Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Book Review: Being The Church In A Multi-Ethnic Community: Why It Matters And How It Works By Gary L. Mcintosh And Alan Mcmahan, Jeffrey Medina

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: The Celtic Way Of Evangelism: How Christianity Won The West Again By George G. Hunter, Iii, Allan Karr

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Review Of Mor Gabriel Aus Beth Qustan: Leben Und Legende Eines Syrischen Abtbischofs Aus Dem 7. Jahrhundert By Zeki Joseph, Jeanne-Nicole Saint-Laurent

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Study Of The Apocalyptic Kingdom Of God In Second Temple Jewish Literature And The Teachings Of Jesus In Matthew, Jeremiah Stallman

Masters Theses

The apocalyptic kingdom of God is a common theme in Second Temple Jewish literature. This kingdom is often presented differently in the various literary works of this era. This first chapter of this thesis considers the various aspects of the kingdom in relation to God's coming judgment and the coming messiah who is often seen as the one bringing judgment and setting up the kingdom of God. The second chapter elaborates upon Jesus' teachings about the apocalyptic kingdom of God and compares and contrasts them with the teachings of the kingdom in His day as understood through the Second Temple …

Retrieving Luther?, Mickey Mattox

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Authority Of The Christian Leader, Darius Jankiewicz

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Theology In Parish Life, Skip Bell

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

La Critique Des Langages Consacrés Et La Recherche D’Un Nouveau Rapport Au Monde Dans L’Oeuvre De V. Y. Mudimbe, Kasereka Kavwahirehi

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

This article shows how V. Y. Mudimbe’s work is both a space where consecrated languages (Christianity and Marxism) that wrap up themselves while pretending to explain the world or justify it are criticised, and a search for a new language to establish a new relationship with the world as it is lived, that means outside of any dogmatism and mystification. It is through this dynamic that Mudimbe has contributed to the renewal of thought and forms in Africa.

The "Violence" Of The Canon: Revisiting Contemporary Notions Of Canonical Forms, Colby Dickinson

Theology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The historical conditions surrounding the processes of forming a canon are rarely examined directly, yet it is these processes which govern over the realm of religious representations and identity constructions. In light of recent critical scholarship, it is imperative to address theologically the role that the canon plays within a religious tradition. This essay demonstrates the cultural necessity of canonical forms despite their “monotheistic tendency” to subdivide the world into binary oppositions. By utilizing a scale of violence to determine the impact of the canonical form upon culture this essay offers an account of canons and their role in forming …

Toward A Theology Of Infertility And The Role Of Donum Vitae, Kathryn Lilla Cox

School of Theology and Seminary Faculty Publications

A theology of infertility is needed to help couples and the broader ecclesial community understand the theological implications of infertility. Infertility raises questions about human freedom, finitude, embodiment, childlessness, and parenthood. In this article, dominant cultural assumptions surrounding each of these areas when considering reproductive technologies are sketched. Official Roman Catholic teaching on reproductive technologies (Donum Vitae), while rejecting most forms of such technologies, does provide a viable response to the presupposition that reproductive technologies resolve infertility. Given the dominant cultural assumptions and insights from Roman Catholic teaching, this article advocates for several ecclesial changes when considering infertility. …

Herman Dooyeweerd: Christian Philosopher Of Fashion, Robert S. Covolo

Pro Rege

Robert S. Covolo presented this paper at the Christian Evasion of Popular Culture Conference at Dordt College, November 2012.

Review Of Ambiguous Gender In Early Modern Spain And Portugal. Inquisitors, Doctors And The Transgression Of Gender Norms By Francois Soyer, Ulrich Lehner

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

Cases of priests, who claimed to be women in order to conceal their homosexuality, and women, who dressed as men in order to escape their abusive husbands, allow the reader a rare glimpse into the inner lives of post-Tridentine Catholicism.

From The Editor's Desk [Theological Studies, June 2013], David G. Schultenover

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Promissio Spei God's Eschatological Action In The Church, Richard Aaron Davenport

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Davenport, Richard A. "Promissio Spei: God's Eschatological Action in the Church. “Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2012. 213 pp.

This dissertation, a work in systematic theology, examines the nature of Christian hope in the context of current scholarship in systematic theology. Its goal is to assess the way in which Christian hope is rooted in God's word of promise and the extent to which that promise affects Christian life. The eschatological outlook presented in Scripture shows that God's promises, and the hope that they offer, are presented to all of creation. This dissertation investigates the process by which the communication of …

Review Of Between God & Green: How Evangelicals Are Cultivating A Middle Ground On Climate Change By Katharine K. Wilkinson, Jame Schaefer

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

"After All, Africa Is Largely A Nonliterate Continent": The Reception Of Vatican Ii In Africa, Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

The article examines critical factors that determined the impact, reception, and implementation of Vatican II in Africa. Drawing on historical accounts, the author identifies and analyzes personalities, contexts, and issues that conditioned and shaped Africa's participation in the council. Looking back 50 years, he argues that while the continent's participation was negligible, shaped by a combination of events and attitudes that either facilitated or hampered reception, concrete examples abound of how the council generated impetus for growth, renewal, and reform in inculturation, interreligious dialogue, theological reflection, and ecclesial collaboration in Africa.

Toward A Theology Of Beauty, Jo Ann Davidson

Faculty Publications

The natural world exhibits God’s artistic nature. Though God designed and appointed the great beauty of both the desert sanctuary and the Jerusalem temple, He insists that the exquisite lily from His own hand is still more beautiful than the greatest artistic manifestation from Solomon’s time (Luke 12:27). Thus it is not surprising that both the Old and New Testaments include rejoicing over the beauty of the created world. The poetic Psalter, along with many biblical books, brim with praise for the Creator and His creation. Accordingly, we are instructed that the study of the natural world can aid in …

An Interpretation Of Genesis 1:1-2:3 In Light Of Ancient Near Eastern Traditions And Modern-Day Science, Rebecca J. Morgan

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In the fields of religion and science, people seek to comprehend the world in which they live. According to the Judeo-Christian religious tradition, the universe and all its elements were created by an omniscient, omnipotent God in accordance to his holy design and purpose. This explanation, articulated in the book of Genesis, has influenced several thousand years of human history. However, the literal 24-hour days-of-creation explanation and interpretation deduced from the Genesis 1:1-2:3 creation account is contested by recent scientific discoveries as an invalid explanation for the origins of the universe and mankind. To explore the “how” and “why” questions …

Global-Mindedness And Intercultural Competence: A Quantitative Study Of Pre-Service Teachers, Qi Cui

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

When God Dies: Deconversion From Theism As Analogous To The Experience Of Death, William David Simpson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In this thesis, I explore the psychological and experiential aspects of the shift from a supernatural theistic worldview (specifically born-again Christianity) to a
philosophically naturalistic and atheistic worldview in the context of the religious
landscape in the U.S. I posit that certain features of this transition, which is known as "deconversion,” can be thought of as potentially analogous, both psychologically and subjectively, to the experience of another's death as an objective environmental change. I provide anthropological and psychological evidence that believers often experience the God of born-again Christianity as an independently existing and active agent in the world. The similarities …

Review Of: Andrew R. Murphy (Ed.), The Blackwell Companion To Religion And Violence, Brian Stiltner

Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

Blackwell Companions, and instalments from similar series, should be initially sized up according to their purpose and audience. Such hefty tomes present themselves first as reference books—as collections of articles by scholarly experts that treat the key methods, topics, historical developments, etc., in the field. Second, each Companion is addressed to students and teachers as a state-of-the-field resource that provides several benefits: a sound picture of the field, assessment of various theories and methods used in the field, a sense of the innovative developments and open questions, and plenty of information to follow up on. Finally, some Companions give primacy …

Prophecy And Group Identity And Purpose: Connecting The Leadership Conference Of The Women Religious With The Catholic Legacy Of Feminist Politics, Larry M. Fischer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While the Second Vatican Council advocates an inclusive priesthood and unified People of God, exclusion of consecrated Roman Catholic women from ministerial priesthood, official church interpretations of the scriptures, and judgments concerning faith and morals continues. This thesis examines creative tactics of resistance among consecrated women on account of hierarchal and essentialist models found in church traditions, including Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), and contemporary American women associated with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. I analyze aspects of three prophetic critiques and hermeneutical tactics of each, appealing to the critical interpretive methodologies of Elizabeth Bucar and …

The Effect Of External Ankle Support On Football Specific Performance Tests And The Perception Of The Athletes That Wear Them, Matthew Cutts

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Humans And Nature: Finding Meaning Through Metaphysics, Justin Stone

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

Before the 19th Century, natural philosophers explored the inner workings of nature and humanity using many different modes of thinking such as logic, mathematics, physics, and metaphysics. The incorporation of these varied concepts brought about a comprehensive understanding of nature and how humans relate to nature. Theories were devised from incorporeal ideas, data was gathered from the human senses, and concrete evidence was pursued to support philosophy. However, through the years from ancient times to modernity, natural philosophy slowly limited its use of revelation and metaphysics, restricting the quest for knowledge to the methodical gathering of empirical data. Science, as …

The Symphony Of The Trinity : Tuning In To The Father, Son And Holy Spirit For Congregational Renaissance, Richelle Wagner Sampl

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An (Enduring) Ecclesiology Beyond The Cultural Captivity Of The Church, Chad Lakies

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This dissertation is located within the larger conversation about ecclesiology as it is emerging in our post-Christian era. Its effort is both theoretical and practical. Not only will it provide a theological account of the church, but it will do so for the sake of reflective practitioners who are looking for guidance in navigating and negotiating our post-Christian culture in the effort to form faithful Christians. Thus, this dissertation will articulate an ecclesiology of the Christian life, thereby enabling the church to diagnose, assess, and respond to contemporary instances of its own cultural captivity so that it might better embody …

Life In The Spirit: A Post-Constantinian And Trinitarian Account Of The Christian Life, Andrea Snavely

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Snavely, Andrea D. "Life in the Spirit: A Post-Constantinian and Trinitarian Account of the Christian Life." Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2013. 235 pp.

Post-Constantinians John Howard Yoder and Stanley Hauerwas have re-imagined the Christian as a follower of Jesus, critiquing natural theology's dominance that eclipses seeing Jesus' life as the "content" of a Christian's life. However, they lack an answer to the "energy” question, of how one lives like Jesus, because their theologies are based on Logos-Christology. This dissertation proposes that a complementary Spirit-Christology provides the answer to the “energy" question by describing Jesus' life as receiver, bearer, and giver …

Luther On Idolatry: A Lutheran Response To Contemporary False Belief, Michael Lockwood

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Lockwood, Michael A. "Luther on Idolatry: A Lutheran Response to Contemporary False Belief." Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2013. 303 pp.

The first step in solving any problem is to understand the problem. As Christians we know that Christ is the solution to the human plight. Yet what exactly is this plight? And why do so many people feel no need for the solution he provides? Luther's answer is that people feel no need for the true God until they are disenchanted with the false gods they have put in his place, which they think can provide all they need.

In …

Making Disciples Of Jesus Christ: Implementing An Effective Discipleship Strategy For Churches In America, Victor Ogundiran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Various research findings on spiritual formation in the America church reveal that the current state of making disciples of Jesus Christ who are observing all that Jesus has commanded is woefully grim. This author believes what we have in place for making disciples is inadequate, unimplemented, or both. The purpose of this thesis project is to explain the current state of spiritual formation in the American Church and the reasons why it falls short of God's desire and design. This effort will include and incorporate research from at least 20 churches to see what discipleship systems they are using, if …

You Can't Think Your Way To God, James K.A. Smith, David Neff

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.