Thesis advisor: Angela K. Harkins / Thesis advisor: Giovanni B. Bazzana / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

In Johannine studies, the interpretation of σημεία is diverse. Traditionally, scholars tend to support that seven signs are chosen in John’s Gospel to structure Jesus’ public ministry (John 1:20—12:50). Some scholars, influenced by Bultmann’s hypothesis of a signs-source, scrutinize the underlying source, redaction, or traditions about the Johannine σημεία; others employ the literary narrative approach using either a Western or an ancient literary framework. Still others examine σημεία through a theological thematic lens chosen from John or the Old Testament. However, two fundamental questions remain unresolved: (1) Does John mean to include only seven signs to structure the public ministry when signs are claimed in the conclusion to be the theme of the Gospel (John 20:30-31)? (2) What among the many things Jesus does in the account qualify as signs for John? From a new perspective, this research points out that the Johannine σημεία, as specified in the text, refer to Jesus’ body as the new temple (his death and resurrection, John 2:18-22) and the provision of manna as the signs (John 6:30-35) forming the foundation for interpreting the use and selection of σημεῖα in John. This indicates a relationship between Jesus’ signs and the tabernacle signs which involve complex metaphors and associations including non-tabernacle signs in the OT in structuring the Gospel in its final form (John 20:30-31). Using a comparative method adapted from Hasan’s sociolinguistic theory of contextual configuration, I argue that Jesus’ signs represent the functions of the four tabernacle signs (a pot of manna, Aaron’s staff, the bronze altar cover, and the bronze serpent) along with other metaphors and associations in three phases (John 1-5; 6-12; 13-21) through which to reveal his grace and life-giving power and to authenticate his identity. Ultimately, through Jesus’ “all inclusive” σημεΐον in his Passion—the self-sacrificial crucifixion, resurrection, and appearances—his believers become the children of God and their faith is built not by seeing signs but by following Jesus’ words (i.e. loving one another and caring for other believers’ needs) to love him daily so that they have life in him. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>The thesis examines the relationship between John 20:30-31 and the purpose of the Fourth Gospel. It argues that the passage expresses a purpose which is reflected in both the structure and the content of the Gospel as a whole. This purpose is to convince the reader that faith in Jesus as the Christ, Son of God, can and indeed should be based on the signs as recorded in the Gospel. In order to achieve this purpose, the Gospel uses the following arguments: the reader is seeking salvation; salvation is attained through faith in Jesus; faith in Jesus can be based on his signs; even the reader who has not seen Jesus' signs himself can "witness" them through the agency of the Gospel. The thesis demonstrates where and how the Gospel develops these arguments.</p> <p>The thesis is intended to contribute to the discussion of several issues which are central to Johannine studies. It examines an aspect of the issue of the purpose of the Gospel which has not been the subject of extensive scholarly attention, namely the way in which the author(s) of the Gospel meant their document to function in the lives of its readers. In doing so, it discusses in detail three of the christological titles, "Christ", "Son of God", and "Prophet", and sheds light on the ways in which the Gospel demonstrates the appropriateness of these titles to Jesus. In addition, it argues against the interpretations of the term sēmeion as used in 20:30-31 and of the Gospel's view of a faith based on signs. Finally, the thesis offers some suggestions concerning the identity of the intended reader of the Gospel.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis consists of four chapters that concentrate on seven synoptic titles attributed to Jesus. Chapter one is an historical survey of how the synoptic Gospels have been studied from the second-century until today that specifically focuses on Augustine, Griesbach and the Two-Source hypotheses, Markan priority and redaction criticism. Chapter two is a redaction-critical survey that outlines additions, omissions and alterations made to the synoptic Titles Teacher, Son of Man, Lord, Messiah, Son of God, Son of David and Master. This chapter demonstrates that each Gospel author, for the needs of a new audience or different situation/audience, redacted the traditional material behind the Gospelsincluding these titles. Chapter three specifically focuses on the narrative and exegetical value of three titles out of the seven titles (Teacher, Lord and Master). This chapter proposes that each title is used for specific purposes and in specific contexts to reveal unique theological contributions made by each synoptic evangelist. In chapter four, the results and conclusions from chapters two and three are applied to modem English translations questioning if translators do justice to Matthew, Mark and Luke's creativity. This chapter questions if Matthew's, Mark's and Luke's tendencies in the handling of traditional material are reflected in these translations or do English translations interpret, translate and/or redact in their own unique way(s)? To conclude, this thesis proposes, that, just as Matthew, Mark and Luke redacted certain titles for their new audience and situation, hermeneutically, Christians today must consider the relevance of the Gospel for their "new" audience and situation. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

This dissertation seeks to explore how Luke's socio-literary context may have impacted his use of authoritative citation. However, we must first seek to discern what that context is and specifically what genre Luke followed in composing the Third Gospel. Most biblical scholars place Luke, along with the other canonical Gospels, among the Greco-Roman ~iot of the ancient world. While biographical and historical literature have many overlapping formal features as instances of historically oriented Greek narrative discourse (isolated esp. through Burridge's detection criteria), chapters 2-3 ofthis dissertation argue that Luke's Gospel aligns more closely with ancient history than with βioς on the basis of seven disambiguation criteria: (1) preface length ratio, (2) βioς language in the preface, (3) attestation to event-participant orientation, (4) transition into the narrative body, (5) the placement of family tradition, (6) citation density, and (7) citation strategy. Having argued that Luke resembles ancient history more closely than βioς, chapter 4 then seeks to develop a method for interpreting authoritative citation in Greek history. Chapters 5-6 apply this method to the Greek historians both co-textually and contextually. Chapters 7-9 apply the same method to Luke's Gospel and conclude that Luke exhibits remarkable similarities with the Greek historians in his authoritative citation strategies. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis explores and examines the concept of the threefold Word of God in the theology of Karl Barth, particularly the third form of the Word of God, the gospel proclamation, and argues that this tertiary form of the Word of God is central to Barth’s own theology of the church. This thesis argues that Karl Barth revised the concept of the threefold Word of God in the later volumes of the Church Dogmatics, but did not seek to reject the concept nor reject Christ’s presence and God’s speech in the gospel declaration and in the life of the Christian community. This thesis argues that the threefold Word of God is a crucial element in Karl Barth’s vision of the church and an important theme for the whole of his theological project. Disregarded by the field of Barth studies and rejected by modern ecclesiologists, Barth’s description of the gospel declaration and its central role in the life together of the Christian community offers an important ecclesiological alternative to carry forward for both Reformed theology and modern ecclesiology. This dissertation makes three significant contributions. First, this thesis is the first of its kind to engage comprehensively with Karl Barth’s concept of the threefold Word of God and to make clear its later revision. Second, this dissertation offers a review of the contemporary scholarly literature related to Barth’s revision of the threefold Word of God, and addresses the theological and ecclesiological implications of this revision. Third, this dissertation makes a contribution to the fields of Barth studies and contemporary ecclesiology by arguing for the central place of the third form of the Word of God in Karl Barth’s conception of the Christian community.

The aim of this thesis, Towards ajifth gospel via Schillebeeclx and Solle, is a search for God and God's gospel. It is a quest in which I combine Edward Schillebeeckx's belief that Christian life is a fifth gospel and Dorothee Solle's praxis-orientated theology into a contrapuntal theological conversation. I argue that through each theologian's vision of Christian life a theological and hermeneutical framework is established within which men and women of faith can interpret change and prepare the world and church for God's transforming newness. The scope of this thesis identifies a life-giving Christianity by investigating common theological themes in the work of Schillebeeckx and Solle. On the basis of the insights of both theologians I argue that all believers are called to critically reinterpret belief in the God of Jesus, that human experience is the horizon for reflection and interpretation. That mystics and prophets communicate God's saving love within an ethic of responsibility for this world, and that when Christian communities engage in

Submitted by Noeme Timbo (noeme.timbo@metodista.br) on 2016-08-26T18:31:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Jenifer Rosa de Oliveira.pdf: 2274294 bytes, checksum: 90108a9fafe3042bded6cc130d7f3df2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-26T18:31:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jenifer Rosa de Oliveira.pdf: 2274294 bytes, checksum: 90108a9fafe3042bded6cc130d7f3df2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This research aims at analyzing the aspects under which the interaction between media and religion takes place, as well as the intricacies and continuities evoked by bringing the sacred and the profane together. For that purpose, the appearance of evangelical Christian artists on the TV Show Esquenta!, which is broadcasted every Sunday afternoon by the TV Channel Globo, has been elected as the subject matter of this study. The concepts on the gospel culture, on mediatization - particularly that of the media driven bios, and the discussion on secularization, as proposed by Habermas, have been chosen as this study's theoretical framework. The methodology provides two stages. The first one consists on investigating the content of five editions of Esquenta!, broadcasted between 2013 and 2014, on which evangelical Christian artists appeared. At that point, this stage's goal was the realization of the role that the Gospel Music plays within the Show's approach. The second stage consists in forming two discussion groups: one group of evangelical Christians and one group of non-evangelical people. This stage's goal was the understanding on how religious contents meanings, outside of their original context, can be re-depicted by the audience. The study results in the perception that the gospel artists performances on Esquenta! provides for new ways to interpret concepts around the Gospel culture, which amplify it and legitimate the media as a locus for religious experience. Furthermore, it illustrates the Habermasian perspective as it reflects the dual affectation between the religious universe and the secular life, emerging from intercrossing media and religion / Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar sob quais aspectos se dá a interação entre mídia e religião, bem como as tensões ou continuidades que a aproximação do ‘sagrado’ com o ‘profano’ na sociedade midiatizada evoca. Para tal, elegemos como objeto de estudo a participação dos artistas evangélicos no Programa Esquenta!, exibido nas tardes de domingo, pela Rede Globo. Tomamos como referencial teórico os conceitos de cultura gospel, de midiatização, especialmente o conceito de bios midiático, e a discussão sobre secularização proposta por Habermas. A metodologia empregada prevê duas etapas. A primeira consiste numa uma análise de conteúdo de cinco edições do programa que contaram com a participação de artistas evangélicos, exibidas nos anos de 2013 e 2014. Nesse momento, o objetivo foi perceber o lugar que a música gospel ocupa dentro da proposta do programa. A segunda etapa consiste na realização de dois grupos de discussão, um formado por evangélicos e o outro por não-evangélicos, para compreender como os conteúdos religiosos deslocados de seu contexto original são ressignificados pela audiência. Resulta desta pesquisa a observação de que a participação dos artistas gospel no Esquenta! oferece novos modos de olhar que ampliam o conceito de cultura gospel, bem como legitima a mídia como lugar de experiência religiosa. Além disso, ilustra a perspectiva habermasiana ao refletir a dupla afetação entre universo religioso e vida secular, que emerge do entrecruzamento entre mídia e religião.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:20:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jacqueline Ziroldo.pdf: 1249028 bytes, checksum: 572301a7aba1b26c878d9a5d73c81d54 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-03-09 / The Brazilian Presbyterian service has assumed a fixed and peculiar form referring to its liturgical style. The exclusion of more ritualistic elements, as well as the conditions for their insertion, gave a very particular outline to the religious service in Brazil. Its shape can be reduced to two pillars: sermon and music. The music has also been developed in a peculiar manner within the denomination. Nevertheless, from the early 1990s, traditional music has been shaken with the fast-growing and consolidation of the gospel music market. Then, a new format of musical production related to congregational praise emerged in Brazil, which counteracting with the traditional productions due to its emotional and performatic aspect. This new model of congregational praise was totally accepted by young people and new converted ones because it was promoted by the specialized media and the gospel market and was in harmony with current cultural trends, somehow complicating the idea of preserving religious tradition. This fact occurred for many reasons, and among them, we can mention the appeal exerted by the musical market upon Presbyterian youth and the liturgica l role music played in this service, which has always created an atmosphere of religious frustration for some laic subgroups. Therefore, musical production and reproduction of Presbyterian service suffered modifications that can contribute directly to one of the biggest modifications which the Presbyterian service has suffered since its insertion in Brazil. This new model of congregational praise facilitated the rupture with the traditional hymnody, which has ever been weakened long ago. The present study deals with the modifications that occurred in Presbyterian liturgical music production and reproduction and the direct results on the religious service profile, as well as the motives that support those modifications on micro and macro social perspectives.(AU) / O culto presbiteriano brasileiro se cristalizou de forma peculiar em relação ao seu estilo litúrgico. A exclusão de elementos mais ritualísticos somados ás condições de inserção deram um contorno bem específico a esse culto no Brasil. A sua forma pode ser reduzida a dois pilares de sustentação: a prédica e a música. A música também se desenvolveu de um modo peculiar dentro da denominação. Porém, desde início dos anos 90 essa musica tradicional tem sido abalada com a consolidação do mercado de música gospel. Surgiu então no Brasil um novo tipo de produção musical, relacionada com o louvor congregacional, que pelo aspecto emocional e performático, contraria a produção tradicional. Esse novo modelo de louvor, fomentado pela mídia especializada, pelo mercado gospel e em acordo com as tendências culturais atuais, tem plena aceitação do público jovem e dos novos conversos, dificultando a manutenção da tradição. Muitos são os motivos para tal fato, entre eles a atração que o mercado exerce sobre o jovem presbiteriano e o papel litúrgico da música nesse culto, que sempre gerou um grande clima de insatisfação religiosa de alguns sub grupos do laicato. Assim, a produção e reprodução musical do culto presbiteriano têm sofrido modificações que podem contribuir diretamente para uma das maiores mutações cúlticas que o presbiterianismo já sofreu desde a sua inserção entre nós. Esse novo modelo de louvor propiciou uma ruptura com a hinódia tradicional, que há muito já estava se enfraquecendo. Esta tese discute as mudanças ocorridas na produção e reprodução da música litúrgica do presbiterianismo e a sua conseqüência direta no perfil desse culto, bem como os motivos que sustentam tais mudanças, tanto em uma perspectiva micro como macro social.(AU)

A perícope de Lucas 4.16-30 aparenta ser uma síntese literária e teológica do terceiro evangelho. A partir de uma releitura de uma perícope do evangelho de Marcos, de textos de Isaías e, eventualmente de outras fontes, Lucas transformou a tradição recebida em programa para o ministério de Jesus, com vistas aos destinatários de seu escrito. O trabalho está organizado em três capítulos: questões introdutórias, análise semântica da perícope e análise da intervenção redacional do evangelista no material recebido. Entre os temas que Lucas destaca através desse programa, está a oferta do evangelho aos pobres, a condução pelo Espírito Santo, a rejeição do evangelho na própria pátria e a abertura do evangelho aos gentios, temas que atravessam a dupla obra lucana. / The pericope of Luke 4: 16-30 seems to be a literary and theological synthesis of the third Gospel. Based on a rereading of a pericope of the Gospel of Mark, of texts from Isaiah and, eventually of other sources, Luke transforms the received tradition into a program for the ministry of Jesus aiming at the public of his writings. The work is organized into three chapters: introductory issues, semantic analysis of the pericope and an analysis of the redactional intervention of the evangelist in the material received. Among the themes which Luke highlights from this program is the offering of the Gospel to the poor, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the rejection of the Gospel in his own country and the opening of the Gospel to the gentiles, themes which pervade the two works of Luke.