Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1992. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-97).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 241-253).

Thesis (M.A.)--Cincinnati Bible Seminary, 1998. / Includes Abstract and Vita. Bibliography: leaves 114-117.

This dissertation evaluates the historiography, methodology, exegesis, and theological conclusions of pneumatological inclusivists and their doctrine of salvation, and then offers a biblical and theological defense of soteriological exclusivism based on the relationship between the Son and the Spirit. Chapter 1 defines the categories of exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism. Attention is given to those inclusivists who ground their inclusivist proposals in a work of the Holy Spirit in world religions apart from Gospel proclamation. Chapter 2 summarizes the work of non-evangelical inclusivists in the area of theology of religions, with particular attention given to those theologians who focus their work on the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 3 summarizes the work of evangelical pneumatological inclusivists, focusing on the efforts of Clark Pinnock and Amos Yong. Chapter 4 evaluates the historiography of pneumatological inclusivists. The chapter contends that any appeals to the theology of Irenaeus or a rejection of the Fifoque clause to bolster support for pneumatological inclusivism are tendentious. Chapter 5 evaluates the theological method of pneumatological inclusivists. The chapter argues that systematic theological conclusions must be based upon solid exegesis and biblical theology. The Bible presents the Spirit as working to glorify the Son. Theological method ought to reflect this priority, that is, it must be Christocentric. Chapter 6 presents a theology of the Son and the Spirit. It is demonstrated that from the beginning of redemptive history, prior to and during the incarnation, the Spirit worked toward and for the glorification of the Son. During the present church age, the Spirit works to glorify Christ. Chapter 7 summarizes the dissertation and highlights areas of contribution and significance. / 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.

The thesis has two parts. Part One surveys the debate on how to define Christian obedience and Milton�s prose contributions to that discourse. In the century leading up to Milton�s prose writings there was much debate in England over how to define spiritual obedience. Civil authorities argued that matters of religion fell within state jurisdiction and that an individual�s spiritual obedience should be subject to outward scrutiny and external control; but these definitions were contested by Protestant reformers. Chapter One traces the issue up to Milton�s contributions. Chapter Two traces Milton�s thinking about obedience, spiritual and secular, through his own prose writings: Milton defines obedience as a responsible freedom which requires continual critical assessment of authority. In reaction to the political and ecclesiastical developments of his own time, Milton places increasing emphasis on the role of the individual in defining and expressing obedience to God by means of scriptural study and open discussion. Milton argues that liberty is a necessary pre-condition for giving true obedience to God, and this idea comes to the fore in the later prose tracts, which respond to political and ecclesiastical developments that Milton interpreted as threatening the individual�s liberty of conscience. Part Two examines Paradise Regained (1671), in which Milton advances his interpretation of obedience through his characterisation of the Son of God. Chapter Three shows how Milton links those forms of Christian obedience which he rejects in his prose writing to either Satan or satanic influence. Through his depiction of the Son�s responses to Satan, Milton indicates that Satan�s versions of obedience are designed to distract the Son, and any other believer, from giving proper obedience to God. Chapter Four traces how Milton�s depiction of the Son of God demonstrates his understanding of the right reasons for, and ways of, giving proper obedience to God. The Son�s firm obedience is a state of mind and comprises knowledge of God through scriptural study, conversation and meditation. This exemplary obedience is motivated by an appreciation for and desire to participate in God�s glory (ie., Creation), and Milton indicates that it is this appreciation of divine glory that enables the Son of God to successfully resist Satan�s temptations. Chapter Five examines Milton�s final episode, the pinnacle temptation, in terms of the obedience which he has approved throughout the poem. This chapter addresses Milton�s handling of the reader�s expectations for this scene, and the symbolic language and setting of the pinnacle episode. Unlike any other writers on the temptations in the wilderness, Milton invests the Son�s victory (and Satan�s defeat) on the pinnacle with symbolic power by depicting the Son standing in firm obedience to God. Thus Milton presents his reader with the definitive expression of humanity�s obedience to God: the Son�s stand is a symbolic return to the "Godlike erect" stance ascribed to prelapsarian humanity in Paradise Lost (PL, IV.289), and with this firm, upright obedience Milton shows the rest of humanity how to regain Paradise.

The thesis has two parts. Part One surveys the debate on how to define Christian obedience and Milton�s prose contributions to that discourse. In the century leading up to Milton�s prose writings there was much debate in England over how to define spiritual obedience. Civil authorities argued that matters of religion fell within state jurisdiction and that an individual�s spiritual obedience should be subject to outward scrutiny and external control; but these definitions were contested by Protestant reformers. Chapter One traces the issue up to Milton�s contributions. Chapter Two traces Milton�s thinking about obedience, spiritual and secular, through his own prose writings: Milton defines obedience as a responsible freedom which requires continual critical assessment of authority. In reaction to the political and ecclesiastical developments of his own time, Milton places increasing emphasis on the role of the individual in defining and expressing obedience to God by means of scriptural study and open discussion. Milton argues that liberty is a necessary pre-condition for giving true obedience to God, and this idea comes to the fore in the later prose tracts, which respond to political and ecclesiastical developments that Milton interpreted as threatening the individual�s liberty of conscience. Part Two examines Paradise Regained (1671), in which Milton advances his interpretation of obedience through his characterisation of the Son of God. Chapter Three shows how Milton links those forms of Christian obedience which he rejects in his prose writing to either Satan or satanic influence. Through his depiction of the Son�s responses to Satan, Milton indicates that Satan�s versions of obedience are designed to distract the Son, and any other believer, from giving proper obedience to God. Chapter Four traces how Milton�s depiction of the Son of God demonstrates his understanding of the right reasons for, and ways of, giving proper obedience to God. The Son�s firm obedience is a state of mind and comprises knowledge of God through scriptural study, conversation and meditation. This exemplary obedience is motivated by an appreciation for and desire to participate in God�s glory (ie., Creation), and Milton indicates that it is this appreciation of divine glory that enables the Son of God to successfully resist Satan�s temptations. Chapter Five examines Milton�s final episode, the pinnacle temptation, in terms of the obedience which he has approved throughout the poem. This chapter addresses Milton�s handling of the reader�s expectations for this scene, and the symbolic language and setting of the pinnacle episode. Unlike any other writers on the temptations in the wilderness, Milton invests the Son�s victory (and Satan�s defeat) on the pinnacle with symbolic power by depicting the Son standing in firm obedience to God. Thus Milton presents his reader with the definitive expression of humanity�s obedience to God: the Son�s stand is a symbolic return to the "Godlike erect" stance ascribed to prelapsarian humanity in Paradise Lost (PL, IV.289), and with this firm, upright obedience Milton shows the rest of humanity how to regain Paradise.

The full text of this thesis/dissertation is not available online. Pending permission from the author/supervisor access may be provided on <a href="mailto:upetd@up.ac.za">request.</a> Read the abstract in the section 00front of this document. / Thesis (PhD (New Testament)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / New Testament Studies / unrestricted

The thesis deals with the power in the Gospel of John, specifically with the term EXOUSIA, which means power or authority. This thesis engages in separate passages of the Gospel of John in which the evangelist uses the term EXOUSIA, it examines its context in which was the term used and tries to determine in which meaning it is used. Thereby,this thesis tries to answer the question what does the evangelist understand under the term power (EXOUSIA).

The motif of “the Prophet like Moses” plays an important role in John’s Gospel. This motif is from the promise of God about the eschatological Prophet who will disclose God’s will to the people in Dt 18:15, 18. The background of this motif is basically to be found in Dt 18:15, 18. The promise of God about this Prophet has a deep relationship with the Word of God. The reason, firstly, is that Dt 18:15, 18 indicates it. Secondly, the definition of a prophet is not a miracle worker or a soothsayer, but the deliverer of the Word of God. It is also used in the OT. Various people (Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel) used the prophetic fomula of Dt 18:15, 18. The next step to study this motif is to find allustions to Dt 18:15, 18 in John’s Gospel. It can be divided into two groups. The one group is concerned with the word “prophet” that might presume “the Prophet like Moses” (Jn 1:21, 25, 45, 5:46, 6:14, 7:40, and 52). The other is concerned with the prophetic formula that was related to the Word of God (Jn 3:34, 5:19, 30, 8:26, 28, 40, 12:49, 14:10, 31, 16:13, 17:8, and 17:14). These allusions indicate that this motif is related to several Christological titles (the Christ, the Logos, the Son of God). The Christ was used in juxtaposition with the Prophet in John’s Gospel. The concept of the Christ is joined to the concept of the Prophet. In the case of the Logos, Jesus is the perfect “Prophet like Moses”, because he is a deliverer of the Word of God as well as the Word of God himself. In the case of the Son of God, Jesus knows the Father face to face like Moses, but perfectly, because the Son and the Father is one in John’s Gospel. John uses the motif of “the Prophet like Moses” in Dt 18:15, 18 as the connecting link between the Christological titles. The reason is firstly that it is the Prophet promised by God. Secondly, in the history of redemption, many people expected this Prophet. Lastly in Jesus’ era, this Prophet was considered to be the eschatological figure who would clarify the Son’s coming into the world as the Word of God. / Dissertation (MTh)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / New Testament Studies / unrestricted

The Kingdom of God is wherever the Triune God is worshipped as Lord. It exists beyond time and place, but breaks into our time and place wherever creation worships the Triune God as Lord. The local church, in its present time and geographical place, is the microcosm of the Kingdom of God. As such, the local church contains within it all the resources necessary for the Kingdom of God to be established. Therefore, the local church is called to lead creation to worship the Triune God as Lord. It does this by fulfilling three specific works as specified in Scripture: the work of evangelism; the work of discipleship and the work of reconciliation. The modern day church must start a revolution to discover afresh these works and become what Scripture describes as the ecclesia of the hodos: the local church extending the Kingdom of God. / Systematic Theology & Theological Ethics / M.Th. (Systematic Theology)