Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
- Keyword
-
- Eschatology (5)
- Covenant Theology (4)
- Ecclesiology (4)
- Soteriology (4)
- Grace (3)
-
- John Calvin (3)
- Reformed Theology (3)
- Trinity (3)
- Africa (2)
- Christianity (2)
- Christology (2)
- Church (2)
- Epistemology (2)
- Ethics (2)
- Exegesis (2)
- Free Will (2)
- God (2)
- Herman Bavinck (2)
- Hermeneutics (2)
- Holiness Movement (2)
- Holy Spirit (2)
- Human Freedom (2)
- John Howard Yoder (2)
- John Owen (2)
- Jurgen Moltmann (2)
- Justification (2)
- Nigeria (2)
- Pneumatology (2)
- Polemics (2)
- Prophets (2)
- Publication Year
Articles 1 - 30 of 81
Full-Text Articles in Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
A Reexamination Of Deborah As Prophet And Judge, Brandy Scritchfield
A Reexamination Of Deborah As Prophet And Judge, Brandy Scritchfield
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
This study aims to set aside gender concerns related to Deborah and the interpretation of Judges 4–5 in order to determine if a clearer portrait emerges of Deborah as a prophet, a judge, or both without gender issues obscuring the picture. Chapter 1 provides a representative summary of Deborah’s interpretive history, which establishes how gender has been historically and incorrectly used as the primary interpretive key for understanding Deborah and other key parts of Judg 4–5. Chapter 2 discusses Deborah’s role as a judge and determines the text supports identifying her with this title, and chapter 3 does the same …
Human Freedom And The Invisible Church From The Viewpoint Of Bavinck's Pneumatology, Dong-Yaul Tae
Human Freedom And The Invisible Church From The Viewpoint Of Bavinck's Pneumatology, Dong-Yaul Tae
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
Although Reformed pneumatology is generally recognized by scholars of Calvin and Reformed confessions to be relatively well developed compared to the various pneumatologies of the Western theological tradition, it faces two important challenges. First, Reformed pneumatology is directly linked to the critique that Reformed soteriology’s accentuation of predestination and effectual grace leads to inevitable fatalism that ignores human freedom. This is because the ministry of the Holy Spirit is crucial in the Reformed understanding of the order of salvation beginning with regeneration and ending with glorification. Second, because the ministry of the Holy Spirit is a key to understanding Reformed …
The Metaphysics Of The Eudaimonological Argument., James H. Joiner
The Metaphysics Of The Eudaimonological Argument., James H. Joiner
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
This work gives attention to a trajectory that attempts to chart a course from the human quest for happiness and ultimately arrives at a transcendent, universal terminus or summum bonum as the natural end of this quest. This trajectory of ascent has given rise to a specific kind of project in natural theology; namely, the Eudaimonological Argument. Herein I set out to defend the analysis and development of the thought of Thomas Aquinas on this ascent by the 20th century Neoscholastic, Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange (1877–1964). The central thesis contends that Garrigou’s Eudaimonological Argument represents a viable project in natural theology within …
Law And Religion In Alliance: Guido De Bres And The Restriction Of Religious Liberty, Antoine Theron
Law And Religion In Alliance: Guido De Bres And The Restriction Of Religious Liberty, Antoine Theron
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
This study investigates why the Dutch reformer Guido De Bres believed that the law should restrict religious liberty. In other words, why did De Bres believe that political rulers should not tolerate religious liberty? The answer developed in this dissertation is that De Bres’s restrictive view of religious liberty was largely the result of his vision of an alliance between law and religion. De Bres’s vision of an alliance between law and religion was his theological response to the acute challenge of his concrete historical (political, social) context. De Bres’s vision offered a solution to the desperate plight of the …
Unearned Suffering Is Redemptive: The Roots And Implications Of Martin Luther King, Jr.’S Redemptive Suffering Theodicy, Mika Edmondson
Unearned Suffering Is Redemptive: The Roots And Implications Of Martin Luther King, Jr.’S Redemptive Suffering Theodicy, Mika Edmondson
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation analyzes the roots and implications of Martin Luther King Jr.'s redemptive suffering theodicy, reconsidering its continued relevance to contemporary discussions about theodicy among black theologians and within the black church. Through his home and church influences, King inherited a nearly 250-year-old black redemptive suffering tradition that traces back to early Negro spirituals and abolitionist works. King carefully developed these traditional theodical themes through critical engagement with Protestant liberal sources before applying his redemptive suffering formula during the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. With a view towards the cross and the omnipotent personal God's good purposes …
Spirit Determinism In The Christian Anthropology Of Yorù̀Bá Indigenous Churches, Bernard T. Ayọ̀Ọlá
Spirit Determinism In The Christian Anthropology Of Yorù̀Bá Indigenous Churches, Bernard T. Ayọ̀Ọlá
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
There are people who think everything in life is an accident. Then, there are the Yorùbá of Southwestern Nigeria who believe that life outcomes are prearranged by the Supreme Being but may also be altered, for better or for worse, by the spirit beings in the universe. Yorùbá Christians, like their non-Christian kin, believe that many experiences in life are manifestations of the activities of the superhuman spirit beings in the community. While the good spirits (such as ancestors and angels) ordinarily have positive impacts on society, the evil spirits (such as witches, wizards, and demons) often work in collaboration …
Authority And Meaning In A Brave New World: Postconservative Evangelical Theological Method After The Cultural-Linguistic Turn, Jeffrey Halsted
Authority And Meaning In A Brave New World: Postconservative Evangelical Theological Method After The Cultural-Linguistic Turn, Jeffrey Halsted
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation fills a gap in the current scholarship by describing Stanley Grenz’s and Kevin Vanhoozer’s postconservative evangelical understandings of authority, meaning, and truth as they are related to Scripture and the community of faith. Acknowledging the postliberal influence of George Lindbeck, scholarship is further needed to describe whether theological authority ultimately rests in Scripture or the community of faith. Furthermore, scholarship needs to address the manner in which we seek, participate in, or determine meaning and truth within postconservative evangelical theological method. This dissertation provides this scholarship for Grenz’s and Vanhoozer’s thought while also providing a more extensive description …
Paul Helm's "Compatibilist" View Of Divine Providence In Light Of The Frankfurtian Debate., Simon Sang-Kyun Ko
Paul Helm's "Compatibilist" View Of Divine Providence In Light Of The Frankfurtian Debate., Simon Sang-Kyun Ko
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
It is easy to find in prominent scholarly opinion today that to maintain its comprehensive divine determinism the Reformed Christian tradition must endorse metaphysical compatibilism to affirm some semblance of creaturely freedom. Arguably, one of the two Reformed scholars who have promulgated this idea the most is Paul Helm. Interestingly, while Helm’s “no-risk” view of divine providence started off with pretty straightforward classical compatibilism, it has since morphed into what is akin to source incompatibilism. At the heart of this transformation is Helm’s increasing interest in the feasibility of “irreducible agency, despite the fixity of the future” (or to use …
Herman Bavinck Between Scholastic And Modern Psychology: Toward A "Reformed Psychology.", Joohyun Kim
Herman Bavinck Between Scholastic And Modern Psychology: Toward A "Reformed Psychology.", Joohyun Kim
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
Bavinck completed his first psychology book, Principles of Psychology (Beginselen der Psychologie, 1897) in the middle of his theological writings from his interaction with the nineteenth century psychologies. In 1920, Bavinck published another psychology book entitled Biblical and Religious Psychology (Bijbelsche en Religieuze Psychologie) on the basis of solid exegesis and biblical principles. In Principles of Psychology, Bavinck intended that his psychological principles would be as worthy as the empirical psychology of his day. Kuyper also stressed the doctrinal value of faculty psychology to Bavinck’s first psychology book in his review. Yet, these two psychology books were virtually neglected both …
Hebel' In Ecclesiastes : Abel As Symbol Referent, Gregory R. Vruggink
Hebel' In Ecclesiastes : Abel As Symbol Referent, Gregory R. Vruggink
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
This work contends that Abel should be considered as a possible referent for hebel in some contexts in the book of Ecclesiastes. The attempt to rightly understand the usage of hebel has employed several translation philosophies, but the theory of hebel in Ecclesiastes as a metaphor functioning with multiple referents best explains the variety and complexity of its usage in Ecclesiastes. This thesis contends that Abel should be considered an additional referent in cases where the usage of hebel is framed by the concepts of death and transience, a relationship which is made stronger in nearby allusions to Gen 1-4 …
Sibrandus Lubbertus (1555-1625) And Reformed Polemics On Authority In The Church., Dave Holmlund
Sibrandus Lubbertus (1555-1625) And Reformed Polemics On Authority In The Church., Dave Holmlund
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
Sibrandus Lubbertus (1555-1625) was a German born Reformed theologian who spent most of his life teaching at the University of Franeker in Friesland, a northern region of the Netherlands. Among his publications, the most significant in size and importance were his disputational works, which used a polemical form to address controversial issues of the post-Reformation period in which he gave a robust defense of the Reformed position over and against the most influential voices of his day, whether they themselves were a more heterodox expression of Protestant theology or simply Roman Catholic. This dissertation examines the major treatises of Lubbertus, …
Salvation By Faith: Faith, Covenant, And The Order Of Salvation In Thomas Goodwin (1600-1680)., Hyo-Nam Kim
Salvation By Faith: Faith, Covenant, And The Order Of Salvation In Thomas Goodwin (1600-1680)., Hyo-Nam Kim
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
The doctrines of covenant, faith, and the order of salvation are crucial components of early modern Reformed soteriology. In seventeenth-century England, these three major doctrines of Reformed theology, which had been taken over undeveloped from the Reformers, took a mature shape, but aroused controversies among diverse Protestant groups. Modern historical scholarship on Reformed orthodoxy has produced little significant research that deals with these doctrines synthetically. The object of this dissertation is to explore the broader role of faith in relation to these two significant doctrines for salvation in the early modern Reformed theology, with specific reference to the thought of …
Driven By God: Active Justification And Definitive Sanctification In The Soteriology Of Bavinck, Comrie, Witsius, And Kuyper., Jae-Eun Park
Driven By God: Active Justification And Definitive Sanctification In The Soteriology Of Bavinck, Comrie, Witsius, And Kuyper., Jae-Eun Park
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
For more than two millennia believers have struggled with the antinomy of God’s absolute sovereignty over and man’s ultimate responsibility in justification and sanctification. For at least the past several hundred years theologians have used some version of the terms “active justification” and “definitive sanctification” in an attempt to illuminate this mystery. However, in the past decade scho lars have begun to criticize these concepts, saying that they are unsupported in Scripture, lead to theological confusion, and are of no practical benefit to believers. Through the work of theologians from the broader Dutch Reformed tradition, especially Herman Bavinck (1854-1921), Alexander …
Theologia Viatorum: Institutional Continuity And The Reception Of A Theological Framework From Franciscus Junius's De Theologia Vera To Bernhardinus De Moor's Commentarius Perpetuus, Todd M. Rester
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
Some scholars have identified a certain amount of vagueness in continuity theses of scholarship regarding medieval, Reformation, and post-Reformation thought. A criterion of continuity is necessary in order to prosecute a continuity thesis. One way to root intellectual history within a particular social context over time is to examine a conceptual framework as it develops, changes, and even declines within an academic institution like an early modern university. Institutional continuity is a methodological approach that seeks to clarify the relationship between continuity, influence, confessionalization and deconfessionalization diachronically within an institutional context of an early modern university. The test case for …
Early Stuart Polemical Hermeneutics: Andrew Willet's 1611 Romans Hexapla., Darren M. Pollock
Early Stuart Polemical Hermeneutics: Andrew Willet's 1611 Romans Hexapla., Darren M. Pollock
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
Andrew Willet, a Cambridge-educated minister, began his writing career as a popular anti-Catholic polemicist (best known for the influential Synopsis Papismi) during Elizabeth I’s reign. Early in the seventeenth century he shifted genres, writing a series of biblical commentaries using a distinctive six-fold method and earning a reputation as one of the country’s best textual scholars. Willet suggested that the change to exegesis was a move from religious controversy to more irenic waters, and many scholars have taken him at his word, writing of his abandonment of polemics. An analysis of his 1611 hexapla commentary on Romans, however, reveals a …
Inscrutable Providence: The Doctrine Of Divine Concurrence And The Theology Of Charles Hodge., Nathan J. Archer
Inscrutable Providence: The Doctrine Of Divine Concurrence And The Theology Of Charles Hodge., Nathan J. Archer
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation will discuss the doctrine of concurrence within the larger doctrine of providence. Although concurrence was once a key component of the doctrine of providence, it was difficult to maintain in a post-enlightenment theological and philosophical context, even for a Reformed thinker such as Charles Hodge. Although Hodge labored to explain the older formulation of this doctrine—especially as articulated by Francis Turretin—Hodge found concurrence problematic and did not commend its use. In addition to shifting philosophical sensibilities, concerns regarding pantheism were a significant reason why some nineteenth-century American Calvinists distanced themselves from concurrence. Nonetheless, Hodge’s theology stands largely in …
Calvin's Eschatology In Its Historical And Exegetical Context., Takashi Yoshida
Calvin's Eschatology In Its Historical And Exegetical Context., Takashi Yoshida
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
This study reveals both the variety and complexity of Calvin’s eschatology by way of a historical and contextual approach. Against an ahistorical and dogmatic approach to Calvin, it discusses the necessity of locating and examining his eschatology in several contexts: theological and exegetical traditions, both his predecessors and contemporaries; variety of genre of his own works, from catechism to polemical treatise and biblical commentaries; and their chronological developments. Calvin’s eschatology is basically traditional and owes much to the theological and spiritual heritage in the past. It is definitely, among others, in the Augustinian tradition though strongly characterized by his biblical …
Do Not Strike Hands In Pledge: Comparative Perspectives On Surety For Debt In Proverbs., Doren G. Snoek
Do Not Strike Hands In Pledge: Comparative Perspectives On Surety For Debt In Proverbs., Doren G. Snoek
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
Six proverbs on surety for debt present unique difficulties for interpreters of the Hebrew Bible. Because surety for debt is only occasionally mentioned, the inner-biblical data is hard-pressed to resolve the many differences of opinion. There is a large body of primary texts from the ancient Near East that indicates that surety was a widespread practice in a vast historical period. There is also a large body of secondary literature focused on these texts. The primary and secondary literature is sufficiently robust as to warrant a closer look from biblical scholars. This thesis argues that the extra-biblical texts elucidate the …
Magic And Christianity In The Acts Of The Apostles: The Confrontation., Chandra Han
Magic And Christianity In The Acts Of The Apostles: The Confrontation., Chandra Han
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
Magic is an intriguing topic in the New Testament but compared to other topics of discussion in New Testament Studies, the significance of the theme of magic has been unjustly undermined as indicated by David E.Aune. From the all eight occurrences of magic in the New Testament, four are found in the Acts of the Apostles. Therefore, the Acts of the Apostles is the most significant source to understand magic. The purpose of this thesis is to figure out the understanding of magic and Christianity in the Acts of the Apostles. Since Christianity flourished in the Greco-Roman era, the understanding …
Elements Of Cultic Prophecy In Psalm 75., Nielsen A. Tomazini
Elements Of Cultic Prophecy In Psalm 75., Nielsen A. Tomazini
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
This work defends the thesis that Psalm 75 is the result of the participation of cult prophets in the worship of Israel. We argue that Gunkel’s form critical method and Mowinckel’s cult functional approach provides the necessary features to satisfactory explain the switches in speakers and addressees in this psalm. Additionally, we conclude that cultic prophecy is a valid approach to interpret the so-called “prophetic psalms” in the Psalter and, consequently, to interpret Psalm 75. In search for more arguments in defense of our thesis we use 2 Chronicles 20 as an example of the participation of prophets in a …
The End Of The Natural Law: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Christological Ethics., Jordan J. Ballor
The End Of The Natural Law: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Christological Ethics., Jordan J. Ballor
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) has often been understood as articulating an occasionalistic, divine-command theory of ethics. In this regard, he is often seen as aligned with Karl Barth (1886-1968). This study challenges this view by demonstrating that Bonhoeffer’s own ethical project was aimed at resuscitating and reviving a distinctively Protestant form of natural-law thinking. Bonhoeffer’s approach was characterized by an emphasis on the origin, formation, and goal of natural mandates in, by, and toward Jesus Christ. Bonhoeffer’s early teaching concerning orders of preservation and laws of life was developed into a mature doctrine of divine mandates in his Ethics, which are …
Revelation As Primal Sensing: A Theological Investigation Into The Interaction Between Christian Faith And African Religious Traditions., Philip M. Wandawa
Revelation As Primal Sensing: A Theological Investigation Into The Interaction Between Christian Faith And African Religious Traditions., Philip M. Wandawa
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation fills a gap in African Christian thought regarding the relationship between Christian faith and African traditions. The gap is that—notwithstanding the light shed on the relationship by the debate within the threefold typology (exclusivism, inclusivism, pluralism)—there is ambivalence in African Christian thought regarding the value of African religious traditions for Christian faith. This ambivalence is sometimes expressed in complaints by theologians against what appears to be either “syncretism,” “divided loyalties,” “religious schizophrenia,” or “double-mindedness” in African Christian religious experience and expression. In the view of this dissertation, the ambivalence in African Christian thought stems from the inability of …
The Pactum Salutis In The Theologies Of Witsius, Owen, Dickson, Goodwin, And Cocceius., Byunghoon Woo
The Pactum Salutis In The Theologies Of Witsius, Owen, Dickson, Goodwin, And Cocceius., Byunghoon Woo
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
The doctrine of the pactum salutis (covenant of redemption) offers the idea of a covenant between the very persons of the Trinity for the redemption of humanity. The doctrine received most of its attention in seventeenth-century Reformed theology, but has been criticized and almost totally forgotten in dogmatics since the eighteenth century. Most of recent Reformed dogmatics, with very few exceptions, tend to ignore the doctrine or disparage it from biblical, trinitarian, christological, pneumatological, and soteriological perspectives—namely, the doctrine lacks scriptural basis; it is tritheistic; it leads to subordination of the Son; it omits the role of the Holy Spirit; …
"A Knot Worth Unloosing": The Interpretation Of The New Heavens And Earth In Seventeenth-Century England, John H. Duff
"A Knot Worth Unloosing": The Interpretation Of The New Heavens And Earth In Seventeenth-Century England, John H. Duff
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
Scholars interested in the history of Christian eschatological thought have focused primarily on the theme of heaven or on the various interpretations of the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6. Virtually no attention has been given to past interpretations of the biblical phrase the new heavens and earth. This dissertation uncovers the interpretations of this phrase that were extant in seventeenth-century England. These interpretations fall into two basic camps—those that understood the phrase metaphorically and those that understood the phrase literally. One group of English divines believed the new heavens and earth was a phrase referring to the new age …
"The Loved One Does Not Yet Know All She Shall Become": Mysticism As Eschatology In Medieval Writers., John C. Medendorp
"The Loved One Does Not Yet Know All She Shall Become": Mysticism As Eschatology In Medieval Writers., John C. Medendorp
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
New developments in the study of Western Christian mysticism demand that the mystics be interpreted theologically if we are to accept the mystics on their own terms and take them seriously. This study argues that the medieval mystics in Europe up to the 13th century understand their work to be eschatological in nature, interpreting the mystical experience of union with the Divine as an inbreaking or foretaste of the eschaton. Reading Hadewijch of Antwerp, a 13th century Dutch mystic, together with contributions from Augustine of Hippo, Bernard of Clarivaux, and Hildegard of Bingen, this study attempts to demonstrate that the …
The Liturgical Use Of Spiritual Gifts: Discerning Next Steps In Contextual Nigerian Practice., Emmanuel Saba Bileya
The Liturgical Use Of Spiritual Gifts: Discerning Next Steps In Contextual Nigerian Practice., Emmanuel Saba Bileya
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
The use of spiritual gifts is a blessing to the Church today, especially when it functions within the liturgical forms in a worship service. Specifically, the liturgical use of spiritual gifts is a great benefit for the edification of both the mainline and the Pentecostal churches. In Nigeria, the use of spiritual gifts is significantly contextual to the African world view. Some Nigerian theologians suggest that the compatibility of spiritual gifts to the African world view is one of the main factors that contributes to the fast growth of Pentecostal and charismatic churches in Africa. Due to its compatibility with …
God Of Friendship: Herman Hoeksema's Unconditional Covenant Conception., Ronald L. Cammenga
God Of Friendship: Herman Hoeksema's Unconditional Covenant Conception., Ronald L. Cammenga
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
This thesis is a study of the doctrine of the covenant of grace as developed by the Protestant Reformed theologian Herman Hoeksema (1886-1965). In the thesis I will focus particularly on Hoeksema's teaching that the covenant of grace is unconditional, both in its establishment and its maintenance. I will demonstrate that already in the early 1920s, while yet a minister in the Christian Reformed Church, Hoeksema's understanding of the covenant was impacted by his convictions concerning election. Throughout his lifetime Hoeksema never wavered from his fundamental view of the covenant of grace in its relationship to God's sovereign, gracious decree …
A Critical Examination Of Justin Ukpong's Inculturation Hermeneutics., Matthew Lanser
A Critical Examination Of Justin Ukpong's Inculturation Hermeneutics., Matthew Lanser
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
The interpretation of the Bible in Africa is a broad and rapidly developing field, and also one that has attracted relatively little attention in the academy. While Justin’s Ukpong’s theory and method of biblical interpretation has generated significant discussion in the field, this study offers the first broad, critical examination of the internal coherence of Ukpong’s inculturation hermeneutics and of its broader usefulness for the theory and practice of interpreting the Bible in Africa. I begin by describing the assumptions, method, and practice of Ukpong’s inculturation hermeneutics. I proceed by using Schreiter’s criteria for contextual theologies to evaluate the coherence …
Symphonia Catholica: The Merger Of Patristic And Contemporary Sources In The Theological Method Of Amandus Polanus (1561-1610)., Byung Soo Han
Symphonia Catholica: The Merger Of Patristic And Contemporary Sources In The Theological Method Of Amandus Polanus (1561-1610)., Byung Soo Han
CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations
This dissertation intends to answer, by investigating the merger of patristic and contemporary sources in the theological method of Amandus Polanus, a significant question concerning the way in which the intellectual and methodological eclecticism of the Reformed was able to establish a coherent “system” of thought capable of defense as not only confessional but also orthodox in its theology and broadly catholic, drawing both on the thought of the Reformers and on the resources of the great tradition of Christian thought that extended back to the church fathers. From a methodological perspective, Polanus’s development from the Ramistically-organized doctrinal framework of …
The Semantics Of Hebrew Na' In The Pentateuch And Former Prophets., Stephen Kline
The Semantics Of Hebrew Na' In The Pentateuch And Former Prophets., Stephen Kline
CTS Master of Theology (ThM) Theses
Beginning with a discussion of face-based linguistic politeness, this thesis investigates the etymology of the particle נָא as well as its meaning in the Pentateuch and Former Prophets. Though always associated with requests, the function of נָא varies according to its syntactical usage. With the particles הִנָּה and נָא ,אִם indicates that a request is about to be made; the interjections נָא and אַל־נָא are found too rarely to draw certain conclusions, but even in the few attested occurrences, a request follows. With the third-person jussive, נָא indicates that the hearer is being asked to do something, either to engage …