Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Alyosha The Christian Hermeneut, Eddie Li

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Presentation Abstract: Alyosha as the Christian Hermeneut

This presentation is adapted from my essay Alyosha as the Christian Hermeneut, written under the supervision of Dr. Paul Contino. In the essay, I gave an analysis of the character Alyosha in Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, in light of Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology, Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics, and Dr. Contino’s book on Incarnational Realism. I discussed how Alyosha adapts from an inexperienced Christian disciple to a mature interpreter capable of conducting the hermeneutical fusion of horizons with different horizons. Within this capability, Alyosha develops his unique Christian horizon, enabling him to understand and reconcile the …

Islam And The Environment, Jon Armajani

The Journal of Social Encounters

This is a transcript of a presentation at the Thirty-Fourth Annual Peace Studies Conference at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University on September 18, 2023. The presentation provides (1) some background information about Islam; (2) related ideas about Christianity; (3) a discussion of some verses in the Quran, which relate to the environment, and some Islamic interpretations of them; (4) an analysis of Ibrahim Abdul-Matin’s ideas on Islam and the environment; and (5) a tribute to Father Rene McGraw, OSB.

The Son's Easy Yoke And Light Burden: A Biblical Theology Study Of Matthew 11:25-30, Keegan Matheson

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Matthew 11:25-30 is a rich passage that reveals the nature of God's revelation to His people and the spiritual rest that He generously offers to them. This paper discusses both of these prominent themes and how they connect this passage with the rest of God's grand story. Furthermore, this paper addresses the implications of this passage on the life of a disciple.

Ezekiel 36:24-28: God Promises Salvation For The Sake Of His Name, Emerson Claire Jones

Biblical Studies Student Projects

Ezekiel 36:24-28 is an important passage both for the original audience and for modern day Christians. In this paper, the connections between this passage and the rest of the biblical narrative will be addressed. Why is God saying that He will give Israel a new heart? What is the motivation of God's action? How should we respond today? What led Israel to be in this position? These are all questions that will be addressed.

The Influence Of The Gospels Of Matthew And Luke On Carl F. H. Henry’S Kingdom Theology, Michael Cunningham

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

Carl F.H. Henry was a leading theologian of American Evangelicalism and prominent voice in the Neo Evangelical movement of the twentieth century. His prominent book The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism (1947) persuaded conservative evangelicals to avoid the separatist inclinations of fundamentalism. He, instead, championed a biblically based brand of cultural engagement rooted in the kingdom theology found in the Gospels. Harnessing the “Already, but not yet” view of the kingdom popularized by Herman Ridderbos and George Ladd, Henry effectively engaged culture during a tumultuous twentieth century. This paper will begin with a survey of the historical legacy of Carl …

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism: A Classical Critique, Michael W. Cunningham

Eleutheria: John W. Rawlings School of Divinity Academic Journal

In 2005, American sociologist Christian Smith coined the term “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” in his book, Soul Searching, The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. At the time, this phenomenon was heralded as a new “religion” for emerging generations, yet it ascribes to no formal text, deity, or doctrine. It serves as a self-focused compilation of secular philosophy, politics, culture, and spirituality flavored with fragments from popular religions. While there is no formal MTD doctrine, there are five affirmations: (1) A God exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on Earth, (2) God wants …

Philanthropic Traditions In Religions; A Comparative Study Of Jews, Islam, And Christianity, Ahmad Sobiyanto, Nurwahidin Nurwahidin

Journal Of Middle East and Islamic Studies

The philanthropic tradition is one of the recommended acts of worship in Islam which is part of the pillar of Islam, zakat. However, it turns out that this tradition also developed in other religions and became interesting to learn. The purpose of this study is to describe qualitatively about philanthropic traditions in the teachings of major religions in the middle east, namely Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Descriptive qualitative method (using content analysis techniques) is a type of literature research through books, journals and other relevant sources used in this research. That the religions of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity each have …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of The Christian Reformational Transcendental Model Of Art Criticism As A Literary Theory Through Albert Camus’S The Stranger, Elizabeth Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The subfield of art criticism and theory within Christian reformational philosophy, a descendent of the neo-Calvinist theology developed through the work of Dutch Reformer Abraham Kuyper and others, is becoming increasingly diverse. Recently, scholars such as Leland Ryken, Glenda Faye Mathes, and Philip Graham Ryken have built upon twentieth-century theologian Francis Schaeffer’s worldview approach by popularizing a transcendental model of art criticism, an approach that applies the transcendentals of truth, goodness, and beauty to works of art. However, the transcendentals, while widely discussed in the fields of philosophy, theology, and, to a lesser extent, art theory, have not been explicitly …

Prophets Of The Divine Revolution: "Bad Bishop Brown," Harry F. Ward, Claude C. Williams, And The Applied Proletarian Gospel, David W. Adams

Honors College Theses

This paper seeks to propose a unique strand of religious thought which united Marxist Christians in the United States. Using the lives and work of Bishop William Montgomery Brown, Dr. Harry F. Ward, and Reverend Claude C. Williams, this work proposes the term “applied proletarian gospel” to denote the political and religious thought of Marxist Christians who surpassed the social gospel and other proposed ideas of radical Christianity in their revolutionary and anti-capitalist thought and action. This paper finds that, although it remained a small trend among Christians, the applied proletarian gospel gave an outlet to Christians who sought to …

A Bibliometric Analysis Of The Great Commission Research Journal 2009-2019, Glenn R. Wittig

Great Commission Research Journal

The Great Commission Research Journal, the subject of this investigation, is a relatively new journal with roots in the past. It is a successor to two previous publications from the American Society for Church Growth. A bibliometric analysis of the journal’s first ten volumes is presented on two levels. The first is a content analysis of the surface features of the publication such as the authors’ education, academic credentials, and employment, the number of full-length articles published, the subjects covered in each article, and other features such as the average length of articles, number of footnote references, and number of …

Disruptive Homiletics: Liberationist Hermeneutics And The Preconditions Of Critical Consciousness, Joel (J.T.) Young

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Arendt And Christianity: On Love And The World, Logan Andrew Daly

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Hannah Arendt criticized the Christian faith for what she saw as an inherent wordlessness or ascetic attitude. She believed this focus on the afterlife was an afront to her political philosophy and kept people from participating in the public sphere. This thesis is a selective exploration of Arendt’s criticisms against the Christian faith and aims to show that there is a way of reconciling the respective belief systems, allowing an Arendtian to benefit from Christian ideas and a Christian to improve themselves with the assistance of Arendtian concepts. The project is split into two chapters. Each chapter focuses on a …

Nigerian Fastest Growing Churches And Their Intersection With The Poor, With Poverty And With Poverty Alleviation, Chinyereugo Euphemia Adeliyi

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Yellow Qipao, Feibi Wang

Honors Projects

This is a creative project centered around the pre-production of a short film about queer Asian American Christianity and the research that went into it. The synopsis of the script written for the short film is a life in the day of Aspen. Aspen prepares for church and is indecisive of the clothes they want to wear, because they are gender non-conforming. They come out to their mom and there is conflict. My research going into this project consists of researching media representation of queerness, Asian American identity, and Christianity, and how the three identities intersect in Aspen’s life and …

"The Antichrist Tradition In Antiquity: Antimessianism In Second Temple And Early Christian Literature" [Review]/Kusio, Mateusz, Rodrigo Galiza

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Rodrigo Galiza.

Mashiah: Messianism In Jewish Apocalyptic Literature Of The Second Temple Period, Fred R. De Leon

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This Thesis challenges notions that have dominated biblical scholarship for more than a hundred years. Up until the end of the twentieth century scholars uniformly believed that the concept of a suffering Messiah was not part of early first century CE Judaism. It was believed to a be a Christian creation. There is however startling evidence of messianic precursors to Jesus, including one who is introduced as the 'Prince of the Congregation' in recently published fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. This is not surprising since the authors of the Tanakh lay the groundwork for an evolving and malleable concept …

Sin And Grace, Bruce D. Baker

SPU Works

The theological lens of sin and grace gives a broader and deeper viewpoint than mere ethics. Ethical analysis is of course useful and necessary, but ethics alone is not enough. Ethics apart from a robust, holistic understanding of humans as persons-in-communion will remain mired in reductionist thinking about human dignity and morality. Therefore, this final chapter addresses the ethical issues of AI through the lens of sin and grace.

The Labor Of Mary: A Comparative Analysis Of The Virgin Birth In The Qur’An And The Gospels, Jessica Leu

Say Something Theological: The Student Journal of Theological Studies

Mary has been called a bridge between Christians and Muslims for centuries. Both religions revere her as the mother of Jesus (Isa) and for her status as a virgin when she conceived him, and both traditions have within them devotees who venerate Mary. But despite this shared adoration for the blessed mother, there are a variety of differences between their understanding of Mary’s role in salvation and of her virginity. While the New Testament Gospels make some mention of Mary in their texts, the Qur’an dedicates an entire surah (chapter) to her story and mentions her with more frequency than …

Spiritual Friendship: Learning To Be Friends With God And One Another, Hank Voss

Sacred Roots Spiritual Classics

Aelred’s Spiritual Friendship focuses on being God’s friend expressed through three conversations with different friends. Aelred draws upon his friendships both with contemporaries and with authors who lived centuries before. This work provides an antidote to our contemporary milieu which, though replete with unremitting communications, propels toward individualism, autonomy, and loneliness. What Spiritual Friendship affords is a guide toward “holy and life-giving” friendships fruitfully marked by joy and happiness.

Professor Hank Voss amplifies a voice from the 12th century that explored Christian friendship in Scripture, in creation (reason), in church teachings (tradition), and in his own practice of spiritual friendship …

"Becoming Jewish, Believing In Jesus: Judaizing Evangelicals In Brazil" [Review]/Carpenedo, Manoela, Rodrigo Galiza

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Rodrigo Galiza.

"White Too Long: The Legacy Of White Supremacy In American Christianity" [Review]/Jones, Robert, Trevor O'Reggio

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Trevor O'Reggio.

"Engaging Theology: A Biblical, Historical, And Practical Introduction" [Review]/Blackwell, Ben C. And R. L. Hatchett., Sussie Stanley

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Sussie Stanley.

"For You There Are No Strangers": Albert Schweitzer And The Ethics Of Necessity In Pandemic America, Joel (J.T.) Young

Faculty Scholarship

Claiming millions of lives and affecting millions more, the Covid-19 pandemic has thrust humanity into a period of intense reflection on the fragility of life. However, in this time when people have been encouraged to care for their fellow human beings by taking the precautions necessary to protect one another, many have asked the same question as one of Jesus’ antagonistic opponents in the Gospel of Luke: “and who is my neighbor?” In addition to the virus, though, the United States has been plagued by another adversary: non-necessity toward the other. By claiming no responsibility for the well-being and care …

Caregivers Need Care, Too: Conceptualising Spiritual Care For Migrant Caregivers-Transnational Mothers, Ma. Adeinev M. Reyes-Espiritu

Theology Department Faculty Publications

Growing research revolving around the plight of (Philippine) migrant domestic workers is noteworthy. However, the focus is largely on their role, capacity and identity as caregivers, meaning as labour migrants and transnational mothers engaged in both paid and unpaid care work. Building on the “care circulation” framework of Baldassar and Merla that conceptualises care as given and received in varying degrees by all family members across time and distance, this paper takes up the task of recognising migrant domestic workers as care receivers. In a particular way, this paper conceptualises care for migrant caregivers-transnational mothers that is based on a …

Christ And American Culture- Some Biblical Reflections, Paul Raabe

Concordia Pages

Going beyond H. Richard Neibuhr’s famous paradox model on “Christ and Culture,” Dr. Paul Raabe contends for a biblical, dynamic tension that exists between the culture and the faith. Using the image of a house, Raabe explores four “rooms” : (1) Christianity affirms culture in some respects; (2) Christianity opposes culture in some respects; (3) Christianity leavens culture in some ways; and (4) Christianity uses cultural forms to communicate its message. Each of the four rooms needs to be lived in for maintaining the tension presented in the Scriptures as a faithful witness to the lordship of Christ.

The Shape Of Faith: Understanding God Through Pottery, Kenton Ke

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

The Bible uses the relationship between a potter and the clay as a metaphor to describe the relationship between God and humans. “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8, NIV). This paper will expand on this metaphor, and draw parallels between the development of personal relationships with God and the complicated processes of pottery making.

Informed By Joy: A Christian Librarian's Reflection On C.S. Lewis, David H. Michels

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

In Surprised by Joy C. S. Lewis offers us his account of his conversion to Christianity. Using his experiences of joy as “signposts,” he leads us through his early life up to his conversion at age thirty-one. I reflect on Lewis’s account as a librarian, researcher, and fellow Christian, considering his information world and the people who aided and hindered him on his faith journey. I conclude with some thoughts on his and my own conversion, as both unique yet shared experiences within the Christian tradition.

"Real joy seems to me almost as unlike security or prosperity as it is …

"Because God Said So": A Thematic Analysis Of Why People Denounce Black Greek-Letter Organizations, Mea Ashley

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Today, Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) struggle to use empirical data to address financial burden, elitism, hazing, relevance in social justice issues, and the anti-BGLO movement. The anti-BGLO movement frames this study. The movement stems from beliefs that secret societies, fraternities, and sororities are anti-Christian. Society will continue to question the relevance and importance of BGLOs if they cannot overcome the issues plaguing them. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to ascertain why members are leaving BGLOs, in case the organizations find the anti-BGLO movement to be a threat to organizational vitality. Through thematic analysis, 18 YouTube testimonials from denouncers …

Ending Christian Hegemony: Jean-Luc Nancy And The Ends Of Eurocentric Thought, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This essay addresses Jean-Luc Nancy’s “deconstruction of Christianity” and how what Christianity proclaims through enacting a deconstruction of itself brings an end to the western, hegemonic hold that Christian imperialism has perpetuated for centuries. Nancy, for his part, takes up the name of Christianity insofar as it is a religious phenomenon that signals a trajectory of thought in the West that must be discerned as providing an “exit from religion and of the expansion of the atheist world.” Since deconstructing the dominant narratives of the West means deconstructing the myth of a sovereign, autonomous deity whose reign, Nancy declares, has …

Editor's Introduction, Mathew N. Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.