Thesis (M.A.)--Cincinnati Christian Seminary, 1987. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [140]-145).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Grace Theological Seminary, 1983. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-149).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [91]-97).

Texte remanié de: Diss.--Fach Philosophie--Universität Trier, 1993. / Contient des résumés en allemand, anglais et italien. Bibliogr. p. 203-221. Index.

Thesis advisor: Pheme Perkins / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Theology at the University of Zululand, 1996. / This study examines the decline of the quality of Christian life and suggests religious education as the answer to the problem. Religious education will be an effective method for the improvement of Christian life. Key terms used in this study are defined. The previous work done in the field of religious education is reviewed. A religious education programme is proposed. The structure of a programme with the aim and the objective setting is treated and it looks at the training and resources of both human and spiritual. The implementation of the teaching and training religious education. The study concludes with the recommendations and the proposals for the changes and improvements of seminary training and suggestion about what could be done to improve the situation.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty ofArts, University of Zululand, in fulfillment for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Psychology, South Africa, 1998. / The influence of existentialism and phenomenology on modern psychology necessitates an accurate description of the experience of God without any preconceptions or bias. This study explores the way Christians experience God. This is done by means of a phenomenological explication of first hand descriptions of six participants. The primary aim of the study is to describe, and come to a better understanding of the experience of God through arriving at a universal structure of this phenomenon. Firstiy an overview of major theoretical developments, and the history of thought pertaining to religious experience, is given. The phenomenological approach, the theoretical foundation un¬derlying the method, and major contributions within the fields of psychology and phenome¬nology of religion are also discussed. Six protocols are included on the basis of them being articulate and authentic accounts of the individual experiences. These protocols are analysed by using a phenomenological method of investigation. The first step is to break the protocols down into Natural Meaning Units (NMUs). Thirteen themes are subsequently identified and the NMUs are arranged according to the themes. A psychologically Transformed Meaning Summary for each theme is formulated for each individual. The identified themes, in order of their significance for the participants, are: 1) Relationship; 2) Paradox/Tension; 3) Love; 4) Development and growth; 5) Creation; 6) Beyond the ra¬tional; 7) Direction; 8) Contemplation/Inner feeling; 9) SufTermg/Death/Dying; 10) A sense of a presence; 11) Anger, 12) Submission to a higher power, 13) Theological insight. A specific situated structure of the experience is formulated for each person, with a subsequent synthesis or universal structure of the experience to reflect the general experience of the participants. The findings are validated and discussed. The participants rate the extent to which the univer¬sal structure discloses their individual experiences at an average of 7.75 on a scale from 0 to 10. The study concludes with some recommendations as to how the findings of (his study can be put to use in future research.

This study offers a linguistic-critical reading of 1 Corinthians 1-4. Rather than pursuing the concerns of traditional historical-critical approaches such as classical rhetorical criticism, this study approaches the text from the modem sociolinguistic paradigm known as Systemic-Functional Linguistics (SFL). More specifically, the reading offered in this study is an application of Appraisal Theory. This implementation of SFL theory is concerned primarily with the interpersonal meanings that get encoded in text, especially as they pertain to the social action that Meeks calls '"resocialization." In other words, Tenor ofToughness is a study of the apostle Paul's use of language for the purpose of bringing the letter's putative readers into alignment with the ideology (theology) and values with which Paul expects all believers in Christ in every place to align. Methodologically, the model offered in the present study directs its attention to the linguistics of appraisal evident in Paul's language comprising 1 Cor 1-4. That is, it analyzes the text and identifies Paul's use of language for the purpose of positively or negatively evaluating the entities or propositions about which he is writing. It is argued that positive appraisals allow one to see what value positions Paul believes should be taken up by believers in Christ, while negative appraisals indicate those value positions that should be rejected. Thus, for example, Paul's urging of the implied readers to ··say the same'' (1 Cor 1:1 0) indicates a positive stance toward unity and negative stance toward division/discord. Additionally, Appraisal Theory analyzes the various linguistic engagement strategies Paul employs in 1 Cor 1-4, for these, too, are indicative of what value positions Paul believes ought to be taken up or rejected by believers. For example. Paul might concede some point in his argument, but immediately offer a counter point that supplants the conceded proposition. Care is taken to interpret the appraisals and the social values they reveal in light of first-century Greco-Roman cultural context. Values such as humility. pride, loyalty/faithfulness, or friendship are different in many ways from the values of the twenty-first century Western North American social location of the present writer. For this reason, the interpretation ofthese values (or anything related to ideology) are carefully weighed against the scholarship of social historians and Social-Scientific Criticism. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This dissertation provides a theological and sociological examination of the moral crisis of the Korean church based on ethical paradigms from Stanley Hauerwas and H. Richard Niebuhr. The dissertation also explains and critically analyzes the ethical problems of the Korean church and the assimilation of narratives and unethical practices from Korean society into the Korean church. Besides analyzing the influence that this assimilation has had on the moral formation of the Korean church, the study also suggests theological resources for correcting this problem. The thesis of the dissertation is that an ethical framework based on the work of Stanley Hauerwas and H. Richard Niebuhr not only explains the assimilation of cultural and ecclesial narratives that has led to the moral crisis of the Korean church but also offers an effective approach for forming the character of the church in positive ways. The dissertation emphasizes the necessity of finding new narratives for the Korean church and Korean society. It shows how Hauerwas’s approach and Niebuhr’s ethical categories can benefit a community like the Korean church, which has experienced a moral crisis of corruption and a lack of public trust over the past several decades. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The crux of Jeremiah’s message depicted in the book of Jeremiah is the upcoming Babylonian invasion on Judah as a result of their sins and the unusual call on Judah to yield to the Babylonians. Jeremiah’s prophecy to the Judeans claimed that foreign invasion would result in the destruction of the nation and exile of its inhabitants. For this, he faced grave animosity from the recipients of his message especially the kings and the prophets and he even suffered persecution under them. The reasons for the hostility against him as portrayed in the book are investigated. The book of Jeremiah highlights that after the invasion, the Babylonians showed a special concern to Jeremiah and gave him privilege to choose whether he would go to Babylon or stay behind in Judah. Strangely, the prophet, who emphasized that the nation of Judah should not resist the Babylonian rule and should be exiled to Babylon, when given a choice, chose to stay behind in Judah. This appears to be a strange response of Jeremiah toward Babylonian exile. Also, when the Johanan faction forced Jeremiah to flee from Judah and find asylum in Egypt to escape another suspected Babylonian threat, Jeremiah responds negatively. The various responses of the kings, prophets and Jeremiah toward the destruction and exile require explanation. At the outset, the reason why there was fierce hostility against Jeremiah’s message appears to be Judah’s reluctance to be subdued by a foreign nation as the biblical text portrays. However, the book of Jeremiah appears to use many metaphors to point to the reasons for resentment against Jeremiah and his message. The study of the metaphors in Jeremiah employing cognitive linguistics methodology, using conceptual metaphor theory and conceptual blending theory has shown the interconnectedness of the metaphors and the meanings it implies. The metaphors of “destruction” and “exile” are found to be connected to the concept of shame. Jeremiah’s prediction of the forthcoming destruction of the land, cities, Temple, exile of Judeans, collapse of the Davidic throne and all kinds of calamities that would befall the city of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah is found to be associated with “shame.” Likewise, the metaphor of “restoration” is found to be connected to the concept of honour. Jeremiah’s prophecy of “restoration” is portrayed as replenishment of land, rebuilding of cities, return of the exiles, and restoration from all kinds of calamities termed as “return of honour.” This shows that the concepts of honour and shame play a key role to explain the antagonistic responses toward Jeremiah's prophecy of the Babylonian invasion and exile. Also, by using conceptual metaphor analysis, Jeremiah’s reluctance to go to Babylon or Egypt can be explained as his anticipation to witness the restoration of the nation of Judah and return of its honour as Yahweh had promised. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)