Drought is one of the most widespread and least understood natural phenomena. Many indices using multiple data types have been created, and their success at identifying periods of extreme wetness and dryness has been well documented. In recent years, researchers have begun to assess the potential of total water storage (TWS) anomalies in drought monitoring method- ologies. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) provides temporally and spatially consistent TWS measurements across the globe, and studies have shown GRACE TWS anomalies are suited to identify drought. GRACE TWS is used with MODIS-derived normalized difference veg- etation index (NDVI) and NOAA/NWS precipitation data to create a new drought index, the Merged-dataset Drought Index (MDI). Each dataset corre- lates with a different type of drought, giving robustness to MDI. MDI is based on dataset deviations from a monthly climatology and is objective and easy to calculate. MDI is studied across Texas, which is broken into five dataset- defined sub-regions. Multiple drought events are identified from 2002 - 2014, with the most severe beginning in October 2010. A new drought severity clas- sification scheme is proposed based on MDI, and it is organized to match the current US Drought Monitor Classification Scheme. MDI shows strong correlation with existing drought indices, notably the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). MDI consistently identifies droughts in different sub-regions of Texas, but shows better performance in regions with large GRACE TWS signals. MDI performance is enhanced through a weighting scheme that relies more on GRACE TWS. Even with this scheme, MDI and PDSI exhibit occasional behavioral differences. Drought analysis using MDI shows for the first time that GRACE data provides information on a sub-regional scale in Texas, an area with low signal amplitudes. Past studies have shown TWS capable of identifying drought, but MDI is the first index to quantitatively use GRACE TWS in a manner consistent with current practices of identifying drought. MDI also establishes a framework for a future, completely remote-sensing based index that can enable temporally and spatially consistent drought identification across the globe. This study is useful as well for establishing a baseline for the necessary spatial resolution required from future geodetic space missions for use in drought identification at smaller scales. / text

The last two decades have seen a large increase in evangelical theologies of work as has also been the case in other Christian traditions. Numerous different angles and perspectives on the subject have been unfolded so as to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the meaning of human work. Prominent themes have included work as a means towards sanctification, work as a means towards effective proclamation of the gospel, work that enables a fuller expression of worship to God, work as a means towards serving one’s neighbours. and even work which might transfer from this age into the new creation as part of humanity’s salvation in Christ. The Problem This thesis will provide in a thoroughgoing manner that which has not yet been dealt with in evangelical theology ‐ an examination of the work of those who are not Christian as it pertains to the new creation. That is, this project will examine whether there is any connection between earthly work performed by those who are not Christian and the kingdom of heaven. Protestant theologies (e.g. William Perkins, Emil Brunner, Karl Barth, Lee Hardy, together with each theological figure of this study) almost exclusively rule that such a connection lies beyond the margins of orthodoxy. Miroslav Volf, however, following in the theological footsteps of Jürgen Moltmann, briefly suggests the importance of such a connection in his Work in the Spirit in an attempt to assemble a framework for a synthetic vision of work. This passing mention by Volf has been the initial idea and point of departure for this study. And since Volf has welcomed others to develop his structures further into something more robust, I will do so as it pertains to the good work of ‘non‐ Christians’ and the eschaton. Although I will seldom revisit Volf’s contribution to the theology of work in the subsequent chapters, it is an appropriate launching point for this study and has made a formative impact upon this project’s inception.

Thesis advisor: Frederick G. Lawrence / <italic>Whose Kingdom Shall Have No End: Christ and History in Friedrich Schleiermacher's Glaubenslehre and Christliche Sittenlehre</italic> By: Kevin M. Vander Schel Advisor: Frederick G. Lawrence The present study offers an investigation into the relationship between the influence of Christ and the development of human history in the dogmatic writings of Friedrich Schleiermacher. In contrast to the lingering caricature of Schleiermacher as pioneering a liberal theology of subjective feeling, this study portrays his work as an innovative theological proposal uniting a strong christological emphasis with a unique understanding of historical development. In the face of the dominant opposition between the schools of Rationalism and Supernaturalism in the Protestant theology of his own time, Schleiermacher worked out an alternative historically-conscious theological approach. His dogmatic writings consider the Christian church as a distinctive historical community proceeding from the originative redemptive influence of Christ. This initial appearance of Christ the Redeemer in history he regards as something relatively supernatural, an event irreducible to previous circumstances that introduces a new and higher manner of human living. Yet after this remarkable beginning, he describes Christ's originative influence as entirely mediated by historical and natural means. Schleiermacher thus envisions Christ's influence in human history as a gradual transformation from within. His dogmatic theology describes the emergence of the Reign of God, a development that does not oppose or interrupt natural and historical development but works in and through it to bring the created world to its completion. Schleiermacher indicates this dynamic in his dogmatic theology through the descriptive motif of the <italic>supernatural-becoming-natural</italic>. This study examines this theme both in Schleiermacher's well-known <italic>Christian Faith</italic>, or <italic>Glaubenslehre</italic>, and also in his unfinished and still partially unpublished lectures on <italic>Christian Ethics</italic> (<italic>Christliche Sittenlehre</italic>). This study comprises six chapters and is divided into three parts. The first part considers two aspects of the historical context underlying Schleiermacher's dogmatic theology. Chapter one considers the dispute between the theological schools of Rationalism and Supranaturalism in early nineteenth-century Protestant theology and describes Schleiermacher's own approach as offering a distinct alternative to these two options. Chapter two treats Schleiermacher's role in establishing the theological faculty at the newly founded University of Berlin and his conception of theology as a historically-conscious and positive science that borrows from other university disciplines and employs them in service of its Christian conviction. Schleiermacher's presentation of this theological method, in his <italic>Brief Outline</italic>, informs the later dogmatic work of his <italic>Glaubenslehre</italic> and <italic>Christliche Sittenlehre</italic>. Part two considers Schleiermacher's treatment of the influence of Christ in history in his <italic>Glaubenslehre</italic>. Chapter three presents the formal aspects of this theme in the work's introduction and in the reflections upon the general relationship of God and world in its first part. Writing in conscious distinction from the Rationalist and Supranaturalist schools, Schleiermacher describes the higher influence of Christ through the descriptive strategy of the supernatural-becoming-natural. Chapter four describes the material development of this theme in the work's second part. The higher influence of Christ, which continues in the Spirit, produces the new collective life in the church as a community of grace, set apart from the sinful world and destined to spread over the entire human race. The progression of this new life coincides with the emergence and growth of the Reign of God. Part three treats Schleiermacher's reflections on the historical influence of Christ in his unpublished lectures on <italic>Christliche Sittenlehre</italic>. Chapter five considers this theme in the formal arrangement of this work, once again operating under the descriptive motif of the supernatural-becoming-natural. The <itlaic>Christliche Sittenlehre</italic> treats the distinctively Christian action that results from the higher influence of Christ, which becomes manifest in threefold form: first, as presentational action (<italic>darstellendes Handeln</italic>) that reflects the enduring blessedness of fellowship with Christ; then, in two modes of effective action, as purifying (<italic>reinigendes</italic>) and propagative (<italic>verbreitendes</italic>). Chapter six then considers the material development of these three kinds of Christian action. Schleiermacher's treatment of these three modes of Christian action depicts the increasing permeation and elevation of human historical action through the influence of Christ and the Spirit. In similar fashion to the <italic>Glaubenslehre</italic>, then, Schleiermacher's <italic>Christliche Sittenlehre</italic> portrays the new life originating in Christ as the completion and perfection of human action in the emerging reality of the Reign of God. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:27:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Reginaldo Marcolino.pdf: 328338 bytes, checksum: 24dc15f34533e47859f0e7000a6e5e06 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-10-11 / Through the reflection of the theologian Luis F. Ladaria, understand the man in the grace of Christ, being from this, undestand the dimension of human being in their relationship with God, because, this man was created in the image of God to reach the realization of the perfect likness, knowing that, will be the light of the mistery of the incarnation that can be understood as the human deification. The author follows the path of understanding the human sonship / Através da reflexão do teólogo Luís F. Ladaria entende-se o homem na graça de Cristo, sendo que, a partir disto, se entende a dimensão do ser humano em sua relação com Deus, pois, esse homem foi criado à imagem de Deus para chegar a realizar a perfeita semelhança, sabendo que, será à luz do mistério da Encarnação que se compreende a divinização humana. O autor trilha o caminho de entendimento da filiação humana com Deus a partir de Jesus Cristo, o Verbo encarnado

This study argues that a comparison of human nature, divine grace, and theological virtue in the theologies of John Wesley and Thomas Aquinas provides resources for constructing iconic dignity as a vital theological perspective. Iconic dignity names a radiant-yet-reflected human worth rooted in the image of God, whose grace empowers response, transformation, and virtuous participation in God’s loving essence. The dissertation responds to the absence of a focused analysis of nature, grace, and virtue in Wesley-Aquinas studies—a nascent field with only three major publications (on historical-moral theology, Christian perfection, and pneumatology). The project’s contributions to theological reflection and practice have become especially clear in our current context of social-existential fragmentation and bigotry. Iconic dignity begins with an intuitional methodology and proceeds with textual analysis, critically comparative construction, and practical contributions. These methods characterize iconic dignity as participatory, incarnational, relational, dynamic, encompassing, transformational, and loving. These characteristics embrace our inter/personal nature, our development in grace, and our work with God toward virtuous flourishing. The dissertation’s explanatory power and generative potential capacitates constructive doctrinal reflection and practical embodiments of iconic dignity. After detailing “iconicity” and “dignity,” the theological comparison of Wesley and Aquinas traces general contours of their shared theological anthropology. As embodiments of God’s image, humans possess intellect, will, and volitional liberty, which together establish our moral capacity. This holistic anthropology is then analyzed with respect to human acts, their relation to habitus (Aquinas) and tempers (Wesley), and sin (actual and original). Following a constructive exploration of iconic dignity and ecological stewardship, the study shifts to grace. Close stereoscopic reading reveals the congruity of grace’s nature, divisions, and dynamics for Wesley and Aquinas. Throughout, the constructive comparison illustrates the strength of iconic dignity’s theological perspective. Wesley and Aquinas are shown to be similar enough to converse but different enough to contribute: to one another, out of their shared theological departures and destinations; and to our practical-theological conversations, including a repudiation of total depravity, an embrace of universal grace, joint ecological stewardship, radical hospitality, and ongoing Methodist-Catholic ecumenical dialogues. Still, many opportunities remain for developing iconic dignity in practice. First, more research is needed on the means of grace and the nature and exercise of theological virtue for Wesley and Aquinas. Second, future research should focus on additional topics like ecclesiology, moral virtue, sociality, and an expansion beyond Wesley and Aquinas. Finally, the need remains for further study into practices of iconic dignity, including the development of stereoscopic reading for local congregations and communities.

Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission has amplified the knowledge of both static and time-variable part of the Earth’s gravity field. Currently, GRACE maps the Earth’s gravity field with a near-global coverage and over a five year period, which makes it possible to apply statistical analysis techniques to the data. The objective of this study is to analyse the most dominant spatial and temporal variability of the Earth’s gravity field observed by GRACE using a combination of analytical and statistical methods such as Harmonic Analysis (HA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The HA is used to gain general information of the variability whereas the PCA is used to find the most dominant spatial and temporal variability components without having to introduce any presetting. The latter is an important property that allows for the detection of anomalous or a-periodic behaviour that will be useful for the study of various geophysical processes such as the effect from earthquakes. The analyses are performed for the whole globe as well as for the regional areas of: Sumatra- Andaman, Australia, Africa, Antarctica, South America, Arctic, Greenland, South Asia, North America and Central Europe. On a global scale the most dominant temporal variation is an annual signal followed by a linear trend. Similar results mostly associated to changing land hydrology and/or snow cover are obtained for most regional areas except over the Arctic and Antarctic where the secular trend is the prevailing temporal variability. / Apart from these well-known signals, this contribution also demonstrates that the PCA is able to reveal longer periodic and a-periodic signal. A prominent example for the latter is the gravity signal of the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake in late 2004. In an attempt to isolate these signals, linear trend and annual signal are removed from the original data and the PCA is once again applied to the reduced data. For a complete overview of these results the most dominant PCA modes for the global and regional gravity field solutions are presented and discussed.

This project builds a theory of the presence and practice of grace in intimate interpersonal communication utilizing the writings of C.S. Lewis and his intellectual mentors. Lewis, who wrote extensively on the theory and practice of love, offers a compelling approach to understanding human relationships from a Christian philosophical perspective. &lt;br&gt;The first chapter begins with major questions and themes in the interpersonal literature concerning human discourse, relation, and action. Lewis frames human relationships in a robustly theoretical and practical manner, characterizing the conditions of our discursive relational selves as difficult yet joyful. He argues that the work of intimate interpersonal relationship building is in need of the presence and practice of grace. &lt;br&gt;The second chapter expands upon Lewis's response to his historical moment. Lewis's Christian theism lends him a compelling scholarly and pragmatic standpoint amongst the other critics of modernity. He is writing and living within the cusp of historical change. Accordingly, the chapter discusses key texts in which Lewis articulates the problematic trends within modernity concerning presuppositions of human discourse and relation. Together, these texts speak to the presence and practice of grace in intimate interpersonal communication. &lt;br&gt;Chapters Three, Four, and Five outline the major metaphors which build a theory of grace in intimate relationships: sentiment, will, and responsiveness. Lewis's work suggests that we as scholars and practitioners should consider intimate interpersonal communication as a matter of sentiment understood philosophically, will understood phenomenologically, and responsiveness understood ontologically. These metaphors frame intimacy as heartfelt choice, loving labor, and responsiveness to form. Each of these metaphors build upon the other, and each chapter concludes with specific implications for interpersonal communication theory and practice. &lt;br&gt;Chapter Six discusses current discursive and practical trends concerning intimacy development. The project argues that adolescents and young adults meet challenging moments of relational development with incongruent beliefs and practices, often rendering them ill-prepared for intimacy. In a culmination of the major metaphors of this project, the concluding sections discuss approaches to teaching young adults about how to feel, will, and respond in intimate contexts in a manner which leads to good and gracious love. / McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts / Communication and Rhetorical Studies / PhD / Dissertation

This dissertation justifies the contention that culture contributes to the theological task in an ancillary way to Scripture. Chapter 1 introduces the primary issues. Chapter two interacts with two existing models of theology and culture, which respectively suggest that the theological task transcends and embraces culture. Chapter 2 also introduces a third way, that the theological task should employ culture. Chapter 3 justifies this thesis by demonstrating that culture is inherently a theologically meaningful text for three reasons: (1) God purposed for culture to be an expression of the imago Dei that stages truth in cultural form; (2) Post-Fall culture-producing image-bearers are enriched with truth content via general revelation; and (3) God graciously restrains post- Fall culture-producing image-bearers from being as sinful as they could be and God graciously enables humanity to retain positive epistemological value. Chapter 4 clarifies the worldview orientation antithesis that limits culture's value; though the antithesis limits culture's value in the theological task it does not eliminate it. Chapter 5 summarizes the conclusions set forth in this dissertation and briefly recounts several examples of individuals who model these conclusions rightly and wrongly.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, 2003. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-133).

Thesis (D.W.S.)--Institute for Worship Studies, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 191-196).