Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

The Unity Of The Spirit's Creative Work : Creation And Soteriology In The Scholastic Pneumatology Of William Burt Pope, Laura Garverick

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A New Adventure In China: Personal And Theological Discoveries Around Jingjiao And Nestorian Christianity, Tianyi Yuan

Theology Student Scholarship

Major: Theology and Philosophy

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Arthur Urbano, Theology

This project explored the inculturation and vitality of faith that made the mission of ancient Syrian Nestorian Christianity into China possible. My research is summarized into four discoveries:

1. the discovery of the history of missionary journey, religious exchanges and the theological connection between Nestorian Christianity in Syria and Jingjiao (or the “luminous Religion,” which is the historical Chinese name of Nestorian Christianity) in China;
2. the discovery of Jingjiao documents;
3. the discovery of fundamental Christian doctrines in Jing-Jiao documents;
4. the discovery of Jingjiao relics in China, which …

Old Testament Election: God’S Exclusive Means Of Bringing About Global Redemption, Parker Williams

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis will seek to explore the doctrine of election as it appears in the Old Testament. It will attempt to provide a robust, biblical conception of the doctrine, shedding light on its nature and purpose, viewing the Bible as a singular story of God’s redemptive work. It will consider and assess election as God’s act of divine prerogative—being at times individual but primarily corporate. While inherently partial, effort will be taken to defend the doctrine against common objections this partiality draws. Rather, it will be shown that as the means by which He initiated His gracious plan of salvation, …

“Thus Seyden Sadde Folk”: Chaucer’S Oxford Clerk On Theological Controversy In The 14th Century, Molly Kluever

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

Among the most disturbing of The Canterbury Tales, the Oxford Clerk’s story of the submissive Griselda and her husband-cum-tormentor Walter has, despite its categorization as one of Chaucer’s “religious tales,” resisted most, if not all, theological readings with its lack of a clear moral. I attempt to address this ambiguity by focusing on the teller himself. As an Oxford-trained cleric, the Clerk is uniquely qualified to juggle the interrelated but conflicting discourses of two significant theological controversies of the late fourteenth century: the ongoing realist-nominalist debate within medieval universities and the rising Wycliffite/lollardy reform movement among all levels of …

Faith, Doubt, And Reason - Conclusion And Epilogue, Brent Hege

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Courtesy of Wipf and Stock Publishers:

Faith, doubt, and reason are universal human faculties, yet they are frequently misunderstood, denigrated, and even abused. What does it mean to have faith, and what distinguishes faith from belief? Can someone have faith without religious commitments? What is doubt, and what is its relationship to faith and belief? How do we make sense of evil and suffering? What roles does reason play in our lives? What do we do when we have the sneaking suspicion that life is absurd? What do we love, and what do we fear? How do faith, doubt, and …

Clement Of Alexandria And The Logos, Lois Eveleth

Faculty and Staff - Articles & Papers

Director of a catechetical school in Alexandria, Clement employed a key concept in Middle Platonism, i.e. Logos, as a means to spread the Gospel among Hellenized Egyptians and Berbers. Ever the pedagogue, Clement freely employed rich metaphors; especially memorable was "Christ the Minstrel"; singing a "... new song for the cosmos."

Faith Integration Essay: Biblical And Theological Studies, Victor I. Ezigbo

Faith Learning Integration Papers

This essay discusses two major themes, "Faith, Theology, and Guiding Principles for Theological Reflection" and "Christian Gospel and the Public Sphere".

The introduction begins as follows, "The term ‘faith’ is notoriously slippery. Theologians as well as Christians who do not have any formal theological education use the term ‘faith’ sometimes in competing ways. For example, some use ‘faith’ as a shield for protecting themselves from people who ask questions about God’s existence and actions in the world. For such people, faith opposes reason. They see ‘faith’ as “an antithesis of reason” and also construe “reason as an intellectual virus that …

Participation, Image And Likeness: A Comparative Demonstration Of The Scriptural And Philosophical Basis Of Origen’S Theology Of Deification, Matthew J. Doeing

Theology Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

Said The River: The Confluence Of Ecotheology And Water, Margaret Harrington Ferris

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Environmental water issues are increasingly in the consciousness of environmental advocates, as well as scientists and engineers. Water experts have approached water issues from a scientific and engineering framework, which has led them to preference material and technical solutions. Yet those solutions have been insufficient. The interdisciplinary field of water studies has been critical of the scientific-engineering approach. Several water scholars have posited that water issues are social-human problems first, and material-technical problems second. They call for alternative approaches that emphasize reconstructing water as a necessary precursor to formulating effective, enduring solutions to environmental water issues. Likewise, ecotheological scholars and …

Becoming Friends Of God: Practicing Philosophy Of Religion And Theology In And For A Radical Spirit Of Individuality And Humanity, Brandon Vermilya Yarbrough

CGU Theses & Dissertations

We want to live well. For us, coming to live well involves learning to think well. The extent to which we can make the transition from death and misery to life and blessedness will depend on the extent to which we learn to truly think the transition. We are not free to truly opt for life unless we can truly distinguish between death and life, and we are not free to truly opt for blessedness unless we can truly distinguish between misery and blessedness. Toward these ends, we have much work to do. It is not the case that every …

Portrait Of A Heretic: The Development Of Walter Kaufmann's Philosophy Of Religion, Duncan William Gale

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This is a study of the philosophy of religion of Walter Kaufmann, specifically how he found his unique philosophical voice during the first decade of his career. It begins with Kaufmann’s work as a translator and commentator on Friedrich Nietzsche, examining the ways his interpretation of Nietzsche’s philosophy both informs and anticipates his own philosophical perspective. Attention is also given to Kaufmann’s work on Hegel and existentialism as it relates to his development. After these considerations, Kaufmann’s first original work of philosophy, Critique of Religion and Philosophy , is examined in detail, beginning with his appraisal of the field of …

Salvadoran Women's Migration To The United States: Lessons Of Challenge And Hope For The Church, Michael Ramos

Doctor of Ministry Doctoral Projects

In this study, the researcher investigated the migration experience and resettlement of five Salvadoran women who sought refuge in the United States. Unlike refugees who have been placed after a vetting process, through an international placement program and the United States State Department, Salvadorans have often fled to the United States, with or without U.S. federal authorization. Often they have applied for asylum after arriving in the United States. This leaves many Salvadorans (1) separated from family members and loved ones, (2) facing possible economic hardship, and (3) vulnerable to detention and deportation. Yet, these immigrants have demonstrated—if we go …

Economy Of Condescension: John Henry Newman's Trinitarian Theology, Matthew Kemp

Dissertations

John Henry Newman (1801-90) did not write any systematic treatise on the doctrine of the Trinity, yet it consistently pervades his theological writings. Not only does he frequently treat the doctrine directly, but it also influences how he writes about other areas of theology, so that there is arguably a Trinitarian €œframe€ around all of Newman's thought. Yet there has been surprisingly little scholarship on Newman's theology of the Trinity. This is problematic because it leaves unexplored a major component of his thinking, one that seems essential to a fuller understanding of his theology. in this dissertation I provide a …

St. Augustine And St. Thomas Aquinas On The Mind, Body, And Life After Death, Christopher Choma

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Historical and philosophical investigation of the thoughts of two of philosophy's most innovative Christian thinkers. The thesis primarily deals with the relationship between the mind and the body through the lenses of St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Thomas Aquinas. Thesis also includes theological discussions of life after death, and how one can be certain that the soul survives the corruption of the body.

Socio-Philosophical Aspects Of The Senusite Movement In North Africa, Azam Mamurov

The Light of Islam

The great imam and reformer seyyid Muhammad bin ‘Ali al-Senusi was born in Algeria and is a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Received an excellent upbringing and education. He devoted all his knowledge and life experience to a noble cause: improving and reforming the hard and poor life of the simple Arab people. This is the period when European countries (France, Italy, etc.) began occupation actions against the underdeveloped Arab countries of North Africa. In 1830, the French captured Algeria - the homeland of Muhammad ‘Ali al-Senusi, and in 1881 the …

Development Of Concepts On The Philosophy Of Religion In The Philosophical Thinking Of The West, Abduxoliq Tashanov

The Light of Islam

This article explores the role of religious ideas, concepts and ideas in the cognitive process, the idea of God in the dominant idea of medieval Western civilization, as well as the philosophical views of theologians on the unity and eternity of God. The ideas of Thomas Aquinas about God, the omnipotence of God and his relative and absolute views on him are analyzed. The role of the theological doctrine in European philosophy of the 11th-13th centuries, its transformation into medieval European conceptual dominance was investigated in the theory of theology as a major scientific science with the addition of philosophy …

A Power Man’S Theology: Marvel’S Luke Cage And Black Liberation Theology, Diarron B. Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Netflix released Marvel’s Luke Cage in 2016 to critical acclaim. Born from a 1970s comic book, the series features Luke Cage, an African-American superhero. Cage is a big, bald, bulletproof black man. Instead of tights and a cape, Cage wears a hoodie calling the audience to remember Trayvon Martin and other victims of white racism. Theologian James Cone created Black Liberation Theology in the 1970s. As a result of Cone’s work, Black Liberation Theology addresses the issue of white racism from a theological standpoint. In this thesis I present a close reading of Marvel’s Luke Cage using Black Liberation Theology …

Covenant Language In Biblical Religions And The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

In this essay I have tried to provide a broad survey of the concept of covenant for Latter-day Saint students of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I began with a sketch of the history of covenant theology in the Christian tradition showing how the early New Testament idea of a baptismal covenant was soon replaced by the Christian institution of sacraments. Although the covenant idea played little role in the historical developments of Christian theology, it did resurge in the Reformation, but without widespread theological impact.

In contrast, over the last century, the role of the covenant idea …

The Justification Clause Of Phil 3:12 : A Textual, Transcriptional, And Exegetical Analysis, Ryan Kristopher Giffin

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Interfaith Dialogue And Comparative Theology: A Theoretical Approach To A Practical Dilemma, Michael Atkinson

The Journal of Social Encounters

Interfaith dialogue is based on the premise that there is more that unites than divides us. Epistemological humility, acceptance of religious plurality or the need for unity itself have all been presented as unifying pathways across disparate religious traditions. Despite such approaches, conceptual understandings of interfaith dialogue have not kept pace with practice. This theoretical paper argues that interfaith dialogical theory profits from a deep understanding of moral psychology and social learning theory. The former posits that a sense of ‘fairness’ and ‘universal care’ are aligned with religious acceptance. On the other hand, values of sanctity, loyalty and authority promote …

Wholeheartedness And Acquaintance With God, Sarah Naomi Dannemiller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I demonstrate that wholeheartedness is a constitutive intellectual virtue. Wholeheartedness consists of a definite and unified volitional structure in which one’s desires are integrated around union with God and which contributes to one’s personal intellectual worth by positively orienting her toward acquaintance with God. Since wholeheartedness consists of a hierarchy of the will that prioritizes a desire for union with God, wholeheartedness aims towards the epistemic good of acquaintance. By desiring that one have a will that wills union with God, she cooperates with God toward wholeheartedness. As one becomes aware of her volitional structure changing, she …

Biblical Archaeology As An Effective Apologetic, Cooper Wyatt

Masters Theses

This thesis seeks to demonstrate the relationship between biblical archaeology and Christian apologetics, where archaeology can be used as way to show that the Bible has accurately preserved the history it reports.

Where Is God In Symbolic Exchange? A Theo-Semiological Analysis Of The Sons Of Anarchy, Alex Justin Holguin

Masters Theses

This thesis attempts to uncover the religious nature of communication by re-visioning and situating French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan’s theory of communication within a Christian theological context. By critically engaging Lacan’s theoretical concepts of the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real within this context, the thesis is able to access the intersection of rhetorical semiotics, psychoanalysis, and Christian theology to have a more fruitful understanding of how meaning is exchanged between subjects. Lacan’s inter-disciplinary affirmation of rhetoric and psychoanalysis has been able to produce incredible explanatory potential for how meaning, as the bedrock of speech and communication, operates through the psyche …

Unpresentable Members: The Theology And Radical Phenomenology Of The Sexual Flesh, Justin Pearl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unpresentable Members begins with a wager: that a proper account of the flesh and its sexual character may not only prove philosophically fertile within its own limited domain, but may also provide insight into the theological question of the proper role and place of gender and sexual difference within communities, particularly Christian religious communities. In this regard, this dissertation has two distinct goals: one phenomenological and one theological. Phenomenologically, it offers an account of the manifestation of concrete sexual determinations not only as they objectively appear across the “body-object” (Körper, le corps) but with equal importance as …

"We Are Strangers In This Life": Theology, Liminality, And The Exiled In Anglo-Saxon Literature, Nathan John Haydon

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In “‘We Are Strangers in this Life’: Theology, Liminality, and the Exiled in Anglo-Saxon Literature,” I analyze the theme of exile in the theological literature of the Anglo-Saxon era as a way of conveying the spiritual condition of eschatological separation. The anthropological theory of liminality will be applied in this dissertation as a way of contextualizing the existence of the exiled, and the multiple ways in which exile is enacted. The intervention of the theory of liminality in this dissertation offers a methodology and vocabulary for assessing what exile means in terms of a spiritual identity, how it operates in …

How Embodied Human Creatures Converse Online, David Edwards

Grapho : Concordia Seminary Student Journal

Have you ever noticed just how much you can learn about what a person has going on in life without asking them a single question? All you have to do is hop on Facebook, scroll through twitter, or scan Instagram and you can see updates on everything! From the birth of a first child to the death of a loved one, from their favorite new show to Fantasy Football failures, it is pretty easy to learn a lot about a person and their life today with only so much as a couple of clicks on a screen or a keyboard.

The Coherence Of Justification In Luke 18:9-14 With Authentic Jesus Tradition, Peter D. Tan-Gatue

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

TawḥĪDic Allah, The Trinity, And The Eschaton: A Comparative Analysis Of The Qualitative Nature Of The Afterlife In Islam And Christianity, Kevin M. Richard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A theological doctrine of eternal life raises certain qualitative and existential questions. Considering the unfathomable duration, one may rightly ask, what will that experience be like and will it meet the experiential needs of human beings so that there are no intimations of boredom. Eternity, then, creates a potential existential problem for humanity. The problem is potential because eternity creates a certain need, a need which can concisely be stated in this way: quality must overcome quantity. Both Christianity and Islam teach human beings are intended to live forever so both religions must overcome this problem if eternal life within …

Reconsidering Christianity As A Support For Secular Law: A Final Reply To Professor Calhoun, Wayne R. Barnes

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

This symposium has revolved around Professor Calhoun’s article, which posits that it is completely legitimate, in proposing laws and public policies, to argue for them in the public square based on overtly religious principles. In my initial response, I took issue with his argument that no reasons justify barring faith-based arguments from the public square argument. In fact, I do find reasons justifying the prohibition of “faith-based,” or Christian, arguments in the public square—and, in fact, I find such reasons within Christianity itself. This is because what is being publicly communicated in Christian political argumentation is that if citizens comply …

Papers Of William Arnett Arc1997-011 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.