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Calvin University

2015

Articles 1 - 9 of 9

Full-Text Articles in Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum, Julius T. Medenblik, John W. Cooper, Jeffrey A.D. Weima, Arie C. Leder Oct 2015

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum, Julius T. Medenblik, John W. Cooper, Jeffrey A.D. Weima, Arie C. Leder

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Biblical and Hermeneutical Reflections on Same-Sex Relationships

Articles
3 - Entering the Conversation by Jul Medenblik
5 - Not Like Women in Office: Scripture, Hermeneutics, and Same-Sex Relations by John W. Cooper
9 - Same-Sex Activity: What Does the New Testament Say? by Jeffrey A.D. Weima
13 - Until my Body Finds its Rest in You, O Lord by Arie C. Leder
17 - From Dream to Forum Editorial from the Inaugural Issue by David E. Holwerda

Called to Serve
18 - Calvin Seminary’s Certificate for Hispanic Ministry Program
19 - 2015 Convocation Address excerpts from Professor Mary Vanden Berg …

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Inscrutable Providence: The Doctrine Of Divine Concurrence And The Theology Of Charles Hodge., Nathan J. Archer Jan 2015

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 …

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Calvin's Eschatology In Its Historical And Exegetical Context., Takashi Yoshida Jan 2015

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 …

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Do Not Strike Hands In Pledge: Comparative Perspectives On Surety For Debt In Proverbs., Doren G. Snoek Jan 2015

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 …

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Magic And Christianity In The Acts Of The Apostles: The Confrontation., Chandra Han Jan 2015

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 …

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Elements Of Cultic Prophecy In Psalm 75., Nielsen A. Tomazini Jan 2015

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 …

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The End Of The Natural Law: Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Christological Ethics., Jordan J. Ballor Jan 2015

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 …

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Revelation As Primal Sensing: A Theological Investigation Into The Interaction Between Christian Faith And African Religious Traditions., Philip M. Wandawa Jan 2015

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 …

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The Pactum Salutis In The Theologies Of Witsius, Owen, Dickson, Goodwin, And Cocceius., Byunghoon Woo Jan 2015

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; …

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