Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

A Study Into The Practice Of Ancestor Rites Among The Diaspora Chinese Protestant Christians In Singapore, Jeremiah Goh Wah Seng

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Political Theory In Institutional Context: The Case Of Patriot Royalism, John Compton, Karen Orren

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

In the aftermath of the Stamp Act, prominent American thinkers of otherwise unquestioned Whiggish affiliation adopted an expansive view of the king’s prerogative powers while simultaneously denying Parliament’s authority to interfere in the internal governance of the colonies. Scholars have generally attributed this stance, known as “patriot royalism,” to political necessity: with no other means of disputing Parliament’s oppressive actions, desperate pamphleteers sought to revive the discredited constitutional ideas of the Stuarts. In contrast, we argue that this position was deeply rooted in the institutional context of colonial governance. More specifically, we show that revolutionary Americans directly experienced lawmaking by …

2012 - 106th Annual Summit, "Intimacy", Abilene Christian University, Abilene Christian University

Lectureship and Summit Programs

No abstract provided.

Lower Sacraments: Theological Eating In The Fiction Of C. S. Lewis, Gregory Philip Hartley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For years, critics and fans of C. S. Lewis have noted his curious attentiveness to descriptions of food and scenes of eating. Some attempts have been made to interpret Lewis's use of food, but never in a manner comprehensively unifying Lewis's culinary expressions with his own thought and beliefs. My study seeks to fill this void. The introduction demonstrates how Lewis's culinary language aggregates through elements of his life, his literary background, and his Judeo-Christian worldview. Using the grammar of his own culinary language, I examine Lewis's fiction for patterns found within his meals and analyze these patterns for theological …

A Search For Home: Navigating Change In Battlestar Galactica, Kimberly S. Yost

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation explores the various ways in which the multiple leaders portrayed in the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009) navigate extreme conditions of continual change. In addition, the dissertation contains a discussion of the larger narrative themes of love, forgiveness, redemption, and embracing the Other as principles effective leaders must cultivate. Through an interpretation of this specific popular media text, a deeper emotional sensitivity to and understanding of leadership, positive and negative, during extreme crises is gained. Furthermore, the series serves as a vehicle through which viewers can reflect on and engage in their own self-awareness about issues …

Papers Of Roger Hedlund Arc2012-002 - Finding Aid, Roger Hedlund

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Papers Of Wilber T Dayton Arc1985-001 - Finding Aid, Wilber T. Dayton

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Papers Of Louis Caister Arc300 -003 - Finding Aid, Louis E. Caister

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Claude Pajon (1626-1685) And The Academy Of Saumur., Albert J. Gootjes

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis examines the life, writings and polemics of Claude Pajon (1626-1685) throughout the first so-called Pajonist controversy (1665-1667). Previous scholarship situated him in the context of a development it saw within the theology originating from the Academy of Saumur and passing from John Cameron (ca. 1579-1625), through Moïse Amyraut (1596- 1664), and then to Pajon. This study argues that this trajectory needs revision. Pajon developed a theory of grace which denied the necessity of an immediate, internal work of the Holy Spirit on either intellect or will, preceding the mediate work through the Word and other means. To characterize …

In Defense Of Leibniz's Theodicy, Nathan A. Jacobs

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

G. W. Leibniz professes a commitment to historical Christian theism, but the depth and orthodoxy of his commitment has been questioned throughout the past three centuries. In this project I defend both the cogency and the orthodoxy of Leibniz’s philosophical theology and, by extension, its application to the Christian task of theodicy. At the heart of this defense is the central claim of this project, namely, that Leibniz’s philosophical theology represents a traditional brand of Augustinianism. In short, I argue that Leibniz’s theodicy is not his own, but is the tacit claim of a longstanding theological tradition made explicit and …

Journeying To The God Who Is Here: John Baillie's Theology Of Revelation In The Context Of His Life And Thought, Jessica Edwards Maddox

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

Scottish Presbyterian theologian John Baillie (1886-1960) was a significant theologian and scholar who thoughtfully took up throughout his career the questions of how and why we know God. This dissertation shows that Baillie’s unique contribution to the theology of revelation in the idea of the mediated immediacy of God’s presence plays a formative role in the rest of his theology and is valuable for a Reformed theological engagement of twenty-first century theology. Throughout his career Baillie made several offerings relevant to this area of study, most notably Our Knowledge of God (1939), which has been considered Baillie’s most original work. …

Re-Visioning Reason, Revelation, And Rejection In John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding And John Toland's Christianity Not Mysterious., Jonathan S. Marko

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

Histories of philosophy that cover the rise of natural religion in England will inevitably move from John Locke to John Toland. The typical account portrays Locke as sincerely Christian and trying to balance the demands of faith and reason. His rationalistic epistemology in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (Essay) even defends doctrines that are “above reason.” Toland is portrayed as a disciple of Locke whose modified Lockean epistemology in Christianity Not Mysterious (CNM) results in a subordination of revelation to reason and a dismissal of doctrines that are above reason. More detailed treatments note that CNM is the catalyst of …

The Antitheses (Matthew 5:21-48) In The Sermon On The Mount: Moral Precepts Revealed In Scripture And Binding On All People, Amos Winarto Oei

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

While many may agree that the Sermon on the Mount is the epitome of Jesus' ethics, many also recognize that the Sermon is often a riddle. The vastness and variety of literature demonstrates that the interpretation of the Sermon is subject to many disagreements. At the heart of the Sermon of the Mount, the antitheses (Matthew 5:21-48) become one source of polemics in the study of the Sermon. The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the scholarship of the Sermon on the Mount by addressing two problems in the study of the antitheses. The first concerns the nature …

Records Of The United Christian Ashrams, International Arc2001-001 - Finding Aid, United Christian Ashrams, International N.A.

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Papers Of V. James Mannoia Arc1993-022 - Finding Aid, V. James Mannoia

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Papers Of John C Cooper Arc1997 -008 - Finding Aid, John C. Cooper

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Records Of The United Christian Ashrams, International Arc1996-010 - Finding Aid, United Christian Ashrams, International N.A.

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Papers Of James Pemberton Arc1990-004 - Finding Aid, James Pemberton

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Papers Of Mark Elliot - Institute Of East-West Christian Arc2005-003 - Finding Aid, Mark Elliot

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Church Turnaround: Perspectives, Principles, And Practices, Kenneth E. Priddy

Great Commission Research Journal

Prominent church analysts agree that over 80% of American Protestant churches are in plateau and decline and that the growth of the church is not keeping pace with the growth of the population. Sacrifice on the part of church leaders and congregants is sorely needed but strongly resisted, as congregations tend to prefer stability and familiarity above risk and change. This paper presents insights into the origin of plateau and decline and offers perspectives, principles, and practices that when properly and faithfully applied, generate health, growth, and multiplication in churches that commit to sustainable church turnaround.

Characteristics Of Turnaround Pastors, Gordon Penfold

Great Commission Research Journal

While the population of the United States grows, the percentage of people attending church continues to plummet. Much of the drop can be attributed to the 70% to 85% of the churches that have plateaued or declined in attendance. However, bright spots are on the church landscape. Many churches, after decades of plateau or decline, begin to turn around and grow as they are led by “turnaround” pastors. This paper explores the leadership characteristics of turnaround pastors in contradistinction to non-turnaround pastors and argues that church renewal and church planting are critical components needed for a healthy twenty-first century church.

A Critique Of The Multi-Ethnic Church Planting Strategy, Gustavo Suarez

Great Commission Research Journal

This paper seeks to discover if the multiethnic church planting strategy is effective in reaching a multicultural nation. This paper will first take a brief look at the challenges of an ethnic population in North America with primary emphasis given to the Hispanic population. Second, I will present supportive evidence for the multiethnic church planting view. Third, I will present arguments against the multiethnic strategy. Fourth, I will give observations and implications for the church. The main source of argument centers more in the methodology used. The reader will readily see the contrasting theological and cultural opinions of these two …

Book Review: To Change The World: The Irony, Tragedy, And Possibility Of Christianity In The Late Modern World By James Davison Hunter, Joel Rainey

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Great Commission Companies: The Emerging Role Of Business In Missions By Steve Rundle And Tom Steffen, Anthony Casey

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Urban Impact: Reaching The World Through Effective Urban Ministry By John L. Thompson, Timothy R. Sisk

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles And Best Practices For Multiplication By Craig Ott And Gene Wilson, Tom Steffen

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

A Fresh Approach To The Miracle Stories In Matthew 8-9: Literary Analysis Through The Literary Technique Of Matthew's Three Stage Progression Pre-Supposedly Adopted By The First Evangelist, Gwan Seuk Ryu

Dissertations

The structure of Mt 8-9 is very complex, and there is no unanimous understanding. If we use Matthew's Three Stage Progression (MTSP), a writing technique that is found frequently in the gospel of Matthew, we can theologicaly explain the intention of Mt 8-9 more clearly than any other existing explanations. Matthew arranged the nine miracle stories progressively in three clusters (8:1-17; 8:23-9:8; 9:18-34). Those three clusters are divided by two intervening pericopae (8:18-22; 9:9-17). The first cluster describes Jesus as the merciful healing Messiah. Jesus heals every disease he encounters. In the second cluster, Jesus is the divine being who …

The Mystery Of God In Situations Of Suffering: Toward The Universality Of Christ And A Reconstruction Of African Identity, Leocretia L. Muganda

Dissertations

During the patristic era, theology dealt with the problem of how to explain the union of the two natures in Christ without losing the impassible nature of God. Today, the understanding of God as impassible is no longer absolute in light of present human suffering. To gain a better understanding of God as passible, the following areas will be examined: the patristic view and the contemporary critique of divine impassibility, the African context and the reconstruction of African Christology via inculturation and liberation. The concept of God as passible can make a significant difference in the lives of Christians. This …

A Portrait Of Christ The Hero In The Epistle To The Hebrews, Jeremy Miselbrook

Dissertations

The Epistle to the Hebrews has been noted as one of the most intricate documents of the New Testament. The author artistically employs a multiplicity of well-known images and ideas which resonate with his audience while simultaneously exemplifying Christ as the paragon of these images. The author of Hebrews presents a portrait of Christ that places him in relation to other figures known to his audience and uses figures to convey his intricate Christology. This dissertation investigates how the author of Hebrews places Christ in the context of Greco-Roman heroic references to portray Christ's superiority over all other heroes.

Chapter …

Theological Plunderphonics: Public Theology And "The Fragment", William Myatt

Dissertations

In response to methodological vagueness in public theology, I construct a theory of "the fragment" that enables the public theologian to respond adequately to contemporary exigencies and appropriately to traditional self-understandings. After surveying four streams of public-theological thought (chapter one), I consider the debate between David Tracy (chapter two) and George Lindbeck (chapter three). The various observations of these three chapters give way to a suggested criteriology for public theology. I then turn to Paul Ricoeur (chapter four) and Walter Benjamin (chapter five) to assist in constructing a theory of the fragment (chapter six). The thesis defended by this dissertation …