Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Educating Early Christians Through The Rhetoric Of Hell: 'Weeping And Gnashing Of Teeth' As 'Paideia' In Matthew And The Early Church, Meghan Henning

Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Meghan Henning explores the rhetorical function of the early Christian concept of hell, drawing connections to Greek and Roman systems of education, and examining texts from the Hebrew Bible, Greek and Latin literature, the New Testament, early Christian apocalypses and patristic authors.

This work is a revised version of the author's Ph.D. dissertation, which was successfully defended at Emory University in 2013. It is included in the series Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament II.

She writes, "Now that this work is finished, I am delighted to have the opportunity to thank those who have generously traveled with me on this …

Eternal Punishment As Paideia: The Ekphrasis Of Hell In The Apocalypse Of Peter And The Apocalypse Of Paul, Meghan Henning

Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Much of the history of scholarship on “hell” has been devoted to tracing genetic relationships between older texts and more recent ones, typically based upon generic elements or the specific features of hell’s landscape. This paper suggests a new direction for classics and New Testament study, focusing instead on the rhetorical function of hell in antiquity. This paper argues that the ancient conventions of descriptive rhetoric were at work in the depictions of Hell that we find in the Jewish and early Christian apocalypses. It begins with a definition of these rhetorical devices by examining the Progymnasmata as well as …

Not So Private: A Political Theology Of Church And Family, Jana Marguerite Bennett

Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

The words used to describe that relationship are public and private, words that frequently appear in both secular and Christian conversations about marriage and family. We name "family" and "church" as private matters, parts of life that are necessarily held distinctly from public matters, as in political life. At the same time, because Christians rightly understand family as a place where people learn discipleship and a place where formation and evangelization happen,³ we care very much about how to think about families in relation to church and state. There is a relationship between these three entities, American Christians …

Marianist Doxology (Echo By Zubek), Stanley J. Zubek S.M.

Musical Compositions about the Marianist Charism

Praise to the Trinity through Mary

Selected Bibliography: Bonaventure And Thomas Aquinas On The Blessed Virgin Mary (1995-2013), Richard E. Lenar, Jason Paul Bourgeois

Marian Library Faculty Publications

A bibliography.

An Examination Of A.W. Tozer's Life As Practical Applications For Korean Pastors To Combat The Prosperity Gospel, Sin Soo Jeon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In recent years, more Korean pastors are preaching the prosperity gospel in order to pursue quantitative church growth and seem uninterested in companionship with God. However, faithful men, like Aiden Wilson Tozer, always preached the gospel of the Cross alongside an intimate relationship with God. His life and ministry are examples of a true pastor called by God. Like Tozer, pastors in South Korea must discipline themselves to walk with God. The purpose of this thesis is to provide Korean pastors with practical applications for combating the prosperity gospel by building intimate companionship with God in their ministries by examining …

Know Yourself And You Will Be Known: The Gospel Of Thomas And Middle Platonism, Seth A. Clark

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The Gospel of Thomas is a collection of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus and is primarily composed of rhetorical statements that were used to preserve the teachings of itinerant Greek philosophers. These collections were used to persuade individuals to join the philosophical schools represented, much like the early followers of the Jesus movement would use his teachings to convince others to join them as well. However, the theological background for the text is still debated because it contains esoteric and enigmatic references not fully understood by most scholars. This work argues that the theological and philosophical background for the Gospel …

The Problem Of Temporality In The Literary Framework Of Nicholas Of Cusa’S De Pace Fidei, Jason Aleksander

Faculty Publications

This paper explores Nicholas of Cusa’s framing of the De pace fidei as a dialogue taking place incaelo rationis. On the one hand, this framing allows Nicholas of Cusa to argue that all religious rites presuppose the truth of a single, unified faith and so temporally manifest divine logos in a way accommodated to the historically unique conventions of different political communities. On the other hand, at the end of the De pace fidei, the interlocutors in the heavenly dialogue are enjoined to return to earth and lead their countrymen in a gradual conversion to the acceptance of rites which …

Preaching That Leads To Transformation At The North Street Church Of Christ In Nacogdoches, Texas, Curtis Barbarick

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the results of a project to develop a process whereby the sermon would be enhanced for listeners at the North Street Church of Christ in Nacogdoches, Texas, so that preaching would be more effective in leading to transformation. The theology and methodology of John Wesley were utilized as a lens by which to think about and implement this practice.

The intervention involved a six-week session with a focus group that represented a cross-section of the congregation. Participants in this group were asked to engage in a lectio divina exercise on a particular text daily, …

The Purpose Of Life, Callaghan Mcdonough

Global Tides

In the minds of Plato and Aristotle, happiness is the end goal of life, and the worth of everything else, including goodness, justice, and virtue, is based on whether or not it is beneficial as means to this end. Modern American society, though defining happiness differently, in many ways reflects the Greeks’ idea that happiness is the reason for human life. Supported by the Christian and Hebrew Bible, this essay will attempt to debunk the Greeks’ theory, which will implicitly criticize the modern American pursuit. It will be shown that entities such as goodness, justice, and virtue are desirable in …

Book Review: Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, And Create Movement By Will Mancini, Elizabeth Montgomery

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Legacy Churches By Stephen Gray And Franklin Dumond, Duane H. Boady

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

On The Matter Of God’S Goodness: An Examination Of The Failure Of Theodicies, Herman Melville, And An Alternative Approach To The Problem Of Evil, Marie Angeles

Scripps Senior Theses

Within Judeo-Christianity there is a belief in an all perfect God who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent. However, in this world evil and suffering exists, so how is it possible that an all perfect God can exist? This is called the problem of evil. This thesis examines the problem of evil and how philosophers like Alvin Plantinga, John Hick, and Richard Swinburne attempt to solve the problem of evil through different theodicies. In this paper I argue that all three philosophers and their theodicies fail to solve the problem of evil. I then turn to the writings of Herman Melville, …

Love For God And Earth: Ecospirituality In The Theologies Of Sallie Mcfague And Leonardo Boff, Rebecca A. Meier-Rao

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation examines the theologies of North American Ecofeminist Sallie McFague and Latin American liberation theologian Leonardo Boff in order to answer the question - What are the features of a Christian spirituality capable of helping people to clear vision, transformation and hope in this time of socio-ecological crisis? In the sixth chapter I also briefly engage the work of Carmelite contemplative Constance FitzGerald, as she both reinforces and deepens the theologians' answer to the above question.

The dissertation begins with a short explanation of the interlocking ecological and social crises, and offers a basic understanding of Christian spirituality as …

The Word Is An Angel Of The Mind: Angelic And Temple Imagery In The Theology Of John Mansur, The Damascene., Elijah Nicolas Mueller

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation looks at the scriptural images of angel and temple, as they occur in key works by John Damascene: on the Heresies, chapter 100 "On the Ishmaelites;" Three Treatises on the Divine Images, and on the Orthodox Faith. Angelic and temple imagery forms an important core which holds together liturgy, ascesis, and theophany. These types of images constitute a consistent mode for understanding theology and anthropology. As part of revelation, they are important in the early Islamic context. Angel and temple imagery were used by John Damascene to push back against Islamic revelation claims and Islamic challenges to the …

"A Spreading And Abiding Hope": A. J. Conyers And Evangelical Theopolitical Imagination, Jacob Shatzer

Dissertations (1934 -)

In this work I argue that A. J. Conyers provides a promising example for countering various weaknesses in evangelical theopolitical imagination. I make this argument in two ways. First, I provide a critical reading of Conyers's overall scholarly project, seeking to understand it in its own context and in conversation with other scholars. In particular, I draw on the influence of Jürgen Moltmann, Johannes Althusius, Eric Voegelin, the Southern Agrarians, and Richard Weaver on Conyers's thought. I then focus on Conyers's political theology, exploring how he diagnoses the modern world and what he proposes for remedies. I explore Conyers's political …

"Heavenly Theologians": The Place Of Angels In The Theology Of Martin Luther, Christopher J. Samuel

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation examines a virtually untouched aspect of Martin Luther's theology: his angelology. Specifically, it argues four main points: that Luther does, over his corpus, present an angelology; that his angelology is indebted to and in conversation with the prior theological tradition; that his concern with the angels is evident throughout his career; and that his major angelological concerns are pastoral in nature. Furthermore, it presents Luther's answers to four basic angelological questions: 1) what are the angels?; 2) what is the angels' role in Creation?; 3) what is the nature of their relationship with humanity?; and 4) what is …

Receptive Ecumenism And Justification: Roman Catholic And Reformed Doctrine In Contemporary Context, Sarah Timmer

Dissertations (1934 -)

Receptive Ecumenism is a reassessment of the ecumenical process, in light of the remaining challenges and difficulties faced by ecumenists. It recognizes that ecumenism might need to adjust to the complex diversity of the Christian church today, especially amidst a culture that no longer sees diversity as a negative thing. The goal of traditional ecumenism, visible unity through theological and ecclesiological convergence, is put aside in favor of an ecumenism of mutual enrichment and self-examination. The Catholic-Lutheran Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification is an example of traditional ecumenism. This dissertation examines some strengths and weaknesses of the Joint …

Cyprian The Apologist, Philip Palmer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Cyprian has not generally been viewed as an apologist of the Patristic era. This study examines whether Cyprian should be considered an apologist under a four-part definition of the term, which coheres with the New Testament uses of apologia and apologeomai and finds expression in the work of the recognized second-century apologists Justin Martyr, Athenagoras, Mathetes, Minucius Felix, and Tertullian. It is argued that Cyprian engaged in an extensive program of apologetics characterized by these same four elements.

[Introduction To] The Columbia Sourcebook Of Mormons In The United States, Terryl Givens, Reid L. Nielson

Bookshelf

This anthology offers rare access to key original documents illuminating Mormon history, theology, and culture in the United States from the nineteenth century to today. Brief introductions describe the theological significance of each text and its reflection of the practices, issues, and challenges that have defined and continue to define the Mormon community. These documents balance mainstream and peripheral thought and religious experience, institutional and personal perspective, and theoretical and practical interpretation, representing pivotal moments in LDS history and correcting decades of misinformation and stereotype.

The authors of these documents, male and female, not only celebrate but speak critically and …

Listening To The Us Hispanic/Latino (Latina) Sermon Listener, Danny Román-Gloro

The Asbury Journal

This paper presents the findings of an ethnographic study on preaching within the US Hispanic/Latino (Latina) community.1 The study explored the preaching event from the experience of the listener. The US Hispanic/ Latino (Latina) sermon listener represents a unique group of individuals that have a particular experience of preaching, which can provide insights on how preaching constitutes a vehicle for shaping and re-shaping a religious and social community. Through the use of in-depth interviews of a diverse group of US Hispanic/Latino (Latina) sermon listeners a series of characteristics of a good sermon were identified.

Introduction, Alan Mcmahan

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Authority, Autonomy, And Healthy Communication: Embracing The Organizational Complexities Of The Multisite Church, Jamus Edwards

Great Commission Research Journal

A perplexing matrix-style of leadership that reflects numerous leadership teams across multiple locations typically characterizes multisite churches. As a result, the most volatile element in the multisite church is the distribution of decision-making authority. The unique organizational challenge for multisite churches is determining the balance of trust, freedom, and control in the relationship between each campus’s leadership and the primary leadership team of the overall church. Inevitable frustrations among campus pastors can often be decreased when multisite leadership teams are characterized by clarity in roles and authority. Additionally, responsiveness in the areas of authentic communication and the embracing of conflict …

Book Review: Together In One Mission: Pentecostal Cooperation In World Evangelization By Arto Hämäläinen And Grant Mcclung, Eds., David Rogers

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Pastoral Attitudes That Predict Numerical Church Growth, David R. Dunaetz, Kenneth E. Priddy

Great Commission Research Journal

The attitudes of 92 head pastors were measured concerning 20 ministry-relevant ideas and practices, as well as information about their church’s present numerical growth. A statistical analysis found four pastoral attitudes that predict positive or negative numerical church growth. Positive predictors of numerical church growth were strong beliefs that 1) personal and corporate prayer are important and 2) transfer growth is an indicator of congregational health. Negative predictors of numerical church growth were strong beliefs in the importance of 1) preaching and 2) outreach to the community. The practical implications of these findings are discussed in light of evangelical theology.

Book Review: Franchising Mcchurch: Feeding Our Obsession With Easy Christianity By Thomas White And John M. Yeats, Brandon Kiesling

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Planning And Implementing Successful Pastoral Succession, Parnell M. Lovelace Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

The senior pastor serves as the visionary catalyst for the local church congregation. Cultural, ethnic, and theological traditions define the pastor’s role, often determining how the pastor plants a church, leads people, and transitions once the pastoral assignment is completed. None of these responsibilities is easy. However, the matter of pastoral succession brings concerns, sensitivities, and challenges that are unique within any discussion of ministerial success. Center of Praise Ministries in Sacramento, California, provides several examples of paradigms, challenges, and mores that one must address when facilitating healthy transition. This article explores how intentional and strategic pastoral succession planning provides …

Book Review: Making Your Vision A Reality: Proven Steps To Develop And Implement Your Church Vision Plan By Paul Cannings, Kenneth Lewis

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Timeless Growth Principles From The Movement Of Hans Nielsen Hauge: A Case Study In Pietism, David Stein, Frederick Thoni

Great Commission Research Journal

As existing churches continually face the challenge of staying relevant, and new churches face the challenge of establishing traction in the first place, a fresh look at the dynamics of movements will help both. While large, existing churches can often operate from an institutional focus, new and growing churches have to operate from a movement focus. Declining churches need to recapture the dynamism that helped them come into being in the first place. In order to break free from the status quo a new catalyst must be inserted into the equation in order to move forward to the next level. …

Book Review: Size Does Matter: Moving Your Ministry From Micro To Mega By R. A. Vernon, Jeremy Upton

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.