ABSTRACT PREACHING TO PROVOKE A WORLDVIEW CHANGE: TIM KELLER'S USE OF PRESUPPOSITIONAL APPOLOGETICS IN PREACHING Travis Allen Freeman Doctorate of Philosophy The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 2011 Hershael W. York This dissertation examines the preaching methodology of Tim Keller. It argues that a decline has taken place in the biblical worldview in America, and that preachers need to rethink how they communicate the gospel to their congregations. It contains four primary chapters which defend this argument. In the chapter titled "The Decline of the Biblical Worldview" the argument for the decline of Christianity in America is set forth. It examines several statistical studies and articles which point to the reality of this decline. It also sets forth scientific naturalism as the religion that has replaced Christianity as the driving worldview in America. The next chapter then begins to set forth the preaching methodology of Tim Keller. Keller preaches in such a way that he engages the secular, naturalistic worldview common in America. This chapter explains Keller's basic sermon structure, and the several elements of his preaching. It builds the framework within which Keller can then do worldview deconstruction. The chapter also shows how Keller seeks to lead people to worship God through stirring their affections for Christ. After building this framework, the dissertation then shows how Keller utilizes presuppositional apologetics in preaching to attack unbelieving worldviews. This chapter provides a brief overview of presuppositional apologetics, and then explains how Keller incorporates it in his preaching. The final content chapter of this dissertation Summarizes and critiques several sermons preached by Keller. This chapter examines several strengths and weaknesses of his approach, encouraging preachers to apply his principles to their own preaching ministries.

ABSTRACT WORLDVIEW PREACHING IN THE CHURCH: THE PREACHING MINISTRIES OF J. GRESHAM MACHAN AND TIMOTHY J. KELLER Michael Raymond Galdamez, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2012 Chair: Dr. Robert A. Vogel The thesis of this dissertation is that J. Gresham Machen and Timothy J. Keller provide contemporary pulpits with two examples of preachers who present a consistent worldview. This thesis is demonstrated through a description and evaluation of their preaching based on four elements of a worldview in James Sire's book The Universe Next Door. By presenting Machen and Keller as examples of worldview preaching, this dissertation provides a study on the use of the worldview concept in evangelical preaching, in order to discover what these two preachers consistently do in their preaching so as to be categorized as worldview preachers. Thus the study provides homiletic students with two examples of how the worldview concept might be applied to contemporary preaching. Chapter 2 presents a brief biographical sketch of Machen and Keller in order to set their writings and preaching in their distinct historical and cultural contexts. Specific focus is upon Machen's battle with theological modernism and Keller's ministry to skeptical New Yorkers through Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Chapter 3 provides descriptions of Machen's and Keller's worldviews. These descriptions are organized around Sire's four worldview elements. A number of their popular writings are examined and summarized in order to construct their worldviews from Sire's paradigm. This chapter provides the basis for the evaluation of their preaching in chapter 4. Chapter 4 evaluates Machen's and Keller's preaching based on their consistency with their constructed worldviews of chapter 3. This evaluation provides enough description to demonstrate the level of consistency between their stated worldviews and what they in fact preach in the pulpit. Chapter 5 compares and contrasts Machen's and Keller's worldview preaching in order to specify areas of strengths and weaknesses in their worldview preaching. This comparison of their preaching also provides some reflection on the application of Machen's and Keller's approach for contemporary preachers. Chapter 6 provides a summary and conclusion of this dissertation. Worldview preaching is essential in the preaching ministry of the evangelical church. Machen's and Keller's preaching provides a clear understanding of the application of the worldview concept to preaching.

Maya Folktales offer insight into how twentieth century Maya worldview is a hybrid of indigenous Maya and European beliefs. Analysis was conducted on twenty-eight Maya folktales from the highlands of Guatemala found in folklore anthologies. Stories like The Spirits of the Dead in folklore anthologies can reveal new perspectives on how the Maya feel about rituals spaces, the fabric that separates the land of the dead from the land of the living, and the importance of showing respect to the dead in one’s community. Other stories, show the connection the Maya feel with their heritage and the connection they feel with the area where their ancestors lived. Twentieth century Maya folktales can provide insight into how the Maya view their landscape, including the realm of the dead as a part of the physical landscape and the belief that the landscape itself is a living spiritual entity.

Nkopane, Freddy Lehlohonolo, Student no 0215898Y, MSc, Science Education, Faculty of Science. 2006. / The National Curriculum Statement (NCS) highlights the extensive need for developing insights and respect for different scientific perspectives and a sensitivity to cultural beliefs, prejudices and practice in society. The study wais prompted by the fact that most learners have an African conception of lightning which in most cases is not in agreement with the conventional definition of lightning. The focus of this study was to identify the learners’ conceptions of lightning. Secondly it attempted to elicit, describe and assess the learners’ process of learning Western conception of lightning. And finally, it developed a model of teaching that can be used to help African learners accommodate the two conceptions without contradiction or hindrance. This research utilized qualitative research design to a large extent. A total of 33 participants responded to a questionnaire and 16 were interviewed. In response to question 1, learner’s mentioned that they believe that lightning is a result of witchcraft, it demonstrates the anger of ancestors or it is used by god to demonstrate his existence. These findings suggest that the learner’s African conception is a hindrance to the learning of science because learners’ cultural identity is often very different from the culture of conventional science. Learners experience a type of cultural clash whenever they attempt to learn science meaningfully. A substantial number of learners indicated that the African conception prohibits them from learning the western conception. Further findings suggest that learners do not challenge the validity of the conventional explanation of the origins of lightning. But they believe it is different to the African conception. In summary this research revealed that there is a strong need for educators to be sensitive and knowledgeable about the African learners’ way of thinking. It suggests a teaching model that is aimed at helping educators to deal with misconceptions instead of attempting to change a belief system.

The present dissertation is essentially an attempt towards a constructive proposal on moral formation for local churches in sub-Saharan Africa. Rather than starting from scratch, the study turns to the prolific work of the leading American theologian Stanley Hauerwas — with, however, the following presumption: his proposal, constructed in America, might not be fully appropriate for an African context. The study compares the American cultural context with an African typical pluralist context, proceeds with a theological and ethical assessment of Hauerwasian's proposal and sets forward the significant elements of a constructive proposal for African churches which includes the applicable aspects of Hauerwas's account. In a nutshell, the study establishes that Hauerwas's proposal is designed against the background of a Western, liberal, autonomous and individualist self in a social environment of capitalist and liberal democracy. It manifests as a particularist character formation grounded in an ecclesial ethic including aspects of virtue/character ethics, narrative ethics, community ethics and the neo-Anabaptist model of socio-political involvement. Its positive aspects include merging moral formation with spiritual formation through discipleship and accountability to the church community, stressing the church's role in fostering communal identity through its narratives and traditions, and emphasizing the importance of worship, liturgy and the imitation of the saints and role models as instrumental to the enhancement of a virtuous life. Also, this proposal stresses the significance of the whole of the church's way of life in moral formation. On the negative side, some dualist tendencies emerge from Hauerwas's proposal since it overemphasizes the priority of being (virtue/character) over doing (decision-making). It so strongly affirms the community and narrative dependence of Christian ethics that the result is a communitarianism and particularism that fails to balance the virtues of communality and individuality. With its strong anti-Constantinianism and radical church-world separation, this proposal upholds Christian embodiment as the primary mode of Christian social ethics. In Africa, the influence of political and philosophical liberalism is significant but not as pervasive as in America. Important moral challenges come also from the traditional African communalistic and particularist worldviews, the socio-political legacy of slavery, colonialism and apartheid as well as the dualistic Christianity brought by the missionary enterprise. All this induces a serious moral crisis, nourishes tribal and racial loyalties and fuels violence, social injustice and pseudo-democracy. Consequently, to do justice to the particularity and universality of Christian ethics and the communality and individuality of biblical anthropology and attend to African contextual peculiarities, the study argues for a contextual Christian character and conscience formation. Based on Trinitarian ethics and an integrative Christian worldview, this paradigm constructively tackles the communal, individual and social dimensions of the church moral formation. It views the church as a community of virtues which also fosters personal identity and responsibility. It resorts to a critical engagement with secular sources of moral knowledge and wisdom to enhance the Christians' moral insights, emotions and skills. Through a vision of shalom for all, the scope of social involvement is enlarged to the Christian faithful presence in the wider society. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / PhD / Unrestricted

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“Empowerment” is a term used liberally throughout feminist theory. However, the term has a number of assumed meanings, depending upon the context of its use. In this dissertation, I examine primarily second-wave feminist theory arguments, dividing the concepts according to quadrants of human experience (Habermas, Wilber) in order to reveal the context of the theorists’ views of “empowerment.” I also examine relevant worldview perspectives (Beck & Cowan, Graves) within each quadrant in order to reveal the underlying assumptions about what it is hoped “empowerment” might achieve. I show that there are two primary types of “empowerment”: empowerment of the autonomous self and empowerment of the relational self. These two distinctive types are of utmost importance because, though largely unacknowledged, they lie as the core foundation of conceptual frameworks that divide feminists into two opposing camps. Further, within these two primary types, there are diverse, nuanced understandings of “empowerment” that are based upon varied notions of what it should accomplish.

This dissertation examines servant leadership and its biblical antecedents with from specific biblical texts and non-biblical literature. Chapter 1 introduces the research concern that the Bible presents a comprehensive servant theology that is consistent through both Testaments. As well it introduces the idea that servant leaders are slaves of God, servants to the Body of Christ, and Ambassadors to the world. Chapter 2 explores servant leadership theory by connecting the theory to its biblical origins. It presents a biblical theology of servant leadership utilizing the lens of biblical slavery as a model for Christian leadership discovered in Mark 10:42-45 as well as introducing the Christological paradox: “power through powerlessness.” Chapter 3 examines social science perspectives of servant leadership. While tracing the development of the theory through the writing of Robert K. Greenleaf and through conducting a critical probe of Greenleaf’s attempt to blend Eastern spiritualism with secular humanism, and Christianity. Chapter 4 addresses the categorical differences between a biblical worldview and the worldview of the social sciences in servant leadership research. Further, it delves into the work of Larry C. Spears, Kathleen A. Patterson and others in the social sciences who have proposed various models and theories of servant leadership. Chapter 5 examines Walter C. Kaiser’s Principilizing Model for moving beyond theology to propose a means to discover biblical principles of servant leadership as well as offer suggestions for future research.

This thesis is a comparative study of the Medieval influence on the creation of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and the purpose of this thesis is to establish Paradise Lost as a poem designed to correct what Milton saw as the errors of the Medieval theological worldview. A range of topics are discussed, from the loyal angels to the Garden of Eden to Hell and Satan, and particular attention is given to Dantean parallels in these areas of Milton’s poem. The thesis shows how Milton responded to such Medieval concepts as courtly love and salvation theory and demonstrates how Milton elaborates on, corrects, or repudiates Medieval literary and theological notions. In doing so, Milton has not only created the great English epic that he envisioned; he has produced a truly Protestant epic. Much attention has been given to the Miltonic influence on the Romantic period and to the influence of the classical poets on Milton. The contrasts and parallels between Milton and his Medieval predecessors has garnered much less attention but is equally important to a complete understanding of Milton as a man and poet. An appreciation of the Medieval influence on the poem Paradise Lost allows the reader to gain a fuller understanding of Milton’s own theological beliefs, and it will also help the reader to see how Paradise Lost took the form that it did.

“Empowerment” is a term used liberally throughout feminist theory. However, the term has a number of assumed meanings, depending upon the context of its use. In this dissertation, I examine primarily second-wave feminist theory arguments, dividing the concepts according to quadrants of human experience (Habermas, Wilber) in order to reveal the context of the theorists’ views of “empowerment.” I also examine relevant worldview perspectives (Beck & Cowan, Graves) within each quadrant in order to reveal the underlying assumptions about what it is hoped “empowerment” might achieve. I show that there are two primary types of “empowerment”: empowerment of the autonomous self and empowerment of the relational self. These two distinctive types are of utmost importance because, though largely unacknowledged, they lie as the core foundation of conceptual frameworks that divide feminists into two opposing camps. Further, within these two primary types, there are diverse, nuanced understandings of “empowerment” that are based upon varied notions of what it should accomplish.