Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 17 of 17

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

Christian Citizenship, Valentine J. Mack May 1947

Christian Citizenship, Valentine J. Mack

Bachelor of Divinity

"The Christian's life in this world is not lived in separate compartments, the spiritual and the temporal. It is one life, the life of a child of God, and in all the various situations and relationships in which the Christian finds himself he is motivated and governed by those principles which have been implanted in him in his regeneration and which are nurtured and developed by the means of grace. It is impossible, therefore, to separate his life as a Christian from his life as a citizen; in his relation to the state, the nation, and the government the Christian …


Lutheran Sola Fide Vs Roman Catholic Ex Opere Operato Of The Basis Of The Confessions, John G. Deterding May 1947

Lutheran Sola Fide Vs Roman Catholic Ex Opere Operato Of The Basis Of The Confessions, John G. Deterding

Bachelor of Divinity

Opposed to the sola fide is the doctrine of ex opere operato, i.e., that the sacraments mechanically confer grace upon all who receive them. Faith is not necessary to receive this grace, but the mere outward ceremony effects it mechanically for all those who do not place an obstacle in the way.


Nicolas Of Cusa His Life And Thought, Paul M. Riedel May 1947

Nicolas Of Cusa His Life And Thought, Paul M. Riedel

Bachelor of Divinity

Most interesting to the present writer were Cusa’s mysticism and his universalist approach to Christian truth and values. A mystic, he, nevertheless, strove to communicate his insight rationally. Though a sincere reformer, he remained a loyal adherent of the Roman church.


An Examination Of The Premises Of Wesley's Doctrine Of Christian Perfection, Anthony S. Gedwillo May 1947

An Examination Of The Premises Of Wesley's Doctrine Of Christian Perfection, Anthony S. Gedwillo

Bachelor of Divinity

For the past two centuries theologians have discussed the pros and cons of Wesley's doctrine of Christian perfection. Many have voiced their opinions in favor of it, maintaining that this high ethical ideal is certainly to be supported because there is the possibility of attainment; others have discredited it most severely by contending that such a Christian goal was not possible in this world, in this life, so long as the flesh of man was united with the soul of man.


An Examination Of The Worship Of Mary Of Guadalupe, Martin Luther Frenk May 1947

An Examination Of The Worship Of Mary Of Guadalupe, Martin Luther Frenk

Bachelor of Divinity

The Trinity of the Bible is fast becoming the Quadrinity in the Catholic Church. Mariolatry, or the worship of Mary, has become a chief characteristic of the Roman Church in our day. The doctrine of Mary’s cooperation in salvation is far more developed and emphasized today than in the days of Martin Luther.


A Criticism Of Religious Implications In The Writings Of Aldous Huxley, Richard Luecke May 1947

A Criticism Of Religious Implications In The Writings Of Aldous Huxley, Richard Luecke

Bachelor of Divinity

The controlling purpose of this study is to criticise the religious content and implications in Huxley's writings. The nature of the problem is more practical than theological or philosophical, bringing the Christian point of reference to bear on this man’s writings and endeavoring to come up with a Christian attitude toward the man.


Religion And The Adolescent Personality, Robert E. Meier May 1947

Religion And The Adolescent Personality, Robert E. Meier

Bachelor of Divinity

In an attempt to gain a clearer picture of adolescent personality, psychologists and psychoanalists, counselors and pastors have concerned themselves very much with this problem. Adolescence is a culmination of many things that have gone before, and its effects will continue in later life. Adolescence is not a life by itself, but a stage in a total life! Therefore, the events and happenings of adolescence cannot be cut off from the total life.


The Doctrine Of Salvation According To The Minor Prophets, W W. Bentrup May 1947

The Doctrine Of Salvation According To The Minor Prophets, W W. Bentrup

Bachelor of Divinity

A complete and thorough study of the doctrine of salvation presented in the Old Testament is beyond the scope of a Bachelor of Divinity thesis. Several factors made it advisable to restrict the research to the Minor Prophets. Nevertheless, to complete the picture, a brief survey of what the Old Testament has to say on the subject of salvation is naturally in place in order to supply the necessary background for the thesis.


The Injunctons Of Scripture For A Well -Balanced Personality, Carl T. Geist May 1947

The Injunctons Of Scripture For A Well -Balanced Personality, Carl T. Geist

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose of this paper is to show the power and aid that the Bible and Christianity can extend to mental and physical problems.


The Mystics Of The Late Middle Ages And Their Influence On The Lutheran Reformation, E Edward Hackmann May 1947

The Mystics Of The Late Middle Ages And Their Influence On The Lutheran Reformation, E Edward Hackmann

Bachelor of Divinity

Like all historical movements, the Lutheran Reformation has its antecedents in previous time. It is with one of these preparatory and influencing movements that this paper is to deal, namely, that of Late Medieval Mysticism. In this paper, we shall attempt to present the chief representatives of Late Medieval Mysticism. We have devoted three sections to each representative: first, a brief biographical sketch; secondly, an abbreviated condensation of their mysticism and theological doctrines; and thirdly, a brief evaluation of their sphere of influence and their implications for the Reformation.


The Race Question In The Light Of The Una Sancta, Harry N. Huxhold May 1947

The Race Question In The Light Of The Una Sancta, Harry N. Huxhold

Bachelor of Divinity

Neither Scriptures nor the confessions of the Lutheran Church deal with the specific problems of racial minority groups, for the problem was absent at the time of their writing. But both indicate principles on the basis of which the question may be treated. Approaches to the problem on the basis of the various principles laid down in Scriptures and the Confessions may vary. But since the problem as it confronts the Church is most generally connected with the question of integrating racial minority groups in the local congregation, the following paper is a study of the race question and its …


The Apostolic Concept Of Being Filled With The Spirit, Robert Bernard Ehlers May 1947

The Apostolic Concept Of Being Filled With The Spirit, Robert Bernard Ehlers

Bachelor of Divinity

What was the apostolic concept of "being filled with the Holy Ghost?" That should take us to the very heart of the matter. At any rate, we have endeavored to learn all that the Word of God reveals about this mystery, to claim what can be claimed as wheat, and to winnow out the chaff.


Rome And The First Amendment Of The Federal Constitution, Norbert Walter Meyer May 1947

Rome And The First Amendment Of The Federal Constitution, Norbert Walter Meyer

Bachelor of Divinity

This paper, however, merely intends to sound an alarm. Roman Catholicism, regardless of the impression it might give, is a genuine threat to the religious freedom guaranteed in the Federal Constitution. We shall not attempt to judge the validity of the American form of government. That we take for granted. But our purpose is this: to determine the extent of the liberty guaranteed in the law of the land; to point out apparent agreement and obvious discrepancies between liberty and the Vatican; and to cite the practice of Rome as evidence of her intolerance and the Papacy's authoritarian principles.


Martin Chemnitz And His Locus De Sacra Scriptura Against Roman Errors, Arthur Bernard Lossner May 1947

Martin Chemnitz And His Locus De Sacra Scriptura Against Roman Errors, Arthur Bernard Lossner

Bachelor of Divinity

This paper bas been written with the intention of giving credit to whom it is due. The value of the work of Chemnitz will be shown in an account of his life and in an analysis of the first locus of his most important work, the Examen Concilii Tridentini.


A Comparison Of The Christian Doctrine Of Sin With That Of The Three Religions Of China, Leroy Hass May 1947

A Comparison Of The Christian Doctrine Of Sin With That Of The Three Religions Of China, Leroy Hass

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose in writing this thesis, however, is not to produce a lengthy dissertation on the Christian concept of sin; this has been done by many excellent Christian theologians. In the next few pages we shall simply reproduce the teachings of Dr. Franz Pieper and Dr. J. T. Mueller on this subject. Hence, very few proof passages or proofs of any kind are offered. It is our desire merely to review the chief points of the Christian concept of sin in order to prepare the reader for a more intelligent consideration of the topic.


Sacramentalism In The Roman Catholic Church, Jack H. Ruff May 1947

Sacramentalism In The Roman Catholic Church, Jack H. Ruff

Bachelor of Divinity

In view of the current wave of Romanist propaganda, the purpose of this paper is to re-examine the sacramental system of Rome in the light of the Scriptures and history. Objective examination will show that: a) The sacraments have become the shackl.es to bind men to the Church of Rome, b) The sacramentalism or the Romanists leads to doubt or carnal security, c) The papists' system is inadequate as shown by the very practice of the Catholic Church.


The Kingdom Of Christ With Special Reference To Premillennialism, Carl N. Last Apr 1947

The Kingdom Of Christ With Special Reference To Premillennialism, Carl N. Last

Bachelor of Divinity

Chiliasm has always been taught in the Church by individuals and particular groups, but it has never been taught as the orthodox faith of the Church. There are some today who hold to Chiliasm because they believe that the early Christian Church advanced the chiliastic arguments. Dr. West in his History of Premillenarian Doctrine claims that “a true Christian Chiliasm was the orthodox faith of the primitive Church in its purest days.” We want to show in introducing this paper that the Church in the first three centuries of its history did not believe in a millennial kingdom of Christ …