Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-108).

Thesis (S.T.M.)--Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-132).

Thesis (S.T.M.)--Concordia Seminary, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [93-96]).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, 1987. / Author uses Kent R. Hunter's Spiritual gifts discovery survey and scoring sheet (fully revised), which is included in thesis as figure 1. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-170).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 237-245).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, IN, 2001. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 537-546) and indexes.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity International University, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-110).

No description available.

Beginning with the assumption that HIV and AIDS is a “gendered pandemic,” and that the church is central to the lives of many people in Africa, particularly Tanzania, this study sought to assess the HIV and AIDS intervention programmes of the church. The study used the HIV and AIDS programmes and policy of the Northern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania as a case study, and the central question of this study was: “To what extent have the theological beliefs which under-gird the HIV and AIDS policy and programmes encouraged these programmes to adequately respond to the gender challenges posed by the pandemic?” The hypothesis of this study was that the HIV and AIDS programmes of the ELCT Northern Diocese have not responded adequately to the gender challenges posed by the pandemic among its church members, and that therefore a more gender-sensitive theological response is needed. As such the objectives of this study were: To describe and analyze the HIV and AIDS policy and programmes of the ELCT Northern Diocese; To investigate whether the HIV and AIDS programmes are gender sensitive; To examine to what extent the theological beliefs under-girding the HIV and AIDS programmes and policy encourage gender sensitivity in these programmes; To develop theologies that encourage a more gender sensitive response to HIV and AIDS. The data for the study was collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, case studies and documentary sources such as primary health education programme annual reports and policy document. From sketching the context of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Tanzania in general, the study proceeds to describe and analyze the prevailing HIV and AIDS programmes of the ELCT Northern Diocese, which range from HIV and AIDS education awareness, to the provision of medical care, physical and spiritual care. It then assesses the theological beliefs underpinning the diocese‟s HIV and AIDS programmes/policy, and examines how the Lutheran Church understands and involves itself in the mission of God, pointing to a way forward in this regard by underlining Luther‟s practical response to the bubonic plague in relation to HIV and AIDS programmes. Three theoretical frameworks of analysis were used to assist in the analysis of the data collected. These were: a) the gendered conceptual framework for assessing HIV and AIDS interventions as pioneered by Geeta Rao Gupta; b) Luther‟s theologies of suffering, healing and gender; c) African feminist cultural hermeneutics as pioneered by Musimbi Kanyoro. The study concludes that as long as the church does not consider the gender nature of HIV and AIDS, its efforts to overcome the pandemic will bear little fruit. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

This study examined the issues of the interpretation, transmission and appropriation of the doctrine of justification by faith alone within the context of the Lutheran Church in Nigeria, Gongola Diocese. Using contextualization as my main tool in this exploration, I argue that intercultural communication holds the key to unlocking how effectively and appropriately these three engagements with theology are executed within the context of this study. The Lutheran church and indeed most Protestant denominations assert that justification by faith alone is the cardinal doctrine of Christianity. Scholars are however concerned that there is great level of ignorance among members and misappropriation of justification by faith alone in the lives of members of these denominations. Many reasons were advanced as being responsible for this, some of which include: its absence from the preaching agenda of Protestant pulpits, and inadequate teaching from the church, its clergy and theological educators. Other reasons are its failure to be shown to be clearly applicable to lived experiences of the people in their contemporary challenges. The message of justification by faith alone has not been adequately translated into people's social, and religious-cultural world views. The LCCN as an institution subscribes to Luther's teachings as expressed in his writings and taught by the Lutheran Church globally. However, the LCCN is faced with the problem of how to transmit the meaning of justification by faith alone to its members. This study therefore sought to investigate the underlying factors for this development. The question that the study wished to answer was: How does the interpretation of justification by faith alone by the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (as an institution) enhance its understanding and appropriation by members and serves as a guide in this study? In attempting to answer this question three theories were used as framework with which to test the church's interpretation of this doctrine. These theories are: 1) gospel and culture in dialogue; 2) translatability, and 3) contextual theological education programmes for the training of both clergy and laity. This is an empirical qualitative study and was structured into eight chapters. Participants in this study were categorized into five groups: church leaders, seminary lecturers, clergy, seminary students, and lay members. Through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with participants, relevant data was generated and analysed manually. The study found that the LCCN's interpretation of justification by faith alone is detached from the religious and cultural world view of its members; this has in turn created a conflict in how it is understood and appropriated in their lived experiences. The message of justification by faith (the gospel) has not been allowed to engage in dialogue with the culture of the people, rather culture is perceived as evil or something to be avoided. Thus, I argue that this failure on the part of the missionaries and the indigenous leadership of the LCCN to employ intercultural communication in transmitting the message of justification by faith alone is the major cause of the problem. Most of the participants including the leaders of the church acknowledged that the church, the seminary and the clergy have not been faithful in transmitting the appropriate message of justification by faith alone. The conclusion of this study therefore, is that the LCCN's interpretation of justification by faith alone does not enhance its understanding and appropriation by members. This thesis proposes that the Lunguda practice of ntsandah provides an entry point for a proper informed interpretation of justification by faith alone. For this to be possible, the gospel and culture must engage in dialogue through viable a contextual theological education programme for the training of both clergy and the laity. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.