Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

A Law-Gospel Comparison Of The World Council Of Churches' Document Baptism. Eucharist. And Ministry And The Book Of Concord, Glen Thomas

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Before comparing Baptism. Eucharist, and Ministry(BEM) and The Book of Concord with respect to their confession of the proper distinction between Law and Gospel, it will be helpful to establish and define what is meant by the terms Law and Gospel.as well as their proper distinction. While an investigation of all aspects of Law and Gospel would consume an entire thesis in itself, only those aspects of Law and Gospel which will be helpful in the investigation of BEM and The Book of Concord will be explored (those dealing with how man is justified before God). The material presented in …

The Doctrine Of Scripture In Fundamentalist Theology A Lutheran Appraisal, Terry Forke

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The analysis of these four sources will form the body of this paper. The comparison will support the thesis that there is an appropriate distinction to be made between the fundamentalist and the traditional Lutheran doctrine of Scripture. This distinction is made in the hope that further discussion may be facilitated by the avoidance of unnecessary conflict due to the misuse of the term "fundamentalism" as applied to the Missouri Synod.

Isaac As Preached By Luther, Ralph Rokke

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This study will trace Luther's exposition of the life of Isaac primarily as that exposition is found in his Genesis Commentary, although at times references will also be made to other writings of Luther in which Isaac is mentioned.

The Nature And Function Of The Lutheran Confessions In Twentieth Century American Lutheranism, Charles Arand

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

By concentrating on what theologians and church leaders have written on the sub­ject of the confessional principle and confessional subscription, this study has dealt with those who had or have an interest in the subject. It may or may not be representative of the way in which the church at large regards and deals with the church's symbols. Attempting to address such a concern, this study has referred to official synodical resolutions and dec­larations as illustrative that the confessional attitude of the theologians was also representa­tive of their church's position. At the same time, however, it may be pointed out …

A Theological Assessment Of Minjung Theology, Systematically And Biblically, Yong Wha Na

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

It is imperative for the church of Christ Jesus to teach and preach all the contents of the gospel systematically and biblically (Matt. 28:20). Therefore, if the churches emptied of the material contents of the gospel, it cannot stand at all.

This thesis attempts to show how seriously minjung theology deviates from the true teachings of the Scriptures. And, at the same time, this thesis contrasts the teachings of minjung theology with the Scriptural meanings of the gospel, with the goal that we should be sure of the fact that the kingdom of God can be planted only by the …

Lutheranism In Maine 1741-1986, Ingo Dutzmann

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

My purpose in this writing is very simple. First, to tell the story for the first time. Second, to establish and comment upon basic demographic data for Lutheranism in Maine and to provide brief overviews of every Lutheran congregation in Maine to date. And third, to make some observations about the practical and theological state of the Lutheran denominations in Maine especially with reference to the establishment of the new Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, as it may relate to the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

The Apostolic Tradition- A Study Of The Texts And Origins, And Its Eucharistic Teachings With A Special Exploration Of The Ethiopic Version, Eshetu Abate

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

This study will engage only one piece of the great body of material that is ours by way of the Ethiopic tradition. What we know of the inter-testamental period and of early Christianity would be poorer without what comes to us through the Ethiopic tradition, both where it overlaps with other traditions, and where it is unique. Among its unique witnesses of the inter-testamental period are Jubliees, 1 Book of Enoch and the Ascension of Isaiah. Of these the complete text is provided only by their Ethiopic versions. The traditions of the Early Church preserved in the Ethiopic tradition are …

The Heart Of Lutheran Pentecost Preaching: A Comparison Of Luther, Walther, And Spener, John Lukomski

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

This thesis was prompted by the desire to aid Lutheran Pentecost preaching. It was hoped to do that both in a positive way, determining what are the good things to be said in a Lutheran Pentecost sermon, and in a negative way, determining what are the errors to be avoided.

The History And Use Of The Galesburg Rule In American Lutheranism, William Utech

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

It is not the aim of this presentation to consider all the ecumenical issues and endeavors these three branches involved themselves in during the years 1875 to the present. Rather, this discussion is limited to only those personalities, documents, and events which had a direct relationship to The Galesburg Rule and the kind of ecclesiastical practice it encouraged. In addition to the standard American Lutheran histories, the primary source materials employed are the official convention proceedings and reports of the various synods and ministeriums under consideration. Also utilized are sources of secondary importance, such as the writings of the theological …

Biblical Authority In The Westminster Confession And Its Twentieth Century Contextualization In The Reformed Presbyterian Testimony Of 1980, John Delivuk

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

This dissertation is a study of the doctrine of Biblical authority as believed and taught by the Westminster Assembly in its Confession of Faith, and this doctrine's application to the late twentieth century. Further, this dissertation will consider the definition of that doctrine, and how it was applied in the Westminster Confession. This study will also consider how the Westminster doctrine of Biblical authority is applied today in the Reformed Presbyterian Testimony of 1980. These issues will serve as the center of this study.

The issue of authority is one of the most important in Christianity, because it affects the …

Paul Gerhardt In Statu Confessionis A Study Of Paul Gerhardt's Confession Of Christ, Gerald Krispin

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The attempt will therefore be made to approach Gerhardt’s hymnody with his theology and piety in mind, and to examine systematically how these elements influenced and formed his confession of Christ within his hymnody. For itis in the confession of Christ in the arms of the Virgin, upon the cross and in word and sacrament that the purity of the Gospel comes to the fore. Remarkably it is this confession of Christ which is most frequently censured, disregarded, or ignored in Gerhardt's hymnody. Ultimately his hymns will have to speak for themselves.

The Work Of The Holy Spirit In Light Of John 14-16, Glenn Nielsen

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The paper is thus quite helpful, for now my personal question is answered. No, I am not missing out on anything of the Spirit. My relationship with Christ assures me of that. It also answers the more academic inquiry, which produces the thesis of this study: the work of the Holy Spirit is exclusively and continually Christological. Or, as Frederick Bruner says, commenting on the title of his book, The Holy Spirit: Shy Member of the Trinity,

What I mean here by shyness is not the shyness of timidity(cf. 2 Tim. 1:7), but the shyness of deference, the shyness of …

Cyril As Pastor: The Proclamation Of His Christology To His People, Theodore Mayes

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this paper is to investigate Cyril's Christology as he wrote or preached it to the people in his own diocese, for the particular purpose of discovering whether Cyril, in speaking to his own people, was "Chalcedonian" or "Monophysite." Cyril's anthropology (even though it would be helpful in a definitive study of Cyril's Christology) is not covered, nor are Cyril's major dogmatic and polemic works used.

A Survey Of Luther's Understanding Of The Proper Use Of Ratio In Theology As Found In The Lectures On Galatians (1519),On The Bondage Of The Will, And The Disputation Concerning Man, Kerry Reese

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this thesis is not to speculate regarding where this writer thinks Luther would stand today in the midst of the battles fought to give ratio its proper place in Christian theology. Instead, this writer finds merit in the practices of the Augustinian scholars of Luther's day, allowing an author's writings to speak for themselves when presenting another's point of view on a given subject.6That shall be the attempt of the following pages: to permit the primary sources themselves the opportunity to speak out on the topic of Luther's concept of the proper use of reason in knowing …

The Hermeneutics Of Liberation Theology: A Lutheran Confessional Response To The Theological Methodology Of Leonardo Boff, Jacob Preus

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

Therefore, it is the basic thesis of this study that a theological critique of and response to liberation theology can be done properly only on the basis of its methodology, for it is the theological method of liberation theology and not its theological or political results which serves as its unifying force. Emilio A. Nunez C. says it simply: "Fundamentally, what distinguishes the theology of liberation most from other theologies is its methods"? It is the method, and the hermeneutical presuppositions which accompany it, that shape this diverse and conflicting movement into a unified whole. It is not an oversimplification …

Imputatio Iustitiae Christi, Liberum Arbitrium In Renatis, And Tertius Usus Legis In Melanchthon's Later Loci, Richard Osslund

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

It is the purpose of this study to investigate how forensic justification, the third use of the Law, and the free will of the regenerate Christian complement one another in Melanchthon's theology. The distinction of Law and Gospel, justification and sanctification, "old man and new man," sin and grace provide the pedagogical framework for this expression of evangelical theology. This study therefore focuses on the fundamental distinction basic to understanding the Scriptures and articulating Christian theology -- the distinction between Law and Gospel. In so doing, it underscores Melanchthon's great and continuing legacy as the pedagogue of the Lutheran reformation. …

Millennialism In American Lutheranism In Light Of Augsburg Confession, Article Xvii, Francis Monseth

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The history of Lutheranism witnesses to the existence of opposing interpretations of Article XVII of the Augsburg Confession. Many Lutherans, on the basis of the article, deny the confessional validity of any type of literalistic or futuristic millennium. Others, however, contend that the article is speaking to an immediate situation peculiar to the confessors' moment in history. On this score, they believe that the issue of millennialism or "chiliasm" in its subtle variety is an “open question" as far as the Lutheran confessions are concerned. There have been serious, earnest students on each side of this issue. American Lutheranism has …

An Examination And Evaluation Of A. H. Strong's Doctrine Of Holy Scripture, Myron Houghton

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

One of the reasons for writing this dissertation was to provide a written document that would correct the major defects in Strong's doctrine of Holy Scripture from a perspective that accepts the verbal inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. But in the process of doing research and writing, major problems were discovered in many areas of Strong’s theology. An attempt has been made in this dissertation to point out these problems and to offer suggestions as to how they might be corrected, although it is beyond the scope of this study to explore these problems and/or their solutions in great …

Justification In The Eastern Orthodox Churches (A Comparative Study), Eshetu Abate

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The topic of this Thesis, Justification in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, is prompted by the document which recently came out of the U.S. Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue on the doctrine of Justification by faith alone, work which took more than five years ending in September 1983. To one who comes from the East, especially from Ethiopia, a country where half of the population is Orthodox, the reading of the publicity on this dialogue and its outcome raised the question: "How do the Orthodox Churches in the East think about justification by faith alone?" The incubation of this idea yielded the present …

Contemporary Roman Catholic Approaches To Non-Christian Religions, Jacob A. Preus Iii

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this study is to explore, in greater detail, the final three stages in the evolution of Roman Catholic theology of religions. In order to do this, it will first be necessary to trace the historical background of the current Catholic approaches to non-Christian religions, from exclusive to inclusive ecclesiocentrism.

The Application Of The Lutheran Teaching Concerning The Just War To The Twentieth Century Counter-Insurgency Warfare, Frank Morgret

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Can there be any rules in war? Or, to phrase the same question in other words, is some sort o£ morality possible on the battlefield? The horrors o£ nuclear and guerrilla war prompt many to answer this question with a firm, even vehement, “No” Certainly the fact that millions of noncombatants are the targets for hundreds of nuclear-armed missles lends credence to their denial. Moreover, the vivid picture of the summary execution of a guerrilla by a Vietnamese police chief and the sickening stories of hurling some prisoners of war from a helicopter nine hundred or a thousand feet in …

Melanchthon's Understanding Of The Will In The Loci Communes, Richard Osslund

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

It is a commonplace among many Lutheran theologians that Philip Melanchthon was a synergist. The purpose of this study is to evaluate this theological judgment on the basis of Melanchthon’s Loci of 1521, 1535, 1543, 1555, and 1559. The conclusion of this study is that Melanchthon's writings do not support the charge of synergism which has been directed against him. It is not the intention of the author to ascribe malevolence or lack of scholarly integrity to those who have described Melanchthon's position as synergistic. There are reasons for the historical judgment that Melanchthon was "the father of synergism in …

The Priesthood Of All Believers And The Theology Of Pietism, Breno Faber

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Pietism and pietistic emphases are becoming popular again because during the seventeenth and early eighteenth century the Pietists sought to revitalize Christianity in ways familiar to twentieth century Christians seeking to do the same. Pietism sought to foster a more vigorous personal and public piety among the people. They sought to improve the education of ministers in practical piety so that they might better guide and edify their people. They sought to encourage the reading of the Bible, Christian education of the youthful and the mature, demonstrated social concern and resposibility in their philanthropic enterprises, and embarked upon ambitious programs …

María Lionza, Rodolfo Blank

Artículos educación teológica

María Lionza

The Conflict Of Krishna And Yahweh As Warrior: A Comparison Of The Conflicts Of Krishna In The Puranas And Of Yahweh As Warrior In The Old Testament, With Special Emphasis On The Themes Of History, And Salvation, And Their Relevance To Human Life, Arockiam Rajaian

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

The conflicts of Krishna cannot be understood simply as stories or interpreted as isolated events. They have to be understood within the framework of Vaishaava theology as exemplified in the Puranic literature. Viewed from this perspective, one will find that they have profound theological significance. In the Old Testament also we find the motif “Yahweh as Warrior." The question arises whether a comparative study of the conflicts of Krishna and the battles of Yahweh is feasible, and what is the distinctiveness of the Old Testament message. Therefore, an attempt is made in this paper to analyze the conflicts of Krishna …

A Case Study In Ecumenical Methodology: Survey And Evaluation Of Post-Vatican Ii Roman Catholic/Protestant Solutions For Achieving Doctrinal Consensus Concerning The Marian Dogmas Of The Immaculate Conception And Bodily Assumption, Terence Groth

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

In light of these developments it seems apparent that the church has a need to take cognizance of these methods and evaluate them to determine which, if any, are legitimate approaches to the problem of achieving doctrinal consensus in the church today. That, in short, is the burden of this study.

In the scope of this study the application of these methods to every major doctrinal obstacle now being tackled cannot be observed. Therefore, it was decided to focus attention upon one area of major disagreement which both Roman Catholics and Protestants agree is an obstacle which must be overcome …

"Jesus And Japan" In The Thought Of Kanzo Uchimura: A Study In A Theological Interpretation For The Indigenization Of Christianity In Modern Japan, Akio Hashimoto

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The reason for our choosing salvation as the central topic of this study is to be found in the fact that a theologian's concept of salvation, whatever it might be, is in the last analysis the surest index to what he regards as the ultimate issue of the Gospel. Then, it goes without saying that·the other aspects of Uchimura's theological thought will be taken into consideration as far as they have bearing on our attempt to understand Uchimura's soteriology.

Charismata Of The Spirit In The New Testament In Comparison With Hindu Religious Practices, M. Selva Gunalan

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

A renewed interest in the Spirit and charismata has increasingly resulted in a wide array of literature. The present state of the Charismatic Movement seemingly has created a new awareness among Christians of the need to discern the peculiar phenomena of the movement in the light of the Scriptures. Secular fields of study, such as sociology, anthropology and psychology also have been striving to investigate the cause and effect of the supernatural elements claimed by the Charismatic Movement.

The Charismatic Movement has received severe criticism as well as enthusiastic acceptance. This movement has grown rapidly and has left its effect …

The Ordination Of Women As Deacons In Conservative Presbyterian Churches, Michael Roy Marcey

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The Church has not acted in such a way so as to respond constructively and progressively to the concerns of women for more freedom and opportunities. Today it finds itself engrossed in a heated debate. Yet, the Church has the opportunity and responsibility in our day to speak with sensitivity and clarity to the current discussions. This will involve affirming the value and significance of women and their g1f~ for the Church. It will also involve a careful examination of its practices and policies to insure that women are full participants in the ministry of the Gospel. This thesis is …

Iglesia Luterana Y Educación Teológica En Amlatina, Roberto Hoeferkamp

Artículos educación teológica

Iglesia Luterana y educación teológica en AmLatina