Project Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-105).

This dissertation explores the origins of, and the developments among, the approximately one hundred Bible schools that existed in western Canada prior to 1960. Although these schools influenced thousands of people, they have been almost entirely ignored by scholars, thereby leaving a significant lacuna within Canadian religious historiography. This study demonstrates the vital role played by the Bible schools in the development of evangelical Protestantism in western Canada. / The numerous Bible schools in the region are divided into six clusters based on denominational or theological similarities. A representative school (or schools) is selected from each cluster to serve as the focus of an institutional biography. These biographies explore the circumstances surrounding the origin, and subsequent developments (up to 1960) within, each school. The multiple institutional biographies create a collage that is both comprehensive enough to provide an understanding of the movement as a composite whole, and sufficiently varied to illustrate the movement's dynamic diversity. / This dissertation, therefore, presents a more multi-faceted explanation of the movement than previous characterizations that have generally depicted it as a part of an American fundamentalist reaction to Protestant liberalism. Although fundamentalism was a significant influence within some, particularly the transdenominational, Bible schools, at least as important in understanding the movement in western Canada were the particular ethnic, theological and denominational concerns that were prominent within the denominational clusters. The Bible schools typically offered a Bible-centred, intensely practical, lay-oriented program of post-secondary theological training. They were an innovative and practical response to the many challenges, created by massive immigration, rugged frontier conditions, geographical isolation, economic hardship, ethnicity and cultural assimilation, facing evangelical Protestants during the first half of the twentieth century. The Bible schools represent an institutional embodiment of the ethos and emphases of their respective constituencies. They served the multiple denominational and transdenominational constituencies, which made up the larger evangelical Protestant network, as centres of influence by preparing future generations for church leadership and participation in Canadian society. The Bible school movement offers a unique window into the diversity, complexity, dynamism and flexibility that characterized the development of evangelical Protestantism in western Canada.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Columbia Biblical Seminary and Graduate School of Missions, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 186-189).

Project Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1989. / This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #090-0198. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-105).

No description available.

Bible college personnel face a unique challenge in providing career counseling to their students. Bible college students hold a deeply religious world view which can bear directly upon their career decision-making. The purpose of this study was to develop a career decision making workbook for Bible college freshmen. The development of such a workbook required the identification of relevant spiritual determinants, appropriate career development resources, and the integration of career decision-making theory with a theology of work and leisure. Research and development methods used in the study included (1) initial document design, incorporating the use of instructional design principles; (2) review of readability experts; (3) preliminary field testing with students; and, (4) main field testing with students. The field tests were conducted as two-day workshops, involving a total of 38 subjects. The subjects were Bible college freshmen who volunteered to participate. The preliminary field test was conducted at a Bible college in southern West Virginia. The main field test involved three Bible colleges in the southeastern United States. Student interviews and a pretest-posttest design were utilized to obtain data on the workbook’s effectiveness. Field test results indicated that the workbook helped subjects to (1) crystallize their current career thinking, (2) increase their appreciation for a spiritual-rational model, (3) understand the importance of leisure as part of the concept of career, and (4) seriously think about the future consequences of decisions. Subjects performed poorly on the terminal objective, i.e., the making of a tentative career decision. However, low scores were thought to be an indicator of the limited nature of the workshop format rather than a reflection of the effectiveness of the workbook. Major conclusions were that (1) the workbook has the potential to encourage improved career decision-making skills for students and, (2) the workbook is adaptable to a variety of Bible college settings. Recommendations for document revision, operational field testing, and summative evaluation are presented. / Ed. D.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Notwithstanding that many prominent, influential and highly effective Christian leaders over this past century are making a difference throughout Africa, a serious leadership crisis still looms. There is no doubt that Christianity has spread throughout Africa, reaching many remote areas within the continent. Still the depth to that Christianity remains elusive. Practical theologians have discovered various patterns of leadership abuse, immorality, and heresy throughout Africa. As alarming as these patterns may be, in a positive way they are encouraging many Africans to seek alternative models of leadership. Thus, Africa has now become a place ready to implement effective or authentic leadership models. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine, in a practical theological way, whether African Bible College in Malawi is producing graduates that can be described as authentic Christian leaders. As a way of determining this, the researcher will be 1) investigating the growing (Christian) leadership crisis within sub-Saharan Africa, 2) analyzing various Christian leadership models within the field, 3) conducting empirical research on the African Bible College (ABC) and ABC graduates, 4) exploring normative perceptions of Christian leadership and 5) developing a revised praxis for ABC to help it become an even more effective institution for producing authentic Christian leaders. Authentic leadership in particular emphasizes the “genuineness,” “realness,” and “transparency” of people in leadership positions. It requires a leader to be open, honest, and accountable to others. They must earn the respect and trust of their followers. People today are becoming more skeptical of their leaders. They have grown weary and impatient with typical overbearing, power-hungry, and dishonest leadership personalities. They want to see their leaders actually practicing what they are preaching, living lives of integrity, and truly living out their Christian faith in a God honoring and practical manner. This is why authentic leadership theory has become prominent and widely accepted within the past decade. The theory will be useful for analyzing the leadership of ABC graduates. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nieteenstaande die feit dat baie prominente, gesaghebbende en hoogs effektiewe Christenleiers (gedurende die afgelope eeu) ʼn ware verskil deur die hele Afrika gemaak het (en dit steeds doen), dreig ʼn baie wesenlike en ernstige leierskapkrisis steeds. Daar is geen twyfel nie dat Christenskap soos ’n veldbrand deur die hele Afrika versprei het, en baie afgeleë gebiede op die kontinent bereik het, maar die diepte van daardie Christenskap bly steeds bedrieglik. Praktiese teoloë het verskeie voorbeelde van misbruik van leierskap, immoraliteit en dwaalleer oral in Afrika aangetref. En, so ontstellend soos hierdie voorbeelde ook al is, op ʼn positiewe wyse motiveer en bemoedig hulle baie Afrikane om alternatiewe modelle van leierskap na te jaag. Afrika is dus op die oomblik ʼn baie geskikte plek vir die implementering van effektiewe (of outentieke) leierskapsmodelle. Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is dus om op ʼn prakties-teologiese wyse te bepaal, of die African Bible College (ABC) in Malawi gegradueerdes lewer, wat as outentieke Christenleiers beskryf kan word. In ʼn poging om dit te bepaal, het die navorser 1) die toenemende (Christen-) leierskapskrisis in Afrika suid van die Sahara ondersoek, 2) verskeie Christenleierskap-modelle op die gebied ondersoek, 3) empiriese navorsing oor die ABC en ABC-gegradueerdes gedoen, 4) normatiewe persepsies van Christenleierskap verken en 5) ʼn hersiene praktyk vir ABC ontwikkel wat daartoe sal bydra dat hulle ʼn selfs meer effektiewe instelling vir die lewering van outentieke Christenleiers kan word. Outentieke leierskap beklemtoon in die besonder die “opregtheid”, “egtheid” en “deursigtigheid” van mense in leierskapsposisies. Dit vereis van ʼn leier om oop, eerlik en aanspreeklik teenoor ander te wees. Dit bring mee dat ʼn leier die respek en vertroue van sy of haar volgelinge moet verdien. Mense raak deesdae al hoe meer skepties oor hulle leiers. Hulle het moeg en ongeduldig geraak vir die alomteenwoordige dominerende, magshonger en oneerlike leierskapspersoonlikhede. Hulle wil sien dat hulle leiers se woorde en dade werklik ooreenstem, dat hulle onkreukbare lewens leef en waarlik hulle Christengeloof prakties uitleef op ʼn wyse wat aan God eer bewys. Dit is hoekom outentieke leierskapsteorie die afgelope dekade een van die toonaangewendste en algemeen aanvaarde leierskapsteorieë geword het, en nuttig sal wees vir ontleding van die leierskap van ABC-gegradeerdes.

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch Univesity, 2004 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The hermeneutical nexus and an undenominational Bible School. This dissertation arose out of reflections on the Carroll Handbook Jor Congregational Studies and inter alia seeks to give a philosophical base to that work. Noting the frequent references to hermeneutical principles, the researcher found that one of them were dealt with adequately in considering congregations as carriers of faith. There being no difference in principle between a congregation and a Bible School, the dissertation deals with both. It was apparent that there is a nexus (a binding together) of hermeneutical principles and processes in such an institution that forms the thick discourse in these carriers of faith. Having been associated with a Bible School for a quarter of a century, the researcher was aware that such institutions, like congregations were badly in need of a metacritical approach in order to meet changing conditions and new challenges. This dissertation attempts as a starting point to have a better understanding of the identity of the institution. The Bible School, as an historical reality, has had and still has a vast influence particularly in the Third World. This was exemplified by the growth and flowering of so-called Bible School Movement which is described and which revealed hermeneutical principles and processes which were essentially describing its identity in broad terms. Some of these processes are critiqued. In an attempt to find a central focus for a Bible School, the researcher found that subject to the main purpose of the church (the increase among men of the love of god and one's neighbour according to H Richard Niebuhr) there are in fact so many foci among Bible Schools that he could only conclude that God uses the gifts He gives to His Church in different ways and different circumstances as He wills. It was then found necessary to examine the application of hermeneutics to an institution seeing that metacriticism is a hermeneutical exercise and Carroll used many terms implying hermeneutics. For this purpose foundations were sought in Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Gadamer and especially Paul Ricoeur. Hermeneutics changed fundamentally over the period covered by these scholars, from a psychological to a literary base. The researcher found it necessary to draw from both the psychological and the literary approaches. He seeks to make a synthesis between Carroll (and Hopewell who initiated Carroll's work) and Ricoeur because the most fundamental methodology of both require a narrative form, a text. Regrettably Carroll was unable to give any philosophical base to his main point of "sum it up in story' which meant that the life of the congregation over a selected period of time was to be reduced to a narrative. This has been called the thick discourse of the congregation. The philosophical hermeneutics of Ricoeur, however, gives an advanced literary analysis and the researcher extrapolates and applies this to institutions to make a synthesis with Carroll's institutional insights. A key element in Ricoeur's hermeneutics is that discourse is the event of language and is understood as meaning. In the synthesis attempted this thick discourse of the institution is expounded as a kind of locutionary act, i.e. a speech act. The thick discourse of the institution is multi-faceted covering language, culture, time, space and matter, which are the events of discourse understood as meaning. The Carroll model requires that the congregational story be reduced to narrative form, i.e. a text. It follows that the Ricoeurean concepts of distanciation and appropriation as applied to institutions take effect and these ultimately involves the congregation in an enlarged selfunderstanding. In the appropriation of the text to which the congregational discourse is reduced, a new world-view emerges, a different self-identity is discovered. This, the -- researcher suggests, requires a postlocutionary act so that from being-in-the-world the institution becomes something new. Becoming (one of Carroll's main concepts) requires reimaging and re-imaging requires metacriticism. For this focus and boundaries are required as an institution is an open system. In the end a complementary relationship between Carroll and Ricoeur is advocated as part of a thick discourse in this preliminary study of institutional hermeneutics. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing het ontstaan uit nadenke oor Carroll se Handbook for Congregational Studies as 'n moontlike prakties-teologiese basis vir 'n ondersoek na die identiteit van instellings soos Bybelskole. In Carroll word herhaaldelik verwys na hermeneutiese faktore soos gemeentes as draers van die geloof. Hierdie dissertasie wil beweer dat daar in beginsel geen verskil is tussen sulke instellings en gemeentes nie: albei is draers van die geloof. Dit was gou duidelik dat daar 'n nexus ('n saamgehegtheid) van hermeneutiese beginsels en prosesse is wat binne so 'n instelling funksioneer as 'n "thick discourse" daarvan. Die navorser was betrokke by 'n Bybelskool vir meer as 'n kwarteeu en het deeglik besef dat sulke instellings, net soos gemeentes, 'n dringende behoefte het aan 'n metakritiese benadering, veral in tye van snelle veranderinge. Hierdie dissertasie wil help om langs hierdie hermeneutiese weg 'n beter be_car-;f' verstaan te kry van die identiteit en prosesse wat instellings het. Bybelskole het gehad, en het nog steeds 'n groot invloed in die geloofswereld, veral in Derde Wereld opset. Die groei en bloei van die Bybelskool Beweging word beskrywe, veral in terme van die hermeneutiese beginsels en prosesse wat die identiteit manifesteer. Sommige van hierdie prosesse word krities beskrywe. Verder probeer die navorsing om 'n sentrale fokus van 'n Bybelskool te vind, maar het bevind dat die doelstellende fokus van 'n kerk, soos deur H Richard Niebuhr uitgebeeld, lei tot 'n uiteenlopende diversiteit van foci. Dus het hy hom berus by sy bevinding dat God gawes aan sy Kerk gee en dit benut soos Hy wil. Die navorsing vra dan hoe hermeneutiese beginsels, veral die van metakritiek, toegepas kan word op die hermeneutiese benadering van Carroll. Hierin moes teruggevra word na die heremeneutiese ontwikkeling vanaf Schleiermacher na Dilthey, Gadamer en veral Ricoeur. In hierdie ontwikkeling verskuif die basis van die hermeneutiek vanaf 'n psigologiese na 'n literere. Die navorsing probeer dan 'n sintese maak tussen Carroll (en sy voorganger Hopewell) en Ricoeur op grond van hulle gemeenskaplike metodologie gebou op 'n narratiewe benadering. Ongelukkig is gevind dat Carroll nie 'n goeie filosofiese basis aan sy kemgedagte gee nie, naamlik om die gemeente "op te som as verhaal" nie. Dit beteken dat die bestaan van 'n gemeente oor 'n bepaalde periode gereduseer word tot die blote verhaal daarvan, of die "thick description" daarvan. Ricoeur help die navorsing om 'n tree verder te gee met sy literere-analise. Dit het die navorser gehelp om dit te ekstrapoleer en so toe te pas dat 'n sintese met Carroll moontlik word. 'n Sleutelbegrip in Ricoeur se hermeneutiek is dat diskoers 'n taalgebeure is wat betekenisdraend is. In genoernde sintese word die "thick discourse" van 'n instelling 'n soort lokusionere handeling (of 'n sogenaamde "speech act"). Hierdie diskoers van 'n instelling het 'n veelheid fasette soos taal, kultuur, tyd, ruimte, ens - wat intrinsiek is aan genoemde gebeure of diskoers wat betekenisdraend is. Deur die gebruik van Ricoeur se konsepte van distansiasie en appropriasie en dan toegepas op instellings word die selfverstaan van 'n instelling verruim. Daardeur word nuwe lewenswerelde en selfverstaan ontdek. Die navorsing beklemtoon dat 'n soort postlokusionere handeling nodig is om tot iets nuut in 'n veranderende wereld te geraak. Dit weer veronderstel 'n soort van her-verbeelding ("reimaging") in 'n metakritiese benadering. Daarin is egter grense nodig waarbinne 'n instelling as 'n nuwe oop sisteem kan funksioneer. Aan die einde word dus 'n komplementere verhouding tussen Carroll en Ricoeur voorgestel as deel van genoemde "thick discourse" as die basis van hierdie voorlopige navorsing oor institutionele hermeneutiek.

Thesis (M.A.)--Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary, 1993. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-113).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Sociology, June 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.