SHARED LEADERSHIP AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE APOSTLE PAUL Michael Kenneth Atherton, Ed.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2014 Chair: Dr. Michael S. Wilder This thesis studies the presence and role of shared leadership as displayed through the ministry of the apostle Paul. In chapter 1, the reader will come to understand that there are no comprehensive works dealing with the discipline of shared leadership by Paul. However, when one comes to accept the presence of shared leadership through the Scriptures, there is an expectation that one will practice the discipline (Jas 1:22-25). Chapter 2 explores the literature base to gain an appreciation for what scholarship has offered as it relates to shared leadership. It can be argued that lack of literature to discuss shared leadership is ultimately the result of a vernacular disconnect. Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon this study to discriminate and establish a working definition for the discipline of shared leadership and to explore Paul's view of the church Perhaps the greatest metaphor used by Paul to describe the church is his reference to the church being the representation of the body of Christ. Chapter 3 examines Paul's view of leadership in the church, beginning with a functional understanding of Paul's ecclesiology. In addition, Paul's view of spiritual giftedness in the life of a believer will be examined, as one's giftedness is critically important to understanding Paul's view of shared leadership. Chapter 4 examines Paul's philosophy and practice of shared leadership by looking at six principles throughout the Pauline corpus: (1) functioning within one's giftedness, (2) deference, (3) Paul's team based ministry approach, (4) Paul's vernacular, (5) Paul's partnerships, and (6) Paul's instructions to church leaders. Chapter 5 begins by exploring the benefits of shared leadership. Five benefits are considered: shared responsibility, accountability, unity, collaboration, and shared vision. It is contended that these benefits have a direct result on an organization's competence and effectiveness. In addition, chapter 5 explores best practices of shared leadership, contributions to the precedent literature, and relevant prospects for future study.

Thesis advisor: Angela Kim Harkins / Thesis advisor: Mary Rose D'Angelo / Paul of Tarsus has been considered a prominent figure in early Christianity, and his writings are major influence for the Western Christianity. Traditional interpretations of Paul as a heroic and authoritative figure have neglected his personal experiences, particularly his embodiment of weakness. In this thesis, I suggest that Paul’s embodied experience of weakness appears as the axis that articulates his argument in 2 Cor 10-13. I argue that if we take Paul’s weakness seriously, it turns out to be a decentering experience because he is claiming for a spot within the community as one-among-others, and not as its authoritative hero. The thesis is divided in three consecutive chapters. The first chapter of the thesis discusses the interpretative tradition of 2 Cor 10-13, highlighting how the major interpreters of the letter have shifted from rhetorical and linguistic perspectives to culturally embodied analyses that acknowledge Paul’s weakness. The second chapter examines the usage and function of weakness in Paul’s social and literary context as a Second Temple Jew and minister in Corinth. I discuss how the term 'σθένεια was employed in various texts from Greco-Roman, Second Temple Judaism, and early Christianity backgrounds and explores how diverse are the meanings regarding this word. The third chapter delves into how reading 2 Cor 10-13 through the lens of Paul’s weakness decenters him from an authoritative figure. I argue that the discussion in the letter of tears revolves around Paul’s identity, recognition of the Corinthians as agents in the discussion, and Paul’s claim for a spot as one-among-others in the community. Finally, I present conclusions to the study and ecclesiological projections of reading the Pauline correspondence through the decentering-Paul project’s eyes. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

No description available.

Many may have noticed that Paul employs large number of passages from the book of Isaiah in his various Epistles. Some of those Isaianic texts are used as explicit citations whilst others are used in a more nuanced manner such as allusions and intertextual echoes. Yet, in spite of the importance of Isaiah in Paul’s letters and the centrality of Paul’s vocation as an apostle to the Gentiles in Paul’s life, no specialized study of the relationship between these two significant aspects has appeared to date. More specifically, amongst those who notice the significance of Isaiah in Paul’s Epistles, it has been widely held that Paul identifies himself with the Isaianic Servant in the way that he sees himself as the fulfilment of the Isaianic Servant. The present study seeks to explore how Paul reads Isaiah as reflected in Galatians, Romans, and 1 and 2 Corinthians, four of his undisputed authentic letters, where explicit citations and clear allusions are detected. It is not so much a study of the mechanics of citation or allusion per se as of seeing Paul as a reader and interpreter of the scriptural text. Special attention is paid to the interplay of Paul’s reading of the Isaianic texts, the role of the servant figure portrayed in Isaiah 40-66, and his understanding of Jesus as well as his own Gentile mission in the light of Isaiah. Based on a slightly modified model set out by Richard Hays, the study proceeds by looking at some of the major instances of Paul’s using of Isaianic texts within the larger literary contexts, both in Isaiah and in the flow of Paul’s argument. The goal of the study is fourfold: First, to see whether Paul’s use of these ancient texts is ‘atomistic’, taken the text out of context and applied it to his argument to serve his own purpose or given consideration of the wider context of the original text. Second, to explore how Paul reads Isaiah in the light of his special called ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles, and how the reading of the scriptural text provides him insights to God’s ongoing salvific work in the history of Israel and the person of Jesus. Third, to clarify Paul’s sense of identification with the Isaianic servant figure in relation to the ministry of Jesus and his own mission; and finally, how Paul views the Gentile mission in which he is involved in relation to the final salvation of Israel and humanity. Particular attention has been paid to Paul’s identification of the Isaianic Servant. It has been argued that he sees Jesus as the eschatological fulfilment of the Isaianic Servant. Jesus’ death and resurrection established the foundation of hope and provided a paradigm for his apostolic existence. He sees himself as the Isaianic servant in the sense that he lives a life in total identification with that of Christ, who, though experiences suffering and death, will be vindicated eventually by God.

Thesis advisor: Thomas Stegman / Thesis advisor: Colleen Griffith / The fundamental premise underlying this work is that in Rom 5:1-11, Paul presents God’s reconciliation of humanity with Godself through Jesus’ death as both a key expression of God’s salvific activity and as the foundation and model of reconciliation among peoples. Contrary to studies which create a dichotomy in Paul’s understanding of reconciliation as either a reconciliation between God and humans or a reconciliation among humans themselves, this study presents reconciliation as a key Pauline soteriological expression which has both vertical and horizontal implications with emphasis on how Paul’s theology of reconciliation shapes his discourse on God’s righteousness and the social relationship of the new people of God, especially in reference to gender and ethnic/racial relationships. While there may be no explicit reference to the horizontal dimension of reconciliation in the text of Rom 5:1-11, it is the task of this study to demonstrate that in the letter to the Romans, horizontal reconciliation presupposes vertical reconciliation and both are inseparable. Among ndi Igbo, the perennial cultural practice of inequality and the subordination of persons because of ethnicity/class (Osu Caste System) and gender (discrimination and subordination of women) are among the major causes of disaffections that breed tensions, conflicts, and division within the community. This study proposes that embodying Paul’s ethics of vertical and horizontal reconciliation by the Igbo Christian communities can go a long way towards enhancing social and cultural transformation that can lead to peaceful interpersonal relationships and a just Christian community. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

This thesis will examine closely two aspects of Pauline theology, namely, the timing of the resurrection and the state of the believer who dies before the parousia. Through exegesis of 2 Cor 5:1-10, the basic consistency in Paul's thinking and the arguments for and against the intermediate state will be examined. Chapter 1 analyzes what 1 Thess. 4, 1 Cor. 15, and 2 Cor. 5 have to say on the issue, comparing the passages as to content and compatibility. Chapters 2 and 3 pursue more fully questions related to the issue of postmortem existence. Chapter Two deals with Paul's use of verb $ underline{ eta o iota mu alpha sigma beta alpha iota}$ as a metaphor for death and the idea of the intermediate state as soul-sleep (psychopannychism). Chapter 3 explores the matter of Paul's concept of the "I" or "self" (or "naked" self), raised by Paul in 2 Cor. 5:3. The Pauline anthropology is compared with Hellenistic anthropological dualism in order to show the similarities and differences.

The purpose of the study is to advance the question of Paul's relationship to the historical Jesus by going beyond a mere paralleling of texts and by concentrating on the genuinely theological themes that join them. In contrast to the "new hermeneutic", and Eberhard Jungel in particular, the method of enquiry will emphasize events that speak rather than "speech-events" (Sprachereignisse) . The central thesis suggests that Jesus and Paul are related on an essentially theo-logical level. That is, they realized God, both in their perception and experience, as one who offered grace and reconciliation to the outcasts and sinners of their day. It is proposed that Jesus' deliberate table-fellowship with toll collectors and sinners revealed such a theology. It is further suggested that this fresh vision of God emboldened the Hellenists, and eventually the Apostle Paul, to welcome uncircumcised Gentiles as equal members of the people of God. Paul's violent persecution of the Hellenists was short-lived, for on the Damascus road he too experienced the God who justifies the ungodly. And finally it was postulated that the experience of the Spirit among the Gentiles served as evidentiary proof that God was indeed open to outsiders. Egalitarianism and mutual acceptance was to be the norm for the church. Thus the goal of the dissertation is to argue that the theological continuity expressed above is not due to mere coincidence, but is traceable to the deeds and words of the historical Jesus.

No description available.

M.A. (Biblical Studies) / The strong sure biblical leadership so desperately needed in our confused age seems to be conspicuously lacking in our modern society and churches today. There is moral degradation, and World conditions have worsened immeasurably, Church leaders have no willpower and moral decisiveness. There is a great leadership crisis and deficiency. We are facing an acute crisis in church leadership. Crisis succeeds crisis, yet our many church leaders come up with few solutions, and the prognosis is by no means reassuring. The church has not escaped this dearth of authoritarian leadership, and lack of biblical leadership. The voice of the church that once sounded a clarion call of hope to beleaguered influence of the church in the World Community has become minimal. The salt has largely lost its flavour and the light its radiance. This dissertation takes a more constructive approach and strives to discover afresh the biblical principles of leadership and factors that inspire dynamic spiritual leadership. The role of elders and deacons, and more qualifications for Spiritual leadership. Pauline writings display incipient qualities of leadership, and character of a church leader and role of women in church leadership. In Pauline Leadership we find an inspiring prototype of what biblical leadership ought to be like. It will be our purpose in this dissertation to view leadership in the church. We will consider Paul's viewpoints, examine the qualities of leadership, and discover how these traits of qualities contribute to effective church leadership...

The Full Armor of God is a musical composition based on the apostle Paul's comparison in Ephesians 6:10-20 between armor for physical combat and armor for spiritual warfare. The instrumentation consists of the following: oboe/English horn, bassoon, two violins, viola, cello, and bass. Texts on Roman armor as well as commentaries and sermons on the scriptures were consulted for the basis of the musical materials. The piece combines imagery and historical associations with abstract renderings of both the physical and the spiritual.