Thesis (Ph. D. in Religion)--Vanderbilt University, May 2007. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Adventists hold various views with regard to their understanding of themselves as a church. They view themselves as the last remnant church of God today. They also believe that they are a part of the general Christendom. Adventists acknowledge the presence of sincere Christians in other churches. In this study, the background to twentieth century Christian ecclesiological self-understanding is examined. The origins and development of the Seventh-day Adventist ecclesiological self-understanding, especially as it relates to the remnant idea is examined. Three different types of the remnant namely historical, faithful and eschatological can be identified. Biblical images/models used in the development of ecclesiology agree with the biblical understanding and application of the remnant idea to God's people. The remnant idea is not limited in its application to organizational entities. Seventh-day Adventists should adopt an open, inclusive and universal view of the remnant concept. / Theology / Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology / Th. M. (Systematic Theology)

John Erskine was the leading Evangelical in the Church of Scotland in the latter half of the eighteenth century. Educated in an enlightened setting at Edinburgh University, he learned to appreciate the epistemology of John Locke and other empiricists alongside key Scottish Enlightenment figures such as his ecclesiastical rival, William Robertson. Although groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps as a lawyer, Erskine changed career paths in order to become a minister of the Kirk. He was deeply moved by the endemic revivals in the west of Scotland and determined that his contribution to the burgeoning Evangelical movement on both sides of the Atlantic would be much greater as a clergyman than a lawyer. Yet Erskine was no ‘enthusiast’. He integrated the style and moral teachings of the Enlightenment into his discourses and posited new theories on traditional views of Calvinism in his theological treatises. Erskine’s thought, however, never transgressed the boundaries of orthodoxy. His goal was to update Evangelical Calvinism with the new style and techniques of the Enlightenment without sacrificing the gospel message. While Erskine was widely recognised as an able preacher and theologian, his primary contribution to Evangelicalism was as a disseminator. He sent correspondents like the New England pastor Jonathan Edwards countless religious and philosophical works so that he and others could learn about current ideas, update their writings to conform to the Age of Reason and provide an apologetic against perceived heretical authors. Erskine also was crucial in the publishing of books and pamphlets by some of the best Evangelical theologians in America and Britain. Within his lifetime, Erskine’s main contribution to Evangelicalism was as a propagator of an enlightened form of Calvinism.

This dissertation explores the hardening mentioned in Romans 11:25 and its role in Israel's rejection of the gospel. Chapter 1 describes the difficulties faced when addressing the issue of hardening. Additionally, the thesis states that in the case with the Jewish people, the partial hardening has divine origins and serves a glorious purpose. Chapter 2 provides three arguments from Romans 9-11 explaining Israel's rejection of Jesus. These three arguments underline the belief that although vast numbers of Jewish people have rejected Jesus, God's word has not failed. The chapter concludes with the primary argument offered in that Israel's rejection is due to a partial hardening. Chapter 3 presents the argument that God is the primary cause of Israel's hardening. After exploring Scriptures where man seems responsible for his own hardening, the chapter argues that based on Romans 9-11, and especially the statement that God has mercy on whom he wills and he hardens whom he wills, the hardening Israel is experiencing has God rather than man as it cause. Chapter 4 explores the various reasons Paul gave in Romans 11 for the divine hardening. After refuting the idea that the hardening is a demonstration of God's rejection of Israel, that chapter examines three reasons why Israel is experiencing this hardening. Chapter 5 looks at Israel's future once the hardening is removed. The chapter focuses specifically on what the phrase "all Israel will be saved" means. Examined in this chapter are the three traditional interpretations regarding this statement. Strengthens and weaknesses are provided for each position. Chapter 6 discusses the implications for evangelism for SBC entities in light of this divine hardening. After examining the history of the SBC's efforts to evangelize the Jewish people, discussion surrounds future strategies for the SBC at the national, state and local levels. Chapter 7 provides a brief summary of the work and restates the thesis and major issues discussed within the context of the paper. It also offers some suggestions and unanswered questions for further study on this topic. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

Among the British evangelicals of her day, Charlotte Elizabeth Browne Phelan Tonna was one of the most popular. She was an Anglican Evangelical Progressive who through her works of fiction, poetry, tracts, travel accounts, and essays dealing with theology, politics and social criticism convinced fellow evangelicals to get actively involved in the issues that concerned her.

This dissertation is focused on one of many aspects of religion and politics in Guatemala in recent history (1976-1990). This period is characterized by unequal wealth distribution, ethnic divisions, civil war, and U.S. influence. It is a contemporary mission history examining missionary efforts directed from the United States, Guatemalan responses, and indigenous initiatives. The problem concerns a movement within Protestant evangelicalism, which in this study is called Political Evangelicalism, and its relationship to the counterinsurgency war which the Guatemalan military waged against guerrillas, political opposition, and the Mayan majority. The problem centers on the following interrelated questions: How did Political Evangelicalism appear in Guatemala and how did it develop? How did agents of Political Evangelicalism act? What kind of discourse was employed to legitimize armed and structural violence? What was the relationship between Political Evangelicalism and counterinsurgency strategy? Political Evangelicalism must be reflected through different actors and aspects of Guatemalan conflicts to be understood. Therefore, Political Evangelicalism is placed in the broader context of the Guatemalan situation and its relation to the United States. This is a chronological study describing the role and development of Political Evangelicalism on three levels: the relationship between the United States and Guatemala; Guatemala on the national level; and an in-depth study of the Ixil people. The focal point is on the Guatemalan national level. A wide array of empirical material is employed, including interviews, unpublished documents, official documents, booklets, articles, and so on.

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Thesis (M.A.)--Victoria University of Wellington, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Adventists hold various views with regard to their understanding of themselves as a church. They view themselves as the last remnant church of God today. They also believe that they are a part of the general Christendom. Adventists acknowledge the presence of sincere Christians in other churches. In this study, the background to twentieth century Christian ecclesiological self-understanding is examined. The origins and development of the Seventh-day Adventist ecclesiological self-understanding, especially as it relates to the remnant idea is examined. Three different types of the remnant namely historical, faithful and eschatological can be identified. Biblical images/models used in the development of ecclesiology agree with the biblical understanding and application of the remnant idea to God's people. The remnant idea is not limited in its application to organizational entities. Seventh-day Adventists should adopt an open, inclusive and universal view of the remnant concept. / Theology / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / Th. M. (Systematic Theology)

The theme of the MTh is the research of the Christian political responsibility in terms of an evangelical position. The first step is to examine the historical political background of evangelical engagements, whereas the focus is especially on the German development. The second step analyses theologically where to locate political and social barriers. It creates an overview in what way (or to what extend) the bible shows and discusses socio-political topics. Furthermore the theological base for political actions describes (themetizes) the relation between the (institution) church and the (governing) state, the understanding of salvation and God’s kingdom and also questions of eschatology. Ahead of the evangelical approach of political theology, the last chapter describes the difference from liberation theology and models of contextual theology. / Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)