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Full-Text Articles in Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Symposium: From Coming Out To Coming In: Roundtable Conversation Among Southeast Asian Queer Theologians, Michael Sepidoza Campos, Jayeel Cornelio, Erich Von Marthin Elraphoma, Joseph N. Goh, Jerlo M. Jaropillo, Joshua Marasigan, Kristine C. Meneses, Irene Nainggolan, Kakay Pamarán, Lizette Tapia, Amadeo Devin Udampoh, Wan Wei-Hsien Jan 2024

Symposium: From Coming Out To Coming In: Roundtable Conversation Among Southeast Asian Queer Theologians, Michael Sepidoza Campos, Jayeel Cornelio, Erich Von Marthin Elraphoma, Joseph N. Goh, Jerlo M. Jaropillo, Joshua Marasigan, Kristine C. Meneses, Irene Nainggolan, Kakay Pamarán, Lizette Tapia, Amadeo Devin Udampoh, Wan Wei-Hsien

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Through a roundtable conversation via Zoom, teachers, pastors, and graduate students discussed the place of gender, citizenship, and faith in their identity formation and social accountability to articulate a hermeneutical lens specific to Southeast Asian contexts that shape and critique queer identities. These participants—primarily ministers, theological students, and seminary formators—engaged in organic, fluid, and multifocal turns to capture experiences that undergird the realities of women and LGBTQIQ+ people of faith in the region.


The Decalogue Of Justice: A Covenantal Application Of Biblical Justice, Andrew Mark Adil Jul 2023

The Decalogue Of Justice: A Covenantal Application Of Biblical Justice, Andrew Mark Adil

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation aims to establish a biblical theology of justice (מִשְׁפָּט), ascertaining the commands and references to justice in Scripture are comprehensively and exclusively rooted in the Moral Law of the Torah, summarized in the Ten Commandments, and embedded in the Covenant of Grace (Old and New), making it binding on New Covenant believers and inextricably attached to the church’s Great Commission mandate. To this end, the study examines the concept of justice in the OT and the Moral Law, contrasting Reformed evangelical hermeneutics with the modern iteration of Liberation Theology in connection with the application of biblical justice. Additionally, …


Letter From The Chairman: Over One Hundred Years Of Student Publications At Concordia Seminary, Ben Vanderhyde May 2023

Letter From The Chairman: Over One Hundred Years Of Student Publications At Concordia Seminary, Ben Vanderhyde

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

For hundreds of years, in various countries, through various languages, Christian pastors have exhorted their people to lift up their hearts in the liturgy of Holy Communion. Whether or not every church has always used these precise words, the exhortation is universal among Christians. We are called to put our faith and trust in the one who is above us; to set our hope firmly on the one whose second advent is on the verge of dawning; to aim all of our desires and affections toward the one who made us. In short, we lift up our hearts to the …


Pierre Manent: The Empire Of Modernity And The Church’S Response, Hayden Lukas May 2023

Pierre Manent: The Empire Of Modernity And The Church’S Response, Hayden Lukas

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

Manent’s body of work often problematizes the modern conservative impulse to draw on the history of thought with modernity’s conception of history, and this essay will attempt to explain this dynamic. To do this, I will explain the basics of Manent’s account of modernity as a way of evaluating history, drawing on the work of other political philosophers to supplement Manent’s account. Then I will examine how the work of Manent and Emile Perreau-Saussine, with the Catholic response to the Enlightenment, can contribute to the Church’s strategy to engage with the puzzle of modernity. .


Learning The Liturgy With Mr. Miyagi: The Case For Liturgical Catechesis, Benjamin Leeper May 2023

Learning The Liturgy With Mr. Miyagi: The Case For Liturgical Catechesis, Benjamin Leeper

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

Using the narrative of The Karate Kid as a guide, I will demonstrate that Christian formation is a matter of recontextualizing liturgical practices in the daily life of the believer, so that she knows when, where, and how to use the precogni¬tive spiritual habits formed by Word and Sacrament in Christian worship. This understanding challenges prevalent liturgical theology, which tends to assume an automatic connection—or worse, no connection at all— between worship and daily life, by highlighting the necessity of locating for believers the telos of the church’s rites and ceremonies in discipleship. Finally, I will provide concrete examples of …


Equipping Covenant Baptist Church To Defend The Bible In A Skeptical World, Harlan Grant Mclain Apr 2023

Equipping Covenant Baptist Church To Defend The Bible In A Skeptical World, Harlan Grant Mclain

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The thesis of this research project is “If Covenant Baptist Church members are taught the reliability of the Bible, they will be equipped to defend their faith to a skeptical world.” The goals of this doctoral thesis are two-fold: to train adequate believers regarding the Bible’s reliability in a skeptical world, and honor God in the process through the equipping ministry of the church in accordance with Ephesians 4:11-16. Seven lessons were researched, formulated, and presented to a small group of believers in Covenant Baptist Church who desired to become more confident in defending the Bible to a skeptic. Entrance …


Developing A Shared Ecclesial Identity Utilizing Story-Based Elements With First Baptist Church, Gainesville, Georgia, Jeremy T. Shoulta Jan 2023

Developing A Shared Ecclesial Identity Utilizing Story-Based Elements With First Baptist Church, Gainesville, Georgia, Jeremy T. Shoulta

Doctor of Ministry Projects

The Body of Christ is challenged to, “be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2). How then could a congregation, comprised of individuals harboring diverse cultural worldviews, discover and live into this reality? Through various individual and group exercises, participants sought to determine whether story elements have the power to serve as a true sense-making device within an ecclesial setting. The results indicate that that a majority of participants found the story-based framework beneficial in regards to their personal understanding of the work of First Baptist Church.


Welcome: Notes On The Church As A Community Of Reception, Joseph S. Flipper Dec 2022

Welcome: Notes On The Church As A Community Of Reception, Joseph S. Flipper

Journal of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium

The Second Vatican Council affirmed the retrieval of communion ecclesiology and the significance of the local church. Correlating with its communion ecclesiology, questions arose concerning the reception of conciliar teaching. According to Yves Congar, in accordance with the essential conciliarity of the church, reception is a creative process of discernment and assimilation. Black Catholics following the council similarly developed a theology of the local church and a theology of reception. I argue that US Black Catholic theologians and pastors described reception as welcome of the Word of God and hospitality toward those who bear the Word.


Gerontic Evangelism, Yakubu Jakada Oct 2022

Gerontic Evangelism, Yakubu Jakada

Great Commission Research Journal

Gerontic Evangelism focuses on sharing the gospel with senior adults. Many evangelism ministries are focusing on children, youth, women, and other adult members of society, but few focus on the elderly. Senior adults in most cases are not seen as a peculiar group that needs to be strategically reached with the gospel. Their importance in society and their growing population worldwide should attract the attention of evangelists and missionaries to target them as a special group for gospel witness. This paper argues that winning the senior adults to Christ is a necessity and may open doors for the evangelization and …


Competing Notions Of Humility: Why Korean Americans Do Not Need To Abandon Confucius To Get To Christ, Eunice Hong, Max Botner Oct 2022

Competing Notions Of Humility: Why Korean Americans Do Not Need To Abandon Confucius To Get To Christ, Eunice Hong, Max Botner

Great Commission Research Journal

Korean Americans often go to church not only for religious reasons, but also for social and cultural reasons. Due to the close tie between the Korean immigrant church and cultural traditions, second-generation Korean Americans often struggle with trying to balance Eastern and Western cultural values. In particular, tensions arise for second-generation Korean Americans between competing notions of humility. Such tensions, however, provide opportunities to reflect on the particular nature of Christian humility. This article presents biblical humility as one that is neither the maintenance of cultural traditions nor the personal growth of individual disciples; rather, Christ-shaped, Spirit-filled humility is the …


Church-Based Research: Using Theories, Concepts, And Operationalizations, David R. Dunaetz Oct 2022

Church-Based Research: Using Theories, Concepts, And Operationalizations, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

Church-based research requires working with abstract concepts ranging from sin to sanctification. Theories, concepts, and operationalizations allow us to work with these abstractions. Theories are sets of statements describing how specific concepts relate to each other. Concepts are broad ideas that exist in our thinking that can be used to describe phenomena, both within and exterior to the church. If we measure the concepts in our theories among multiple people, we can determine to what degree the relationships in our theories are true or discover under what conditions they are true. Sometimes concepts can be measured directly; other times they …


Forming Saints In A Digital Context, Mark R. Teasdale Oct 2022

Forming Saints In A Digital Context, Mark R. Teasdale

Great Commission Research Journal

Biblical and scholarly sources agree on the importance of forming Christians to seek after holy living to make them more effective evangelists, such that the ministries of evangelism and spiritual formation are intertwined. They also agree that one of the primary roles of the church is to provide for this formation. However, the practices for doing this have been complicated by the heavy move toward digital ministry because of COVID-19. Congregations can continue this formational work even in highly digital contexts by helping Christians tell their story through lifelogging, providing rituals and disciplines to sanctify time and physical spaces, and …


The Church And Ethnopolitical Conflict In Kenya: 1982-2013, David Tarus Jul 2022

The Church And Ethnopolitical Conflict In Kenya: 1982-2013, David Tarus

The Journal of Social Encounters

The chapter examines the role of the church in addressing the problem of ethnopolitical conflict in Kenya from 1982 to 2013. Though ethnocentrism within the Kenyan Christian community goes beyond the years cited to the colonial period and the immediate years following independence, the intensity of the problem after 1982 calls for special attention. The single event that marks political change in Kenya is the 1982 attempted coup. Although this was not successful, the coup heightened opposition against Moi’s rule and thus, 1982 marks the beginning of the recent history of Kenya, a history in which three phases may be …


Tradition: Handing Down The Light To The Next Generation, Kristen Einertson Apr 2022

Tradition: Handing Down The Light To The Next Generation, Kristen Einertson

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

When my husband and I found out that I was pregnant with our first child, we started discussing the ways we hoped to hand down the faith to our children one day. Initially, the things that our own parents had done when we were younger helped us to come up with a pretty familiar list of activities: getting them baptized soon after they arrived, going to church regularly, teaching them to pray before mealtimes and bedtime, reading Bible stories, and familiarizing them with the church’s hymns. If there was one nearby—and we wanted to get a little crazy—maybe we would …


The Church Is The House Of Abraham - Reflections On Martin Luther’S Teaching On Hospitality Toward Exiles, Leopoldo Sánchez Jan 2022

The Church Is The House Of Abraham - Reflections On Martin Luther’S Teaching On Hospitality Toward Exiles, Leopoldo Sánchez

Concordia Pages

From Dr. Sánchez: According to the United Nations, more than 65 million people (about 23 million of them refugees) are counted as forcibly displaced due to persecution, war, and violence. Only one percent are resettled each year, and over half of them are children. The numbers are staggering. Closer to home, about three-quarters of the US foreign-born population (33.8 million) are lawful immigrants, and some 11 million are unauthorized immigrants. In a world experiencing the greatest transnational movement of refugees and immigrants in history, including those coming to our shores and their children, one is right to ask what Lutheran …


Exploring The Impact Of Social Media On The Religious And Spiritual Beliefs Of Emerging Adults, Mark Ehlebracht Jan 2022

Exploring The Impact Of Social Media On The Religious And Spiritual Beliefs Of Emerging Adults, Mark Ehlebracht

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The adoption of social media has been suggested to contribute to a syncretic behavior in emerging adults. The rate of innovation and change that occurred in the church during the Reformation, concurrent with the rise of the printing press, is similar to the rate of cultural change occurring today; a primary missional challenge of the Christian church is to incarnate the gospel in the digital world. While much research has been conducted on the effects of social media in a variety of demographics and its unintended consequences, limited research has examined the impact of social media on the religious and …


Breaking Depression’S Silence Within The Church Through Friendships, Robert D. Mcbain Oct 2021

Breaking Depression’S Silence Within The Church Through Friendships, Robert D. Mcbain

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article explores the silent nature of depression in the local church and suggests that developing Jesus-style friendships can break the silence. It adapts the author’s Doctor of Ministry (DMin) research project, which explored the silent nature of depression in the local church and Christianity’s interpretive healing qualities. This article argues that the church has a rich history of helping sufferers interpret their experiences of depression, but changing worldviews, the growth of the modern medical model, and the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals monopolized health and shoved the church to the periphery of the conversation. Silence became the church’s typical response, which …


Maintaining A Biblical Worldview: Mitigating Emerging Syncretism With Worldly Philosophies Through Focused Instruction In Christian Theology, Scott Kendal Leafe Sep 2021

Maintaining A Biblical Worldview: Mitigating Emerging Syncretism With Worldly Philosophies Through Focused Instruction In Christian Theology, Scott Kendal Leafe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are granted a “new nature” that enables them to develop thinking, a worldview, based on the mind of Christ. Unfortunately, since every person’s worldview is continually being modified, it becomes ever more challenging for believers to keep their thinking consistent with Scripture. Therefore, this action research thesis assumes consistent participation in focused teaching on fundamental doctrines and theologies of the Christian faith is necessary to develop and maintain a cohesive biblical worldview. This research project comprised the teaching of a five-part Bible study course at a local church in eleven consecutive forty-five-minute classes on …


Christian Identity Meets Identity Politics: A Lutheran Approach To Political Engagement, Michael Hanson May 2021

Christian Identity Meets Identity Politics: A Lutheran Approach To Political Engagement, Michael Hanson

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Identity politics has become a frequently referenced and much maligned term used to describe a trend in political engagement in the early 21st century. Identity politics is employed across the political spectrum and has critics on both the left and right in the United States. Christian Identity Meets Identity Politics examines the contours of identity politics to understand and consider the concerns which lead neighbors to engage in identity politics, accounts for the needs of those neighbors who are denied God’s gift of justice through the state, considers criticisms leveled against identity politics within the greater view of Western …


Seasons Of Change : Navigating New Beginnings And Endings Within The United Methodist Church, Wade Killough May 2021

Seasons Of Change : Navigating New Beginnings And Endings Within The United Methodist Church, Wade Killough

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


One In The Spirit: An Exploration Of And Movement Toward The Theology Behind Acceptance Of, Affirmation Of, And Advocacy For Transgender People In The Church, Jo Newton Jan 2021

One In The Spirit: An Exploration Of And Movement Toward The Theology Behind Acceptance Of, Affirmation Of, And Advocacy For Transgender People In The Church, Jo Newton

Beets Paper Contest

No abstract provided.


The Rural Church As Community Support For Grandparents Raising Their Grandchildren, William Shane Cassida Jan 2021

The Rural Church As Community Support For Grandparents Raising Their Grandchildren, William Shane Cassida

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A growing trend in rural communities located in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, as well as across much of the United States, is the significant increase in the number of grandparents that are being forced to accept the responsibility of raising their grandchildren due to a crisis within the family structure. The US Census Bureau cited in 2016 that over 2.5 million grandparents are helping with the responsibility of raising their grandchildren, and that 7.8 million children live in homes owned by their grandparents. This accounts for almost 10% of all children nationally. There is a current ministry need for churches …


Spiritual Metrics : Accounting For Spiritual Transformation In International Development, George Nduati Woki Jan 2021

Spiritual Metrics : Accounting For Spiritual Transformation In International Development, George Nduati Woki

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Kandhamal Riot 2008 : Its Impact On Current And Future Christian Community, Lalit Kumar Nayak Jan 2021

Kandhamal Riot 2008 : Its Impact On Current And Future Christian Community, Lalit Kumar Nayak

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Unhealthy Leadership In The Christian Church: A Study Of The Divorce Rate, Curtis William Carter Dec 2020

Unhealthy Leadership In The Christian Church: A Study Of The Divorce Rate, Curtis William Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to bring healing and direction to a particular area of the Christian church that is destroying marriages and greatly emotionally damaging children and families. This specific research will look at both the divorce rate in the secular community and the divorce rate in the Christian church, thus comparing and contrasting the two. While at the same time, showing how unhealthy leadership in the Christian church continues this damage. Furthermore, this research will also illustrate which gender is most likely filing for the divorces here in the 21st century and answer the questions why, where, …


Establishing Christ Community Church As A Sent Community: Initiating Spiritual Conversation With Confidence, Relevance, And Conviction, William Leland Burch Ii Nov 2020

Establishing Christ Community Church As A Sent Community: Initiating Spiritual Conversation With Confidence, Relevance, And Conviction, William Leland Burch Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that Christ Community Church does not see itself as a ‘sent community.’ A ‘sent community’ is one where purpose and forward movement in Kingdom work is embraced. A church must seek to involve itself in the community, delve into the needs, and speak to the emptiness with the Gospel of Jesus. The purpose of this project is to establish Christ Community Church as a ‘sent community’ by offering a sustentative engagement program which will: 1) describe the mission of Jesus; 2) assess the culture in which the church is situated; 3) answer six frequently asked theological questions; …


The Power Of Faithfulness In Relational Evangelism, Lance C. Hahn Oct 2020

The Power Of Faithfulness In Relational Evangelism, Lance C. Hahn

Great Commission Research Journal

Many evangelistic efforts bear little fruit. It may be due to our inability to convey the right information, but it may also be due to an inappropriate environment for the information to be interpreted correctly. This article describes a process that God may use to engage a person whose heart has been prepared, so that the seed sown is received, not only as truth, but with joy. Relational evangelism carried out faithfully allows consistent sowing until chaotic moments open the heart.


Narcissistic Pastors And The Making Of Narcissistic Churches, Darrell Puls Oct 2020

Narcissistic Pastors And The Making Of Narcissistic Churches, Darrell Puls

Great Commission Research Journal

Can churches take on the pathological behaviors associated with narcissism through the influence of a narcissistic pastor? While there is a large body of literature on narcissistic individuals, and a smaller body of research into narcissistic organizations, there is little research on the prevalence of toxic narcissism in clergy and little to none on narcissistic churches. This paper is written from the perspective of currently available research and the author’s experience in working with churches suffering from severe internal conflicts in which both the pastor and church evidenced toxic levels of narcissism. The intent is to increase awareness, open a …


Is This A Christian Nation?: Virtual Symposium September 25, 2020, Roger Williams University School Of Law Sep 2020

Is This A Christian Nation?: Virtual Symposium September 25, 2020, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.


Church Planting, Humanitarian Services, And Christian Holiness In Central India : A Study Of The Life And Mission Of Ernest And Phebe Ward, Shivraj Kumar Mahendra Jun 2020

Church Planting, Humanitarian Services, And Christian Holiness In Central India : A Study Of The Life And Mission Of Ernest And Phebe Ward, Shivraj Kumar Mahendra

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.