This thesis argues that western societies are caught in a paradox: Individuals and groups are increasingly concerned about the harmful effects humanity is having on the earth's health, while at the same time environmental degradation increases and societies are doing relatively little to stop environmentally harmful actions. Chapter 1 explores the deeper roots of our current situation, arguing that westerners are caught up in a harmful ideology that prioritizes economic growth and material prosperity at all costs, which means that steps to protect the environment will not be undertaken if these steps will have negative (or even neutral) impacts on economic growth. Suggesting a theocentric (God-centered) alternative to this harmful ideology, chapter 2 defends the expression of openly religious perspectives in the public political discussions of environmental crises but also emphasizes the responsibility of all participants to dialogue in a respectful, civil manner and to be open to truths coming from marginal perspectives. Finally, chapter 3 gives a number of concrete suggestions for public policies that can address the roots of ecological degradation and engage citizens who are ready and willing to take steps to reduce their environmental footprint.

ABSTRACT THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL PASTOR: NAVIGATING THE CULTURE OF AN ESTABLISHED CHURCH BY IMPLEMENTING ANTHROPOLOGICAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES Christopher Eric Turpin, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2016 Chair: Dr. George H. Martin This dissertation explores anthropological tools and resources and their potential usefulness in navigating the culture of an established church. The application of the principles contained herein can be used for church revitalization, pastor transitions, and established church leadership. These principles can also be applied to business and organizational cultures. Chapter 1 presents the research question that serves as the investigative guide for the dissertation. This dissertation argues that the pastor(s)/elders, and/or potential pastor(s)/elders, of established local churches, should know and implement many of the tools and resources of cultural anthropology within their ministry context in order to enhance understanding and communication between the pastor and his congregation, resulting in healthier pastor-congregation relations, healthier churches, and greater Kingdom effectiveness. Further, this chapter proposes an amalgamation of the research from the fields of anthropology/missiology, relevant organizational culture literature, and church leadership materials. Chapter 2 serves as a survey of much of the relevant literature surrounding the study of anthropology/missiology, church leadership, and relevant organizational culture literature. This literature review traces an overview of the development of anthropological thought and the value of anthropological tools and resources. The review then demonstrates how anthropology is being discussed in church leadership materials, but without significant interaction with anthropological resources. Due to the scope of this research, the author narrows his interaction with church leadership material to materials that include sections that seem to recognize that each established churches exhibit culture. Chapter 3 presents the author’s findings from anthropological research most relevant to the work of a local church pastor. Paul Hiebert’s book Anthropological Insights for Missionaries serves as a blueprint for the outline of the chapter. The chapter continues to look at available anthropological tools and resources, the ways they are understood and implemented by others, and potential applications toward established churches. Chapter 4 examines church leadership literature resources that consider established churches to exhibit culture. Aubrey Malphurs’ book, Look before You Lead serves as a blueprint for the outline of the chapter. The primary objective of this chapter is to demonstrate the fact that church leadership authors interact very little with the writings, research, paradigms, and tools of anthropologists or missiologists. Chapter 5 presents the author’s findings and conclusions. The focus is on developing the field of congregational cultural anthropology for the purpose of equipping pastors to understand and work through established church cultures. The author introduces a rapid assessment process (RAP) for understanding and navigating congregational culture. He concludes with an adaptation of Paul Hiebert’s method for engaging in critical contextualization, but for the purpose of transforming congregational culture. He also proposes the development of a field handbook for rapid assessment processes among established churches and an expansion of the field of congregational cultural anthropology.

ABSTRACT AN ANALYSIS OF TED ENGSTROM’S PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE OF EXCELLENCE AND MENTORING Benjamin Paul Dockery, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2015 Chair: Dr. Michael S. Wilder The research begins by raising questions surrounding a distinctively Christian approach to leadership. Specifically, this dissertation introduces the challenge of emphasizing both leadership excellence and leadership development in the life of a Christian leader. Next, Ted Engstrom is introduced as the key subject under analysis who provides a gateway into these leadership challenges. The thesis of the dissertation argues for the necessary wedding of these two leadership principles, excellence and mentoring, as evidenced in the life and writings of Engstrom and supported with biblical and theological argumentation. In order to make this case, the research considers the six decades of Engstrom’s ministry in the context of American Evangelicalism, and, more specifically, demonstrates his influence at Zondervan Publishing, Youth for Christ, World Vision, and organizational consulting. Additionally, Engstrom’s written contribution to the areas of excellence and mentoring are framed within his broader contributions in the following fields: organizational leadership, time management, personal integrity, and board management. Next, this dissertation outlines Engstrom’s understanding of excellence and builds out a supplemental account of excellence using biblical and theological support. Similarly, this dissertation provides an extended analysis of mentoring that starts with Engstrom’s account and extends to the biblical models and theological foundations. Before concluding, this research also argues that Engstrom is a leader worthy of imitation by summarizing personal interviews with those Engstrom formally and informally mentored. The conclusions supports an emphasis on excellence that requires mentoring while simultaneously holding to an emphasis on mentoring that demands excellence. In conclusion, the argument interacts with recognized experts in the field of leadership to draw implications for Christian leaders in the twenty-first century. The hopeful outcome is a renewed equilibrium between excellence and mentoring as hallmark traits of Christian leadership.

This thesis highlights the lack of responsible commitment among emerging adults and proposes biblical analyses and direction toward fostering an authentic commitment in emerging adults in the context of mentoring and discipleship. The thesis begins with an introduction of the emerging adult and how this social construct developed among young people ages 18 to 29. Further, generational trends and patterns are explored to illuminate the lack of responsible commitment and to direct attention towards the need for biblically based solutions of formidable commitment. Specifically, David Powlison’s Comprehensive Internal framework is discussed and utilized in order to provide a structure and lens for critical biblical analysis. Additional resources are employed in order to provide specific direction for Christian mentoring and discipleship for emerging adults in order to foster and develop responsible commitment to forge the proper path to full adulthood.

ABSTRACT “WHEN THE WIND BLOWS COLD”: THE SPIRITUALITY OF SUFFERING AND DEPRESSION IN THE LIFE AND MINISTRY OF CHARLES SPURGEON William Brian Albert, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2015 Chair: Dr. Donald S. Whitney This dissertation examines the spirituality of suffering and depression in the life and ministry of Charles Spurgeon. Chapter one frames the dissertation by presenting general facts concerning Spurgeon’s depression and the relationship that his depression has to his spirituality. Chapter 2 emphasizes particular facts and features of Spurgeon’s life and ministry that demonstrate his depression. This section places Spurgeon within the historical context of the nineteenth century, and especially within significant movements and events that established the setting for his depression. Chapter 3 features specific aspects of Spurgeon’s personality that influenced his depression and further document that he was in fact a depressed man. This section highlights certain dangers based on Spurgeon’s proclivity toward despondency. Chapter 4 highlights specific causes in Spurgeon’s depression. Specific focus is on physical, mental, circumstantial, ministerial, and other elements that contributed to his depression. A section on Spurgeon’s theological tension within this depression is also discussed. Chapter 5 discusses Spurgeon’s theology as it relates to his suffering and depression. For Spurgeon, a Trinitarian and Calvinistic doctrine was paramount in dealing with depression. These teachings would frame his understanding of man and human conduct both in life of the believer and unbeliever. The chapter also demonstrates Spurgeon’s understanding of church history within the context of a suffering faith. Chapter 6 examines the cures for Spurgeon’s physical and mental depression. Spurgeon had no aversion to medicine and doctors in assisting his physical maladies and depression. Diet, rest, exercise, the weather and the sea were all factors that aided in temporary recovery of Spurgeon when depressed. Chapter 7 explores the range of spiritual disciplines that Spurgeon practiced himself and which he encouraged other Christians to perform to maintain a vital experience of communion with God during times of depression. Spurgeon believed that means such as meditation of Scripture, prayer, service and the sacraments were essential practices for maintaining genuine Christian piety. Chapter 8 summarizes answers given to the research question and related questions. This section also provides concluding reflections and recommended further research on this topic.

by Samuel Ng Ka Chiu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-66). / Abstracts in English and Chinese, questionnaire in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.viii / Chapter CHAPTER 1 - --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Religious population and church's community involvement --- p.2 / What is religious coping --- p.2 / Religious coping styles and coping outcomes --- p.4 / Factors contributing to religious coping styles --- p.5 / The Need for a theoretical framework to study religious coping styles --- p.10 / Transactional model of stress and coping --- p.10 / Objective of the present study --- p.18 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 - --- METHOD --- p.19 / Participants --- p.19 / Measures --- p.20 / Procedures --- p.23 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 - --- RESULTS --- p.25 / Internal consistency of the measures --- p.25 / Descriptive statistics of the participants --- p.25 / Relationship between religiousness and religious coping styles --- p.27 / "Relationship between internal control, God-mediated control, optimism and religious coping styles" --- p.30 / Predictive power of dispositional factors on religious coping styles --- p.32 / Manipulation check and differential use of religious coping styles --- p.36 / Mediational role of situational control appraisals --- p.39 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 - --- DISCUSSION --- p.48 / The role of dispositional factors in religious coping styles --- p.48 / Situational variation of religious coping styles --- p.52 / Interaction between dispositional and situational factors --- p.55 / Implications for psychotherapy --- p.57 / Limitations of the present study --- p.59 / Future research direction --- p.60 / Summary --- p.62 / REFERENCES --- p.64 / APPENDIX --- p.67

王俊. / Thesis (doctoral)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-232). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Wang Jun.

Chan Chun Chiu. / Thesis (M.Div.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-65). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Title Page --- p.i / English Abstracts --- p.ii / Chinese Abstracts --- p.iv / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Statement of Thesis and its Motivation --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Theological Competence and Critical Theory --- p.6 / Chapter 1.3 --- Critical Theology as Revisionary Method of Correlation --- p.12 / Chapter 2. --- The Critical Political Theology of Peukert --- p.20 / Chapter 2.1 --- A Theory of Science: Communicability and Intersubjectivity --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2 --- A Theory of Action --- p.33 / Chapter 2.3 --- A Hermeneutical Criterion and Ethical Response: Anamnestic Solidarity --- p.40 / Chapter 2.4. --- Peukert´ةs View on the Gospels and its Relation to His Critical Political Theology --- p.48 / Chapter 3. --- An Evaluation of the Critical Theology --- p.54 / Chapter 3.1 --- Conclusions --- p.61 / Bibliography --- p.63

ABSTRACT THE USE OF IMAGINATION FOR EXPOSITORY HERMENEUTICS AND HOMILETICS Barnabas Youn Soo Kim, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2014 Chair: Dr. Robert A. Vogel The purpose of this dissertation is to discover the value of imagination for expository preaching. The thesis of this dissertation is that a rightly developed evangelical theory and use of imagination will improve the practice of expository hermeneutics and homiletics. In the introductory chapter, the challenging nature of imagination is examined. Despite its subjective challenging nature, imagination is an important subject for expository preaching. Imagination is necessary in order to improve both hermeneutics and homiletics. The second chapter provides an overview of expository preaching. Essential elements of expository preaching, author-centered hermeneutics and audience-focused homiletics, are discussed to form the backdrop against which imagination is to be examined. Second, the concept of imagination is introduced and explained. Chapter 3 demonstrates how the New Homiletic methodology deals with imagination in preaching. After a brief introduction to the basic philosophy of the New Homiletic, the work of two new homileticians, Paul Scott Wilson and Thomas H. Troeger, is discussed. They are important, because they were one of the first to devote an entire work to imagination and preaching. This chapter concludes with a critical evaluation of their methods in light of evangelical expository preaching. Chapter 4 presents suggestions for the use of imagination in expository hermeneutics. In particular, the role of imagination in specific steps of the exegetical process is explained. Furthermore, boundaries are discussed that ensure imagination is used in way that is faithful to the biblical text and the author's intention. Chapter 5 suggests how imagination can be used in homiletics. Committed to a hermeneutic that is faithful to the text and the author's intention, preachers can find in imagination a rich resource to convey God's truth to people.

The association between the experience of depression and the use of religious coping methods has been widely researched in recent studies. However there is a dire need in this area of research in South Africa. Further most of the previous studies have been quantitative in nature limiting the subjective aspect of the depressive experience. The current study was undertaken to explore the perceived impact of religious beliefs on the individual's coping with depression. The sample used was a convenience sample of Christians from various denominations with a history of depression or a current diagnosis of depression. A semi-structured interview was conducted to collect the data from volunteers who agreed to participate, and a thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data. The findings of the research revealed that the use of religious coping methods can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on the individual's experience of depression. Conversely it was found that depression can also have both positive and negative impact on the individual's faith. Furthermore this study has highlighted the importance of the individual's appraisal of their depressive experience which in turn influences the form of religious coping methods (either positive or negative) that would be used. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.