Dissertation under the direction of Dr. Victor Anderson: The one and the many has been the perennial philosophical problem from Plato, Augustine, and Aquinas to H. Richard Niebuhrâs classic, Radical Monotheism and Western Culture. This dissertation tracks sovereignty as a political symbol throughout modern Western political theory. It begins with the early modern writings of French theorist Jean Bodin (1530-1596) and English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), both of whom embraced monarchial views of sovereignty. It then tracks the four-fold transmigration of the discourse on political sovereignty, which rests next on âthe peopleâ in the theories of John Locke (1632-1704) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). With Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) and GWF Hegel (1770-1831) sovereignty comes to nest in the authority of âreasonâ, which itself mutates from a self-limiting process for the sake of unity into a totalizing metaphysical entity. Finally, sovereignty comes to rest on âthe dictatorâ for German jurist Carl Schmitt (1888-1985) and nationalist âideologyâ for German political theorist Hannah Arendt (1906-1975). This dissertation finds that sovereignty is justified by two doctrines in Western canonical discourse: that of âthe state of natureâ and âthe political body.â The state of nature is a figure of speech, a primordial myth that has been taken literally, and the political symbol of the âpolitical bodyâ is mimetically derived from oneâs view on nature. Thinking on the state of nature conditions thinking on the political body, and thus the state of nature becomes the central theme for how one thinks about sovereignty. This dissertation finds that Hobbesâ doctrine of the state of nature has become hegemonic in the discourse on sovereignty, and that his doctrines of the state of nature and the body politic have problematic enduring cultural-historical effects, especially for African Americans and the worldâs poor. The conclusion proposes implications of this migratory narrative of sovereignty from monarchialism to ideology in light of Italian philosopher Giorgio Agambenâs discourse on the âstate of exceptionâ and African American cultural critic Cornel Westâs description of the new American imperialism. This dissertation attacks the âsecularization thesisâ about sovereignty, where according to theologians such as Anglian thinker John Milbank (1952), sovereignty has is legitimated by a heterodox theology (Theology and Social Theory, 1990, 2006). The discourse on sovereignty is necessarily embedded in political-theological discourse. Thus political theologians bear a great responsibility for the history of effects and consequences of sovereignty as the ideology of totality and power in the twenty-first century. In this sense the dissertation is prolegomena to an African American political theology in the state of exception (Agamben) and the henotheism of the market forces of aggressive militarism (where might makes right), free-market fundamentalism (an unfettered, deregulated market, even at the expense of public interest) and escalating authoritarianism (the growth in US government surveillance and policing and the centralization of key aspects of law such as criminal justice).

Mark and the hypothetical gospel source Q both portray Jesus as a miracle worker and as proclaimer of the coming kingdom of God. Comparing the ways Mark and Q depict Jesus in these roles demonstrates two distinct ways of remembering Jesus. For Mark, miracles point to Jesusâ divine identity, and the kingdom of God signifies Jesusâ future coming in power in the place of God to judge the world. In Q, Jesusâ miracles demonstrate the presence of the kingdom of God, which for Q signifies a state of eschatological blessedness for those who accept Jesusâ message. The differences in how Mark and Q narrate the Beelzebul Controversy (Mark 3:22-30, Matt 12:22-31//Luke 11:14-23) and the Commissioning of the Disciples (Mark 6:7-13, Matt 9:38-10:16//Luke 9:1-6, 10:1-12) make this difference in emphasis clear. The differing ways Mark and Q narrate Jesusâ Testing after his baptism (Mark 1:13, Matt 4:1-11//Luke 4:13) show these two ways of remembering Jesus to be in competition with each other. These two different ways of remembering Jesus represent two different strategies for early Jesusâ followers to create identity for themselves. Qâs way of remembering Jesus creates identity by emphasizing that Jesusâ followers are co-workers with him in proclaiming and instantiating the kingdom of God. On the other hand, Markâs way of remembering Jesus creates identity among Jesusâ followers by emphasizing the uniqueness of Jesus as the one who acts as God on earth.

The sacrament of penance, known also as reconciliation and confession, plays a central role in Roman Catholic pastoral care, both as a practically significant ritual for a small percentage of American Roman Catholics and as a powerful symbol within American Roman Catholic culture even among the majority who do not make use of it. In light of penanceâs significant historical complexity, this dissertation argues that monolithic or simplistic explanations of sacramental penance fail to attend to the plurality of ways that penance might be practiced and understood in contemporary Roman Catholic parishes, leading to a neglect of its potential pastoral impact in the everyday lives of the faithful. I show how psychoanalytic considerations of guilt and fault, often neglected by Catholic theologians, enrich how we conceptualize penance from the perspective of penitents. Then, in dialogue with psychoanalysts Antoine Vergote, Heinz Kohut, D.W. Winnicott, and Jessica Benjamin, I interpret significant changes in American Catholic culture in the mid-20th century as a shift from clerical and obediential guilt to a more diffused and less articulable sense of being at fault, requiring corresponding adaptations to parish penitential practice. Finally, against arguments supported by official Catholic teaching that individual confession to a priest constitutes the only normal way for Catholics to experience the forgiveness of sins, I identify three necessary and interdependent approaches to penance, each offering its own theological vision of sin and forgiveness: juridical approaches centered on clerical power, therapeutic or relational approaches that take place in interpersonal parish contexts, and communal approaches that offer opportunities for individuals and groups to symbolically and liturgically express their disparate experiences of fault as one public body. Without wider practices of penance and the attitudes and commitments flowing out of a penitential vocation, Catholics cannot come to share an understanding, let alone ritualize a common experience, of the many and multifaceted ways that God heals and redeems our failures and faults.

It is well known that the early Stuart and Interregnum periods witnessed an explosion of interest in the organizing potential of covenantal ideas. This study attempts to explain and interpret this interest by integrating the narrative of the development of covenant theology with that of a series of key mid-seventeenth century ecclesiastical and political debates in England. Covenant theology not only was related integrally to the development of ecclesiastical and political covenants and various early modern resistance theories, but its soteriological concerns were intertwined inexorably with political disputes regarding the proper mode of ecclesiastical governance, the relationship between civil and ecclesiastical authority, and the meaning, extent, and function of natural law. Transactions between these ideas moved in both directions, and therefore theological developments led to new resources for political legitimation, while at the same time the rapidly changing political landscape reciprocally influenced the maturation of covenant theology. <p> This study focuses on the development and deployment of the biblical covenant between God and Moses in early Stuart and Interregnum theological, ecclesiological, and political thought, primarily focusing on the period between the early 1620s and the 1650s. This particular locus of covenantal thought is one of the primary strands connecting these three modes of discourse. Thus, attention to developing understandings of this particular administration of the âold covenantâ helps to illustrate the nature of the interplay between religion and politics in this period without collapsing the two on the one hand or making religion the explanatory matrix for political conflict on the other. The central thesis is that a proper understanding of the politics of the period requires understanding the development of covenant theology and how that development was interrelated with the development of political and ecclesiastical covenants.

Psychotherapistsâ interest in Buddhist traditions, once described as a new popular trend, should today be considered an established feature of the mental health field in the United States. Recognizing their religio-cultural import, religious studies scholars increasingly attend to cliniciansâ approaches to Buddhist teachings and practices. However, existing literature on this topic frequently overlooks therapistsâ own reportage about their activities. As a consequence, the variety of approaches that clinicians have taken to Buddhist traditions are often lost in the sweep of totalizing interpretations. Scholars declare these phenomena to be cases of either secularization or religious transmission. Commentators who herald a âspread of the Dharmaâ do not sufficiently acknowledge those who believe they are successful in secularizing Buddhist practices for audiences unaware of their origins. Meanwhile, those who describe the âsecularization of Buddhismâ brush over therapists who advance a Buddhist qua religious path as superior source of psychological healing. Moreover, such analyses do not account for recent scholarship demonstrating that categories like âreligionâ and âsecularâ have been socially co-constructed by particular communities for particular purpose. I conduct textual analysis, personal interviews with formative published clinicians, and ethnographic observation at continuing education conferences where therapists receive training on aspects of these approaches. I show that psychotherapists are molded by their own understandings of what defines âreligionâ and âsecular.â Therapistsâ relative levels of investment in preserving psychotherapyâs qualification as a secular biomedical discipline produce a multiplicity of treatments of Buddhist traditions. I delineate six overlapping sets of approaches that therapists take to Buddhist teachings and practices. Clinicians have (1) therapized, (2) filtered, (3) translated, (4) personalized, (5) adopted, and (6) integrated those elements of Buddhist traditions they view as religious. My study offers a more accurate description of these phenomena. It also clarifies how the ongoing re-construction of categories like âreligionâ and âsecularâ function âon-the-ground.â I demonstrate that these concepts are not only abstract categories for scholarly classification but concrete determinants of behavior for contemporary communities.

When looking at the churchgoing experience of African American youth and ways of ministering to them in a holistic way, it is important to realize that the youth are truly the future of our congregations. In order to address the issues and the needs that have been presented by the teens of Zion Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA and Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, the researcher of this dissertation developed a project (and consequently) a therapeutic tool that would serve to provide a safe (confidential, non-judgmental, therapeutic) space of free self-expression, to foster healthy mental and social development, as well as, a healthy and effective way for youth to express their feelings, thoughts, desires, and aspirations. This project was meant to set a precedence of palatable therapy in church settings, and had a two-fold purpose of not only providing a safe space for free-expression, but also, it served to close the cross-generational chasm of misunderstanding and miscommunication, and opening up opportunities for an intergenerational connection between the teens and the middle-aged adults of the churches. To carry out her project, the researcher used as her foundation the principles of in-depth pastoral care and psychodrama. She then combined them into a palatable therapeutic tool coined as pastoraldrama. The premise of both the researchers project and of this dissertation is the understanding that in-depth pastoral care and psychodrama (and consequently pastoraldrama) can be used effectively to foster better intergenerational relationships, attend to the holistic needs of today’s Black youth, enhance the churchgoing experience of today’s Black youth, and to help today’s Black youth feel they have a place, a purpose, and a voice in their families, their community, their churches, and ultimately in the future of society as a whole. In developing her model the researcher used various authors, theories, and sciences to argue for the importance and usefulness of this project. She used various resources and defended her point theologically, theoretically, biblically, historically, and empirically. The researcher discovered the presented ministry needs through observation, communication with members of each church, research panels, and intergenerational workshops conducted while working as a youth worker in the congregations. Her target age groups for this project were the teens of the congregations in conjunction with the middle-aged adults of the congregations. At Zion Hill, the teen participants were of the ages 16-18, and at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church her teen participants were of the ages 13-15. In the following dissertation, the researcher will describe in detail the general makeup of both of her research congregations and their history in order to give her readers a clear and accurate description of the ministry settings in which she worked. She will also present empirical, theoretical, biblical, theological, psychological, cultural, and historical evidence supporting the use of pastoraldrama with Black youth in order to enhance their churchgoing experiences, minister to them holistically, and to serve as a tool to bridge generational gaps within the Black Church. She has set up a clear model for her new therapeutic approach and provided a clear outline of her project and a guide for leading pastoraldrama sessions. She will further present an example of a skit that was used in a session to address familial stress and discuss the outcomes of this skit, and she will end with a hopeful note describing her desires for the future of pastoraldrama and her continued work in this area.

This dissertation will address the implementation of New Life Christian Academy (NLCA), a Christian Education School, produced out of New Life Deliverance Temple (NLDT), in St. Helena Island, South Carolina. The desire was to target students who have a desire in educational and spiritual achievements regardless of race, creed or religion. Parents who have become disillusioned with the Beaufort County public school system will be presented the progress of the current students at NLCA, who have transferred from the public school setting. The researcher founded the school by merging a homeschool run by a parent of NLDT and a new school which had never been operational. The advantage the researcher has concerning this project is that he was responsible for the grassroots implementation orchestrating every step from changing the county code allowing a school to locating modular buildings to house the school. NLDT is not considered a ‘mega ministry’ (2,000 or more membership) nor is the church located in a major metropolis, but on a dirt road in a rural section of St. Helena Island. Though the church possessed meager funds, this lack of capital did not prevent the pursuit of building a Christian school on church property. The researcher formed a board to assist in searching for rules and regulations so that the school will be in compliance. The first teacher hired by NLCA was Mrs. Mary Bolles who started her homeschool and was very well versed in Christian and secular education. NLCA has formed relationships between parent, teacher and student resulting in increased communication. The empirical data to assist in developing the foundation for the school will include: (a) Surveys conducted showing how the children have transitioned into the Christian/ Secular educational setting, (b) Showing how other Christian Schools operate within Beaufort Schools, (c) Data which will confirm the weaknesses of area county schools, and (d) surveys which will aid in satisfying the needs of students, staff and parents. Theologically, the Biblical basis for the school was discovered in Daniel the first chapter, showing four youths who had been forcibly removed from their native land and were successful in enemy territory, not compromising their Jewish values. The objective remains to parallel this Biblical past into a current motif which will allow the student to experience holistic curriculums of education, enabling them to meet life’s challenges, utilizing a Christian perspective.

This Doctor of Ministry project is a study of A Model for Empowering Rivertown United Methodist Church (UMC) to Address the Addiction of Alcohol in the church and the surrounding community. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate to Rivertown UMC and Rocky Head UMC how churches can reach out to the addicted community in order to assist the alcoholics with recovery from their addictions. This project will address the problems of alcohol addiction. The project includes members of Rivertown UMC, Rocky Head UMC and Rama Community Church of Palmetto, Georgia. The project was designed and implemented by the researcher. The project consisted of seven sessions of structured experiences at Rivertown UMC and three training sessions. Two of the training meetings were held at Brookhaven UMC located in Northeast Atlanta, Georgia, where Don Shannon leads three alcohol and drug recovery groups. All other meetings were conducted at Rivertown UMC. The study has shown that a transformed church can impact the alcohol addicted community in an important and potentially transforming manner. The results of the model were evaluated by qualitative analysis and have shown that the participants grew in positive self-image, self-confidence and self-worth. The Alcohol Recovery Project has provided a model of ministry that will continue to be active after the implementation and completion of this project.

This dissertation project addressed the implementation of a Dialogue on the topic of Sexuality in the Black Pentecostal church, at Church of the Lord Jesus Christ Today, Inc. (COTLJCT) in Douglasville, GA. In continuing the ministry of Jesus Christ, all Christian leaders, including leaders in the Black Pentecostal church have a great responsibility to imitate Christ through their actions. While providing ministerial care that addresses moral issues encountered by the Christian community and the world, Christian leaders must always consider the question, What Would Jesus Do? The contemplation of this inquiry is necessary towards delivering the type of service and care provided by Jesus. This raises the question whether Black Pentecostal church leaders respond to moral issues within the church community in a manner that is reflective of how Jesus handled matters during his ministry. For the purposes of this dialogue, are leaders of the Black Pentecostal church responding to the issue of women and unwed pregnancies in ways that indicate they have contemplated the question What Would Jesus Do? Are leaders of the Black Pentecostal church responsive to this issue in ways that demonstrate the love, compassion, and forgiveness of Jesus? The response to these questions is a resounding “NO.” Years of personal observation in the Black Pentecostal church have revealed harsh treatment by leaders, and the Christian community towards women and sexuality issues. This punitive behavior, normally surrounding the occurrences of non-marital pregnancies, has consisted in women being openly shamed, alienated, ostracized, and rejected from Christian fellowship. These actions and outcomes, which are not reflective of the ministry of Jesus nor his love, compassion, and forgiveness, warrant a serious discussion. Black Pentecostal church leaders have failed to construct a dialogue on this subject, as it affects the lives of their parishioners. The working hypothesis of this project is that leaders in the Black Pentecostal church have a great task by God to assist in the spiritual growth and development of his people. As such, the Black Pentecostal church must be at the vanguard in instituting a dialogue on women and sexuality. In particular, these discussions should address the sexist and negative treatment directed towards women for their sexual encounters and pregnancies from non-marital relationships. Leaders in the Black church have a responsibility to create an atmosphere where sexuality issues can be freely discussed in the church. These discussions should lead to the restoration and reconciliation of women in their relationship with God and the Church community. However, in times past and presently, congregational leaders in the Black church have been “silent” on the topic of sexuality. In the midst of their silence, leaders have openly condemned women for non-marital affairs, and have ostracized, marginalized, and rejected them from any involvement in ministry. Therefore, the scope of this project was to implement a constructive dialogue in the church, in collaboration with women at COTLJCT. This dialogue highlighted the negative treatment directed towards women for their diversion from biblical and doctrinal norms of the Black Pentecostal church. The project addressed reasons why the topic on sexuality has been taboo in the Black Pentecostal church, and the motivation for the sexist treatment of female parishioners. The goal of this dialogue was to ultimately dispel the negative behaviors and stereotypes directed towards women and their sexuality. The final aim of the project was to create positive images of God’s creation, which ultimately leads to a constructive course of action to sexuality matters by Christians and leaders in the Black Pentecostal church. Theologically, it is believed that the examples provided by the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ illustrate the role of Christian leaders as “servants.” Jesus’ model of ministry also demonstrates the responsibility of his servants, which is to focus on attending to the needs of the marginalized, the rejected, and the outcasts. As follows, the project highlighted biblical text that validated this type of service that meets the necessities of the poor, liberates the captive, heals the brokenhearted, and accepts the rejected, as reflected in Luke 4: 18-19. The project presented biblical scripture from the Old and New Testament that has shaped the doctrinal position of the Black Pentecostal church in terms of a lifestyle of “Holiness,” and the stance against non-marital sexual relationships. In describing the holiness/purity codes of the church, the researcher advocated against the church’s practice of shaming and ostracizing women for their choices to have sex and children outside of marriage. The project highlighted how the ministry of Jesus clearly demonstrated love, compassion, acceptance, and forgiveness towards women, for their sexual indiscretions, as referenced in John 8:1-11. Additionally, the project provided a detailed analysis of Galatians 621-2. This scripture specifically addresses the responsibility of Christians to exhibit the spirit of love, compassion, and gentleness, as they endeavor to restore persons, who have fallen to sin. In summation, leaders in the Black Pentecostal church have been called to illustrate love in their service of restoring the lives of God’s people. The doctoral dissertation project was conducted in three phases over a four (4) month period, (June 2012 through September 2012), involving seven (7) sessions. Phase I: Sexuality, and Sexuality Distorted - part 1 and part 2; Phase 11: Christian Ethics: The Do’s &. Don’ts Based on Biblical Principles - part 1 and part 2; and Phase III: Real Talk: “Sex in the Church” - part 1 and part 2. The effectiveness and overall success of the project was measured by the following four (4) goals: 1. Initiate a dialogue with women on the subject of sexuality. 2. Positively impact women with a better understanding of sexuality issues and a new outlook that leads to constructive responses of love and compassion. 3. Maintain participation of at least 15 women in all three phases of the project. 4. Celebrate participants of the project dialogue. Based on evaluations, testimonials, and reflections from this project, the outcome of this journey was a success. This project dialogue on sexuality issues resulted in the lives of women being liberated, healed, and transformed for the Glory of God!

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