Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Analysis Of Public Media Discourses Of The Main Actors Of The Church Crisis In Ukraine, Hennadii Khrystokin, Vasyl Lozovytskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

By analysing the main public statements of the actors of the church crisis in Ukraine, we managed to identify their basic narratives, main discursive logics, power positions, hidden motives and interests that influence social processes. To do this, we used the techniques of narrative analysis of public discourses. The main actors (players, participants) in the church crisis are representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (next - UOC) and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (next - OCU), the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church (next - ROC), government agencies, popular media, international and Ukrainian experts. Theological, political, state, and mass-media …

The Issue Of War In The Basic Social Concepts Of The Russian Orthodox Church And In The Compendium Of The Social Doctrine Of The Catholic Church: A Comparative Analysis, Olga Nedavnya

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The assessment by the Russian Orthodox Church of the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine as a holy war prompts to determine whether this position of this Church is determined by its theological recommendations on social life, recorded in the Basics of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church. The analysis of this current official document of the Russian Orthodox Church revealed that in the central part of its provisions, where the grounds for evaluating this or that war are given, there are references to the social doctrine of the Catholic Church. This fact led to the need …

Pauline Echoes In The Preaching And Activism Of Francis James Grimké (1850–1937): Confronting Ethnic Prejudice Through An Evangelical Emancipatory Homiletic (Eeh), Eric J. Freeman

Dissertations

Pauline Echoes in the Preaching and Activism of Francis James Grimké (1850–1937): Confronting Ethnic Prejudice through an Evangelical Emancipatory Homiletic examines how Grimké’s sermons and public discourse, rooted in the proclaimed and embodied gospel of Jesus Christ and resonant with the Apostle Paul’s hermeneutic and pastoral heart, addressed social injustices—particularly ethnic prejudice—through a distinct, socially conscious homiletic. This research defines Grimké’s unique homiletic as an Evangelical Emancipatory Homiletic (EEH), a term coined here to convey the gospel-embodied, contextually aware nature of his ministry. Framed within the practical theology of homiletics, this study illustrates how Grimké’s EEH incorporated textual and thematic …

Emulating Jonah : Intertextual Portrayal Of The Disciples In Mark 4:35-8:21, Donghyun Kang

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Second Isaianic Mirroring Of The Creative Imagination Of Yahweh In Light Of The Philosophical Imagination Of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Rania N. Hendy

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Politics Of Peace In Romans : Postcolonial Intertextuality And The Double-Voiced Discourse Of Scripture And Roman Imperialism, Dain Alexander Smith

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ethics Of The Other Through Theodicy: A Study Of Emmanuel Levinas, Sunghun Choi

Master's Theses

The Problem

Drawing upon Emmanuel Levinas’s Judaic, philosophical, and experiential influences, Levinas formulates an “ethics of the Other” as a response to the quandary of suffering and evil, presenting it as an alternative to theodicy.

The Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore Levinas’s philosophy by examining his response to the criticisms levied against theodicy, while also investigating the potential coexistence of his philosophy with theodicy and the warrant for such a critique, as well as the claim that an “ethics of the Other” can function as a legitimate replacement for theodicy.

Conclusions

This thesis argues that while …

Pardoned And Perfect: A Comparative Study Of The Soteriology Of John Wesley And Ellen White, Esther Louw

Master's Theses

Problem

Since the 1970s, there has been an ongoing discussion about the extent to which Ellen White’s soteriology reflected or was influenced by John Wesley’s soteriology. The result has been a general lack of consensus. This study attempted to clearly delineate Wesley’s and White’s soteriological systems and distinguish them from various theological phenomena within American Methodism.

Method

The research for this thesis was predominantly drawn from primary source material which was organized chronologically in order to allow for the natural development of thought and ideas over time. The theological contexts of Wesley and White were explored and connected by an …

No Orthopathy Without Orthoaesthesis: On The Necessity Of Negative Effort, Ryan G. Duns

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Theologians have become increasingly attentive to the role emotion and experience must play in theological reflection. Several thinkers have recently done so by appropriating and developing Jon Sobrino’s understanding of orthopathy, or “right affect.” A close examination of these efforts, however, reveals inconsistencies in the way the category is understood and deployed. This article redresses these inconsistencies by complementing orthopathy with orthoaesthesis, or “right perception.” The article opens by considering various appeals to orthopathy before suggesting how William James’s theory of emotion might provide the category with clarifying content. The second stage engages Simone Weil and Iris Murdoch as practitioners …

Evil, Ontology, And Scripture: A Diachronic Analysis Of Augustine Of Hippo's Privatio Boni Concept, Jamie G. Boucher

Dissertations

Augustine of Hippo’s Privatio Boni concept—the idea that evil is not a substance, but the privation of good in a substance—is the most influential early systematic theodical attempt within Christianity to exculpate a good God from responsibility for evil. By approaching Privatio Boni as the intricate interplay of Augustine’s views on evil, ontology, and Scripture, this dissertation aims to clarify misunderstandings surrounding the concept and determine if there is biblical warrant for it. Chapter 1 addresses issues of background, problem, purpose, and justification before introducing a delimited three-staged methodology of establishing context, engaging in diachronic analysis, and conducting a comparative …

17th Century Ecumenical Activities Between Ecumenical Patriarchate And The Early Protestant Churches, Svetoslav Ribolov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The ecumenical activities and contacts between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Protestant churches in the 17th century were largely shaped by two remarkable figures of the Orthodox Church–the Patriarch of Constantinople Cyril Lucaris and Metrophanes Kritopoulos, who later became the Patriarch of Alexandria. Their sincere desire for contact with Protestant theologians, along with their commitment to open dialogue and cooperation was the most important factor in Orthodox-Protestant relations in that era. However, while the political climate in Europe initially allowed for some rapprochement between Christians in the Ottoman Empire and those who had embraced the Reformation, things eventually changed after …

Why I Say "Merry Christmas": A Dei Perspective, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

"A few weeks ago, Dr. Daniele Struppa, our Chapman University President approached me with a cultural protocol question regarding sending holiday cards to his international collaborators oversees. Dr. Struppa who currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the American University of Sharjah has become professionally and personally acquainted with some members of the Royal family of the United Arab Emirates, some Social Entrepreneurs, Businessmen, Professors, Scholars and others through this academic engagement. Dr. Struppa was wondering whether or not it is appropriate to send a Chapman University Christmas Card during the Holidays even though December is technically not a …

The Inevitability Of Sin, Kevin Timpe

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Part of the traditional Christian doctrine of sin is the claim that, due to the effects of original sin, acts of sin are inevitable. Of course, our reflection on sinful actions is shaped by how we think about human freedom and divine providence more broadly. Some have argued that libertarians have a difficult time accounting for the inevitability of sin. This paper uses David Lewis’s work on counterfactuals and possible worlds to give an account of how the inevitability of sin can be understood. It then shows how both theological determinism and Molinism can give an account of sin’s inevitability …

African Influence In The Bible: A Sub-Saharan Response To The Gospel And The Divine Prerogative Of African Incorporation In God’S Redemptive Plan, Robert Milton Bugg Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Bible presents God's magnificent divine plan, executed by chosen people for a specific purpose. There are illustrations of those from various regions impacting those worldwide throughout the Bible. While much of the Old Testament takes place in ancient Mesopotamia, the magnitude of God’s plan is global. This dissertation will examine sub-Saharan people groups in Africa, particularly the Kushites and ancient Ethiopians. The discussion will include the history of Africans in the ancient world, their migration and development parallel to recorded biblical history, and their role in the Bible. Scholars utilize many different terms when referring to Kushites, depending on …

Toward An Analysis Of The Abductive Moral Argument For God’S Existence: Assessing The Evidential Quality Of Moral Phenomena And The Evidential Virtuosity Of Christian Theological Models, David Ochabski

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The moral argument for God’s existence is perhaps the oldest and most salient of the arguments from natural theology. In contemporary literature, there has been a focus on the abductive version of the moral argument. Although the mode of reasoning, abduction, has been articulated, there has not been a robust articulation of the individual components of the argument. Such an articulation would include the data quality of moral phenomena, the theoretical virtuosity of theological models that explain the moral phenomena, and how both contribute to the likelihood of moral arguments. The goal of this paper is to provide such an …

Moral Injury: The Hidden Adversary Of War, Lashell Y. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of United States Army combat veterans who have supported combat operations at least once over the past fourteen years in either Iraq or Afghanistan who self-identified as suffering from symptoms of moral injury. This study was designed to elucidate the impact of faith on resilience and coping mechanisms and broaden previous research on moral injury and whether Army leaders should identify and mitigate moral injury within the ranks. Phenomenology focuses on the interpretation and meaning of how individuals experience their world within a given context. Seven …

The Salvation Testimony Of African-American Converts In The Protestant Faith: A Phenomenological Study, Tenielle Jones Cook

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Humanity's frailty and mortal existence create the space for a spiritual conversion experience that resolves matters of life and death. However, spirituality is an abstract concept with an ambiguous definition, and activities surrounding the application of its concepts are interpreted differently from one religious group or community to the next. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the salvation testimony of African-American males and females in the Protestant faith. A semi-structured interview and Conversation analysis are used for data collection and analysis to identify emerging themes for the descriptive essence of the salvation testimony. At this stage in …

Faith Comes By Hearing: Impact Of Expository Preaching In The Worldview Of Young Adults At Sda Church Plants, Kenneth Martinez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In this thesis, expository preaching is proposed as the mechanism to communicate a biblical worldview to Adventist young adults (people ages 18 to 40). This thesis project engaged the young adults of two Adventist church plants: Refuge Church and Triumph Church. The project consisted of preaching Adventist biblical theology through expository sermons, with the thesis that it would be interpreted as a worldview by young adults. The preaching series delivered salvation history, broken down into eight pericopes, and used the Great Controversy as its metanarrative. The goal of each sermon was to expound the assigned passage and its place on …

Retaining Students After Graduation With Biblical Servanthood, Carlos Henrique De Freitas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis addresses the inadequate understanding of the biblical concept of servanthood among high school students (grades 9-12) within the congregation of Macland Baptist Church in Powder Springs, Georgia. As a result of this problem, students gradually distance themselves from their faith, discontinue church attendance, and cease participating in church service activities. The thesis of this paper is that exposing these high school students to various dimensions of biblical servanthood will significantly impact their understanding of this concept. The underlying assumption posits that a profound understanding of biblical servanthood, coupled with knowledge and service opportunities, will cultivate Christlike character in …

Community Connect: A Strategy To Mitigate The Effects Of Church Shopping On Small Urban And Rural Congregations, Jimmy Greene

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

While serving as an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, I began to realize that church shopping poses an existential worry to the survival of small churches in North America, mainly those with limited resources. The demand of some church shoppers for social amenities like indoor gyms and theater-style folding seats over personal relationship with God creates low morale for small churches, which often lack a positive response strategy.

This research study proposes a mitigating strategy, Community Connect, to address the social, psychological, missional, and ecclesiological impacts of church shopping on small churches. This socio-missiological, ecclesiological, and pedagogical approach …

Curriculum As Theology: A Framework For Analyzing Curriculum As Theological Text, Russell Miller

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

This article seeks to establish a framework that contemplates curriculum as theological text by exploring the works of Neil Postman, W.F. Pinar, and C.S. Lewis in relation to past and present research and commentary. The paper investigates a range of concepts related to theology and curriculum including culture and religion, ethics, and morality. The author argues that curriculum is intrinsically a theological endeavor due to the nature of humanity and the interaction between learning and spiritual development.

Vía Cruising: Queerizando El Escándalo De La Cruz, Hugo Cordova Quero, Anderson Fabián Santos Meza, David De Jesús De Pascual, Cruz Edgardo Torres

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

The article addresses the queer experience of the «via crucis» in contrast to the traditional narrative. It does so by exploring how gender identity and sexual orientation influence imposed crossings and social exclusion. Through the phenomenon of cruising, the examination of the stations of the cross reveal the segregation and the search for connection in the queer community. Thus, it challenged conformity and advocates for queer redemption while reinterpreting the meaning of the cross in a contemporary context. The entire (re)examination of the «via crucis» proposes a reflection on the politics of crucifixions and suggests alternatives to transform cis-heteropatriarchal oppression …

The Discursive Fallacies Surrounding «Gender Ideology», Maricel Mena-López, Fidel Mauricio Ramírez Aristizábal

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

Discourses surrounding «Gender Ideology» in Latin America display regional nuances, infiltrating various social strata. In Colombia, misinformation taints the narrative, exacerbated by the absence of a robust counter-movement to untangle the intricate discourse. This article traces the concept’s evolution, examining its impact on Colombian and broader Latin American religious fundamentalism. By exposing prevalent discursive fallacies, the objective is to contribute academically to the debate on a potent strategy that —in recent years — has aimed to hinder progress and erode the rights of women and the LGBTIQ+ community. The analysis illuminates a significant challenge impeding societal advancement.

«Escándalo, Es Un Escándalo»: Encarnación, Liberación Y Evangelio Desde Una Perspectiva Teológica Queer/Cuir, Hugo Cordova Quero, Cristian Mor, Anderson Fabián Santos Meza, Saúl Serna Segura

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This article explores the inherent scandal within theological discourse, particularly regarding the portrayal of Jesus as both human and divine and the necessity to acknowledge his humanity alongside his divinity. Throughout Western history, individuals of diverse gender and sexual identities have been marginalized within Christianity, underscoring the need for theological discourse to evolve alongside social dynamics and policies. In the Global South, Latin America and the Caribe emerge as a locus of diverse theological perspectives challenging hegemonic narratives, notably cis-heteropatriarchal and Eurocentric theologies. Queer theologies from this context aim to dismantle oppressive power structures and advocate for inclusivity and dignity …

Hacia Una Teología Vih Positiva: Una Lectura Hermenéutica Queer Del Libro De Job, Cruz Edgardo Torres, Hugo Cordova Quero

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This article aims to trace the history of hiv/aids in Central America, with particular emphasis on El Salvador. Its first section presents a periodization detailing the evolution of the region's response and understanding of hiv/aids in the social context. The second section focuses on a detailed periodization of how faith communities reacted to the presence of hiv/aids, especially highlighting their responses to those affected. The third section of the article provides a biblical, theological, and pastoral perspective from the earliest times to the current response of faith communities to hiv/aids.

Habitar La Adamacidad: Contribuciones Desde Una Teología Feminista Queer, Mercy Aguilar Contreras

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

Queer feminist theology emerges as a hybridization of corporeal experiences subjected to diverse mechanisms of control over life, body, and sexuality. This process of theologization questions the approach traditionally centered on cis- heteropatriarchal values, evidencing that classical theologies participate in the bio-technologies of reproduction of the body, gender, and sexuality. It highlights the historical influence of all theology in the construction of cis-heterocentered, patriarchalized and racialized bodies. The article proposes to (re)consider «adamacy» in order to rescue the difference of gender and sexuality present in sacred texts, thus liberating bodies from cis-heteronormative closets.

Sociedad Disciplinaria, Poder Pastoral Y Marginalidad: Una Lectura Hermenéutica Queer De La Perícopa De Marcos 3.20-35, Mario Antonio Luna Rivas

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This article proposes constructing the socio-analytical mediation of Mark 3.20-21, using the concepts of disciplinary society, pastoral power, and marginality to recreate its context. From a queer perspective, the system of home and family, places determined by the cis-heteropatriarchal system, is critiqued. It highlights that Jesus —challenging power dynamics— proposes a family and lifestyle from marginality. Although labeled as «queer» —in the sense of «odd» or «deviant»— I affirm that Jesus —with alternative masculinity— subverts the cis-heteropatriarchal project of domination. The analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of Mark 3.20-21 from a queer hermeneutical lens.

Libertades Clandestinas: Hacia La Elaboración De Una Teología Queer Encarnacional, Marilú Rojas Salazar

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This article seeks to explore critical notions for developing a queer incarnational theology perspective. It begins by examining the concepts of «freedom» and «clandestinity» and then moves into the posthuman question, drawing on ecological feminism and queer/cuir theologies. In the final section, ideas are outlined that contribute to a queer incarnational theology, recovering the prophetic sense of the Gospel. This approach integrates freedom from a queer/ cuir perspective into a theological framework that resonates with human diversity and embraces the interconnectedness of all forms of life, challenging oppressive structures and recognizing the prophetic vitality of the Gospel.

Global Ethics, Religious Liberty, And Freedom Of Information Access, Paul A. Hartog

The Christian Librarian

Devout Christians work in a spectrum of library settings (including public libraries), networked by globalized information access. By nature of their employment, these librarians assist patrons in accessing and retrieving information that challenges or conflicts with a biblical worldview. How can one defend taking such an active role in this seeming contradiction? This article maintains that Christian commitment may not only co-exist with the freedom of information access but may also support it as a universal human right in our globalized, pluralistic context. To make the case, the essay contrasts two varying accounts of Global Ethics (differing in their view …

The Single Father In The Christian Church And Their Struggles, Kennedy Abbott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis project is about a severe but unseen problem in the church. The single fathers in the Christian church have been quietly struggling because many do not seek help. Caretakers of this single-father ministry identify and are aware of the struggle affiliated with single fathers, summarized from personal experience in Chapter One. In Chapter Two, this research elucidates the severity of the problem related to children separated from either parent, possibly leading to behavioral concerns in school, the community, and the home. The fundamental principles of this research derives from gathering data relevant to this research to support this …