Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Five Types Of Multicultural Churches: A New Paradigm Evaluated And Differentiated, Bob Whitesel

Great Commission Research Journal

This article puts forth a comprehensive and reconciliation-based paradigm through which to view multicultural congregations as one of five models or types. It updates the historical categories of Sanchez, adds contemporary models, and then evaluates each through a ten-point grid of nomenclature, mode of growth, relationships, pluses, minuses, degree of difficulty, creator complex, redistribution, relocation, and reconciliation. The five models are 1) the asset sharing Multicultural Alliance, 2) the collaborative Multicultural Partnership, 3) the asymmetrical Mother-Daughter model, 4) the popular Blended approach, and 5) the Cultural Assimilation model. The result is a comprehensive five-model paradigm that includes an assessment of …

Book Review: Advanced Strategic Planning: A 21st Century Model For Church And Ministry Leaders By Aubrey Malphurs, John Sun

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Replant: How A Dying Church Can Grow Again By Mark Devine And Darrin Patrick, Garrett R. Eaglin

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Ecclesiology Of Training For Trainers: The Issue Of Method And I Timothy 3:6, John Henry Serworwora

Great Commission Research Journal

The implementation of the Church Planting Movement (CPM) and Training for Trainers (T4T) by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention missions life is not without challenge. Southern Baptist missiologists and seminary professors have written numerous papers and articles supporting or contesting this methodology. The majority of criticisms focus on the emphasis in the rapidity and “mass production” of churches, fearing the theological alteration among the new believers and their churches. This article argues that the leadership process in T4T/CPM violates the Baptist ecclesiology, since 1 Timothy 3:6 essentially excludes a new believer from pastoral leadership.

Experiencing Our Only Comfort: A Post-Reformation Refocus In The Heidelberg Catechism, Jan Van Vliet

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Last year marked the 450th anniversary of the publication of the Heidelberg Catechism. In celebration of this momentous occasion and as a reminder of the contemporary applicability of this highly-regarded confessional document, this essay examines the earliest and most complete Puritan commentary extant: that of second-generation Puritan thinker William Ames (1576–1633), protégé of William Perkins (1558–1602), the “father” of the Puritan movement. We examine methodological considerations and two topical issues that arise when the venerated Catechism is placed in the hands of a practically oriented, post-Reformation divine for whom theology was none other than “living to God”: Theologia est doctrina …

Review Of The Cross And The Lynching Tree, Bryan Massingale

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

A Theology Of Ordination: An Integration Of Bible And Ellen G. White’S Writings, P. Gerard Damsteegt

Faculty Publications

A theology of ordination should begin with investigating what is God’s testimony about ordination in the Scriptures. In this study, insights into the Old and New Testament history from the writings of Ellen G. White will be referred to whenever they shed light on the biblical passages and their relevance for today. In addition, the study has tried to investigate how ordination is connected to the truth as it is in Jesus, the Head of the church. Ordination and its authority will also be related to Jesus’ model of leadership in the church. The biblical examples of appointment, consecration, or …

Emerging From The Shadows: Civil War, Human Rights, And Peacebuilding Among Peasants And Indigenous Peoples In Colombia And Peru In The Late 20th And Early 21st Centuries, Charles A. Flowerday

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

Peacebuilding in Colombia and Peru following their late-20^th and early 21^st century civil wars is a challenging proposition. In this study, it becomes necessary as indigenous peoples and peasants resist domination by extractive industries and governments in their thrall. Whether they protest nonviolently or rebel in arms, they are targeted for human-rights violations, especially murder, disappearance and displacement. The armed actors, state, insurgency, paramilitaries or drug traffickers, destroy civic institutions (local or regional government) and the civil (nonprofit) sector and replace them with their own authoritarian versions. Therefore, peacebuilding has emphasized rebuilding civic institutions, civil society and local …

Consideration Of The Church's Identity And Mission, Predicated On The Church Be-Ing 'Ligamen' (Bond), C. A. Chase

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

In 1965, the Roman Catholic Church, in Gaudium et spes, declared to the world: this community realizes that it is truly linked with mankind and its history by the deepest of bonds (GS 1). Shifting her identity from being one in opposition to the modern world, she announced the possibility of becoming the very bond (ligamen) binding diverse human communities and nations of the world, whilst existing as a function, a light, an energy (GS 42). Framed against the classical understanding of ecclesia as a perfect society, and the fact that this was no longer realistic in …

Prayer In A Time Of Sin: A Comparative Analysis Of Christian, Buddhist, And Kashmiri Shaiva Doctrines, Viresh Hughes

LMU Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Gustave Thibon And Human Freedom, Wesley Sutermeister

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

The Grammar Of Choice: Charles Dickens's Existential Idea Of Religion, Hai Na

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation challenges the received opinion that Charles Dickens's religious thinking is merely sentimental and philanthropic. Instead, I argue that there is in his works a very consistent "existential" sense of religion, especially in his mature novels. To be religious for him does not lie in the adherence to dogma or the study of theological arguments, but in the crucial choices people make every day. In order to illustrate this "existential" sense of religion, I analyze, in the first chapter, relevant works by Kierkegaard, Carlyle, George Eliot, and Dostoevsky, in order to establish the context in which Dickens's religious views …

Merging The Principles Of Occultism And Anarchism, Kevin Todd Mclaren

History

"Merging the Principles of Occultism and Anarchism" is an attempt to pinpoint the correlations between occult and/or esoteric belief systems and political anarchist philosophy. The paper analyzes the works, belief systems and philosophies of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and Aleister Crowley and extracts the underlying anarchist principles that are embedded within them. This established connection to anarchism through occultism is reinforced by referencing various anarchist works, particularly the works of William Godwin.

From Defending Theism To Discerning Spirits: Reconceiving The Task Of Christian Philosophy, Neal Deroo

Pro Rege

Dr. Neal DeRoo presented this paper at a joint meeting of the Society for Christian Philosophers and the Society for Continental Philosophy and Theology, held at Trinity College, June 2014. The topic of the meeting was, "What is Christian Philosophy," celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the publication of Alvin Plantinga's landmark essay "Advice to Christian Philosophers."

Divine Omnipotence In Descartes' Philosophy, Alfredo Rodriguez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The present thesis explores various aspects of Rene Descartes' doctrine of divine omnipotence within the context of his overall philosophy and with reference to his medieval heritage. This thesis shows that, contrary to his multiple and explicit statements that God's power cannot be limited in any way, Descartes took a more nuanced position on divine omnipotence that incorporated aspects of the widely accepted medieval position that God's goodness is a constraint on his power. Furthermore, Descartes used the medieval concept of universals as he experimented with the use of modes to explain how a thing's actual existence is possible by …

Reformed Theology As Worldview Theology: The Public Nature Of The Gospel And Spirituality, Jay Shim

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Review Of Baptismal Imagery In Early Christianity: Ritual, Visual, And Theological Dimensions, Robin M. Jensen, Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Foreword, Gordon A. Jensen

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Pope Paul Vi And Ignacio Maria Calabuig: The Virgin Mary In The Liturgy And The Life Of The Church, Thomas A. Thompson

Marian Studies

On this fortieth anniversary of Marialis Cultus, we wish to commemorate Paul VI and Ignacio Calabuig, both of whom made singular contributions to implementing Vatican II’s directives for the reform and strengthening of Marian devotion in the liturgy, or, as expressed at Vatican II, who collaborated “that devotion to the Virgin Mary, especially in the liturgy, be generously fostered” (LG 67). Here a brief introduction presents Paul VI and Ignacio Calabuig and their views on Marian devotion and liturgy; a description of the causes for the postconciliar Marian crisis follows. Their collaborative response is found in Paul VI’s 1974 Apostolic …

Servant Of God Patrick Peyton, Csc: Renewal Of Marian Devotion In Light Of Vatican Ii And 'Marialis Cultus', Laetitia Rhatigan

Marian Studies

Article details the efforts of Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, to have the family and family prayer included in the documents of the Second Vatican Council and to bring the Family Rosary to homes in America.

St. Louis De Montfort: Priest Of Jesus Christ And Preacher Of True Devotion To Mary, Frederick L. Miller

Marian Studies

In this paper, I shall focus on St. Louis de Montfort, the Priest, and on the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in his life and preaching. Montfort’s incorporation of Mary into his preaching of the Gospel, in my estimation, is important for all seminarians and priests engaged in active ministry. St. Louis de Montfort is also the special patron of the Legion of Mary, which remains among the largest apostolic movements in the Church. Not only does his teaching provide the specific spirituality for the Legion of Mary, but his zeal as a missionary has molded members of the Legion into …

International Academic Marian Bibliography 2013-2014, Thomas A. Thompson

Marian Studies

This bibliography was compiled using the resources of the Marian Library.

The Marian Spirituality Of 'Lumen Gentium' And The Renewal Of Marian Devotion In The Church Today, Mary Mccaughey

Marian Studies

While Marian devotion is alive today, its contemporary expression differs from the form it took before the Second Vatican Council and has developed since. My paper will explore the present state of Marian devotion—forty years after the publication of Marialis Cultus by Pope Paul VI, and fifty years after the Second Vatican Council—and consider how the form of devotion that exists today, understood with reference to the ecclesiology of Lumen Gentium, might better be interpreted as a Marian spirituality. While some might disagree that there is such a concept as a Marian Spirituality at all, my paper will demonstrate that …

Printed Version: Marian Studies, Vol. 65 (2014), Thomas A. Thompson

Marian Studies

All articles appearing in Volume LXV (Volume 65), 2014, are openly available for download free of charge from the journal's website. Those who wish to have a printed version may purchase one from the designated distributor, Lulu Press.

Feminist And New Feminist Perspectives On Mary: Renewal Or Retrieval?, Gloria Falcão Dodd

Marian Studies

Combining the idea of a priest’s spiritual marriage to the Church and Pope Paul VI’s title for Mary as Mother of the Church, Pope Francis joked with a group of seminarians: “If you don’t go to Our Lady as Mother, you certainly will have her as a mother-in-law! And this isn’t good.” In the midst of the many changes after Vatican Council II, Paul VI had observed the need to prevent misunderstandings, such as viewing Our Lady as a mother-in-law rather than a mother, or diminishing Marian devotion. Therefore, Paul VI wrote his 1974 encyclical, Marialis Cultus, describing three aspects …

The Contributions Of Leo Cardinal Scheffczyk To Mariology After Vatican Ii, Emery De Gaál

Marian Studies

The shortest way to introduce Leo Scheffczyk (1920–2005) to an American theological audience is probably to state that he is “the European Avery Dulles.” Such a generalization is incorrect and yet contains a kernel of truth. At the same consistory in 2001, both master theologians were created cardinals by St. John Paul II. It is also most indicative of their contributions to theology that this date coincided with the 200th birthday of Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801–90), who informed their thinking in central ways. Incidentally, this was also Scheffczyk’s eighty-first birthday. In addition, both were prolific writers. Scheffczyk’s motto …

Anthropological Aspects Of Marian Devotion For The Formation Of The 'Feminine Genius', Danielle Peters

Marian Studies

It is commonly accepted that devotio, as an act of virtue of religion and distinguished from devotional practices, implies a stable interior disposition and readiness to serve God joyfully and generously. Accordingly, authentic Marian devotion equips heart, mind and will to be receptive for a deeper understanding and fulfillment of God’s ways in imitation and through the intercession of Our Lady. Marialis Cultus, 34, denotes that “Devotion to the Blessed Virgin must also pay close attention to certain findings of the human sciences.”

Forty years after Marialis Cultus (MC) and twenty-five years after St. John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter Mulieris …

Marian Coredemption As An Impetus To Marian Devotion, Arthur Burton Calkins

Marian Studies

While the conciliar teaching had benefited from developments that had taken place in biblical, patristic, liturgical and ecclesiological studies since the First Vatican Council, it had still to convey the Church’s magisterial teaching on Our Lady, which had been handed on and enriched under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, the papal magisterium from the time of Blessed Pius IX onwards had continued developing the teaching about Mary’s active collaboration in the work of the redemption and Pius XI had publicly used the term “Coredemptrix” to describe this role. On the other hand, there was a …

Joy As Illumination: Participation In God's Life-Giving Trinitarian Love, Trevor Beach Sj

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

This graduate paper is on the topic of joy, especially as understood in the commentaries of Adrienne von Speyr, and the writings of Hans Urs von Balthasar. In this paper, I show Christian joy as participation in God’s own joy through an illuminated and inter-personal life-giving love as given through and shown in the entire life of Jesus Christ, from the Incarnation, through the suffering Passion, and unto the Resurrection.

Editor's Preface, Thomas A. Thompson

Marian Studies

The 65th annual meeting of the Mariological Society of America took place, May 20–23, 2014, at Viterbo University (La Crosse, Wisconsin). The program, entitled “Forty Years after Marialis Cultus: Retrieval or Renewal,” was devoted to this significant document on Marian devotion issued by Paul VI in 1974. We were welcomed to the Diocese of La Crosse by Bishop Patrick Callahan: “For forty years,” he noted, “Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus has led us deeper in the worship and love of God through the Blessed Virgin Mary, His chosen Vessel of Honor. … My prayer is that your time …