Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

A True Word?: Scripture, Authority, And The Question Of Truth, Alan G. Padgett

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Borderless Boundaries – As Means Of Death And Life: Wilderness Portraits In Patristic And Rabbinic Literature, Daniel Maoz

Luther Faculty Publications

This study examines the role played by environmental representation of an apparent borderless boundary, the desert, as presented in Scripture – the Hebrew Bible / First Testament. It considers lessons derived from “desert-thought” testified within Rabbinic and Patristic literature. In Scripture, the desert played a prominent role in both Exodus and Akedah, two narratives central to Jewish thought and Christian theology. Beyond this, desert fathers such as Antony of Egypt expressed profound spirituality through this desolate land (Chrysostom; Athanasius, Vita). The Rabbis repeatedly embellished, for virtue’s sake, lessons gained from this same bleak landscape (Midrash Bemidbar Rabbah). An early version …

The Richest Legacy: Recovering The Lord's Supper As A Means Of Grace In The Free Methodist Church Usa, Jarad L. Bivins

Theses and Dissertations

As descendants of the Wesleyan heritage, the Free Methodist Church USA maintains the belief that the Sacraments, particularly the Lord’s Supper, function as a means of grace within the church. Given the significant role that the Lord’s Supper played in early Methodist thought and practice, this thesis seeks to discover the level of fidelity the Free Methodist Church USA has when it comes to its understanding of the Lord’s Supper as a means of grace in the Wesleyan tradition. By exploring the current Free Methodist Church USA’s understanding of the sacrament, along with the historical Wesleyan relationship with the Lord’s …

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 …

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 …

The Creation Of Daoism, Paul Fischer

Philosophy & Religion Faculty Publications

This paper examines the creation of Daoism in its earliest, pre-Eastern Han period. After an examination of the critical terms "scholar/master" and "author/ school", I argue that, given the paucity of evidence, Sima Tan and Liu Xin should be credited with creating this tradition. The body of this article considers the definitions of Daoism given by these two scholars and all of the extant texts that Liu Xin classified as "Daoist." Based on these texts, I then suggest an amended definition of Daoism. In the conclusion, I address the recent claim that the daojia /daijiao dichotomy is false, speculating that …

Sirens, Fr. Randy Roche

Spiritual Essays

No abstract provided.

Who Did It?, Fr. Randy Roche

Spiritual Essays

No abstract provided.

More With Less, Fr. Randy Roche

Spiritual Essays

No abstract provided.

Useful?, Fr. Randy Roche

Spiritual Essays

No abstract provided.

Schleiermacher's Doctrine Of Biblical Authority: An Alternative To Content-Based/Supernaturalist And Function-Based Rationalist Models, Kerry W. Holton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines Friedrich Schleiermacher’s understanding of biblical authority and argues that, as an alternative to strictly supernaturalistic and rationalistic models, his understanding allows the New Testament to speak authoritatively in Christian religion in an age of critical, historical awareness. After classifying Schleiermacher’s position in a typology of the doctrine of biblical authority, this dissertation explores his conception of divine revelation and inspiration vis-à-vis scripture. It demonstrates that although he did not believe there is warrant for the claim of a direct connection between divine revelation and scripture, or that scripture is the foundation of faith, he nonetheless asserted that …

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 …

A Reading Motivation Intervention For Students With Learning Disabilities, Students With Adhd, And Their Nondisabled Peers, Alanna M. Lienig

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Motivation research and its effect on reading has been limited for students with disabilities. In the present study a combined motivational intervention (intrinsic standards, positive label, and extrinsic standards) was used wit 48 second and third grade students in a randomized pretest posttest control group design with three population groups (ADHD, Learning Disabled, and Nondisabled) and two conditions (reading comprehension and reading fluency). The intervention condition followed the pretest. The intervention used a verbal 3 minute motivational script containing a positive label (e.g. “clever”) associated with a specific reading behavior (e.g. answers questions) accompanied by a challenge to perform better …

Finding Onesimus: Recovering The Story Of A First-Century Fugitive Slave, Ryan Lokkesmoe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an investigation into the experience of a first-century fugitive slave named Onesimus, who is known to us primarily through Paul’s letter to Philemon (Phlm) in the New Testament. Within this broader purpose, this project challenges a popular historical theory for Onesimus’ flight, the so-called Amicus Domini theory. This is the theory that Onesimus fled his master Philemon with the premeditated intention of seeking out the Apostle Paul as a peacemaker in a conflict Onesimus was having with Philemon. The Amicus Domini theory is accepted by many scholars, though rarely discussed in detail or examined critically.

The goal …

The Use Of Technology To Enhance Individualized Learning In Postsecondary Educational Students With Multiple Intelligences In An Anatomy And Physiology Classroom, Kimberly Carpenter Stanley

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this dissertation was to determine whether or not the use of computer enhanced supplemental material in a postsecondary anatomy and physiology classroom would be perceived to positively affect students’ opinions regarding their acquisition of classroom instruction. There were a total of 15 students who participated in this qualitative case study. They participated in a Multiple Intelligences Classification Survey upon the beginning of class and took part in a lecture on the cardiovascular system from an educator employed with the institution where the study took place. Students then viewed a supplemental video provided by the researcher which contained …

A Cross-Cultural Qualitative Study: The Differences In Attitudes And Opinions On Advance Care Planning Among African, Caucasian, And Latino Americans, Jennifer Sims

International ResearchScape Journal

The purpose of this study is to identify African American and Latino Americans’ beliefs and attitudes about advance care planning (ACP) and compare these with beliefs held by Caucasian Americans. The objectives are to identify if there are differences in opinions between racial groups and to provide relevant information for health and social service providers. African American and Latino American participants in this study indicated many factors that affect their hesitation to utilize ACP services: spiritual and religious beliefs; family caregiving; and lack of knowledge about ACP services. Implications for practice include providing easy-to-understand information about ACP to clients of …

That's The Spirit, Fr. Randy Roche

Spiritual Essays

No abstract provided.

Savoring, Fr. Randy Roche

Spiritual Essays

No abstract provided.

The Stromata Vol. 56, No. 1, Calvin Theological Seminary

Stromata (1956-2020)

Inside This Issue

2- There’s a Want and There’s a Need by Benjamin Gandy

5- The Meaning of καινὴ κτίσις in Paul’s Epistles by Chungyeol Lim

29- A Wise Woman from Tekoa: Lady Wisdom in the Court of King David? by Doren G. Snoek

41- The Reasons of the Christian Religion: Richard Baxter’s Apologetics in its Seventeenth-Century Context by Shelby Gemmen

61- The Significance of ἀρχή in Colossians 11:8 and Revelation 3:14 in Light of Roman Imperialism by Kyusung Jang

79- Living into Community: Cultivating Practices That Sustain Us by Christine Pohl by Blake Campbell

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 …

The Marian Library Newsletter: Issue No. 62, University Of Dayton. Marian Library

Marian Library Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Negotiating The Doing To Being Boundary In J. Robert Clinton's Leadership Emergence Theory, Charles W. Sattgast

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

According to the research of J. Robert Clinton only a third of leaders finish well. Clinton describes a developmental barrier he refers to as “the doing to being” boundary that many leaders face in their forties or fifties. This barrier requires leaders to undergo a paradigm shift from finding their meaning and fulfillment in achievement to ministry that flows out of being. According to Clinton many leaders fail to successfully negotiate this important transition which contributes to the alarming failure rate of leaders. This research project addressed this problem by exploring the nature and meaning of doing and being and …

Explicit And Implicit Religion In Doctor Who And Star Trek, James F. Mcgrath

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

It has often been proposed that the original series of Star Trek reflected a modern, enlightenment perspective on religion, and that subsequent spinoffs like Deep Space Nine moved in a more post-modern direction. Doctor Who, the longest running science fiction show, provides an interesting basis for comparison. Both television shows offer similar tropes, and in both instances, the rhetoric that claims to explain away religion in scientific terms ends up treating it as literally true. Both shows depict our universe as populated with “natural gods” which are sometimes explicitly identified with the gods and demons of ancient human religious literature.

Forward To The Son Of God: Three Views Of The Identity Of Jesus, James F. Mcgrath

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

James McGrath's Forward to: The Son of God: Three Views of the Identity of Jesus, by Charles Lee Irons, Danny Andre Dixon, and Dustin R. Smith. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2015.

Out Of The Garden, Meredith Lockman 15

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

Avoiding Division Within A Church: A Proactive Approach For Identifying Sources Of Conflict And Creating A Healthy Ministry Environment, Kenneth V. Polley

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Serious conflict in a church can damage its vitality and ministry effectiveness. The problem this research addressed was factors in a church ministry which can allow serious conflict to form and expand. In response to this problem, the researcher examined materials which address church conflict and surveyed sample churches. The research sought to identify the following areas: topics church interventionists consistently address when assisting churches in the recovery process, the primary sources of conflict based upon church experiences, the parallels between the focus of the church interventionists and church experiences, and if serious conflict can be avoided if these areas …

Discovering The Work Of Baptist General Conference Mission In Ethiopia: The Essence Of Mission That Lasted For Six Decades, Kebede Gonfa

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The researcher has explored six decades of mission work and leadership development by the Baptist General Conference (BGC) in Ethiopia. The main purpose of this project is to summarize the work of the mission in Ethiopia and its relationship to the national church with comments from local pastors and missionaries in regard to the conclusion of the work of the missionaries and the turnover to the local church, so that the current and coming generations may benefit from the strengths and weaknesses of the BGC Ethiopia ministry. The evaluations by missionaries and local leaders provides a balance of perspectives on …

Review Of God Has Spoken: A History Of Christian Theology By Gerald Bray, Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Historical And Theological Perspectives On The Rise Of Arminianism And The Place Of Seventh-Day Adventism In The Calvinist-Arminian Debate, Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

This article provides a brief historical survey of some of the theological issues raised by Arminius and The Remonstrance, and seeks to identify the key theological arguments that anchor the Arminian perspective of the Adventist doctrine of salvation. Four hundred years ago, in 1610, a group of Dutch pastors and theologians published a document in which they responded to the accusations of heresy leveled against the teachings of their colleague, Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius, who had recently died (1609). This document encapsulated Arminian teachings on the doctrine of salvation in five points and subsequently became known as The Remonstrance …

Review Of Ellen Harmon White: American Prophet, By Terrie Dopp Aamodt, Gary Land, And Ronald L. Numbers, Eds., Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.