sanctuary. However, numerous books on the sanctuary have been published recently by Christian scholars; these books …

Theology Of Creation In The Bulgarian Theology Of The 20th Century, Svetoslav Ribolov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Theology of Creation in 20th-century Bulgaria emerged within the broader debate about the role of religious education in state schools and the tension between the prevailing influence of evolutionary theory and a scientific approach to the Orthodox Church’s traditional spiritual heritage. Before World War 2, the primary social and intellectual motivation behind the Theology of Creation in Bulgaria was rooted in an apologetic struggle against secular ideas, which were embraced by a significant portion of Bulgarian society at the time. In the second half of the 20th century, however, this discourse gradually evolved to incorporate more denominationally oriented theological perspectives, …

Theopoetics Prothesis: An Exploration In Faith And Form, Elise Aleman, Elise Aleman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My work is rooted in the biblical definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Like the Bible’s layered complexity—its patterns, metaphors, and cultural references—faith is not merely intellectual but an active trust in what is unseen. It transcends knowledge, anchoring itself in conviction and hope. This intersection of theology and lived experience is at the core of my practice.

Theopoetics—a framework that fuses theology and artistic expression—shapes my approach, allowing faith to be embodied through form rather than merely explained. Two seemingly distinct bodies of work—one centered …