Thesis (Th. M.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-99).

Troeltsch’s distinction between the church and the sect and similar dichotomies suggest that different kinds of religious organizations affect not only members’ religious beliefs but also their more general attitudes in different ways. For example, the church-type organizations generate more receptiveness to community involvement while the sect-type organizations induce more collective self-centeredness among members. This study examines the tendency toward punitiveness—i.e. a tendency to punish rather than reforms those who break the rules—in a similar context. It was assumed that the individuals belonging to a sect-type organization would be more punitive that those belonging to a church-type organization. The results of this study bear out this assumption. The religious bodies that allow more internal latitude in beliefs, attitudes, and practices are more tolerant in general, while the religious bodies that believe they have the only truth are more punitive in general, while those who do not claim such a position are less punitive. Beliefs and attitudes concerning factors necessary for or preventing salvation also differentiate the religious bodies. They further substantiate the assumption that persons who closely adhere to denominational positions are the more fundamental and the more punitive. Various relationships among variables that were associated with punitiveness, were explored. The highest relationship existed between fundamentalism and membership in a liberal/conservative church. The next highest relationship existed between intrinsic/extrinsic orientation, fundamentalism and membership in a church. A strong relationship existed between punitiveness, fundamentalism and membership in a particular church. The relationship between the degree of religious commitment and the degree of fundamentalism proved to be very strong. The more religiously committed persons were more likely to be the more fundamental. Another variable examined was that of socio-economic status. The data and findings point out that an inverse relationship existed between fundamentalism, punitiveness, and socio-economic status. This is not to say that individual orientations –as distinct from organizational constraints—are irrelevant. This study confirms the expectation that fundamentalist orientation and religious commitment both are positively related to punitiveness. The findings indicate that the more fundamentalist person in the fundamentalist organization is the most punitive; the liberal person in the fundamentalist organization is the second most punitive; the third most punitive person is the fundamentalist in a liberal organization; and the liberal person in the liberal organization is the least punitive. Two churches were selected for the study. Neither of them is completely typical of its respective denomination. The Assembly of God, example of the sect-type, is typical both nationally and regionally for churches in the denomination that are urban and of higher status. It is rather atypical of most Assembly churches which are generally small, rural, and lower status churches. The Episcopal church, example of the church-type, is typical of many large, urban, upper-class churches, both Protestant and Catholic. When compared with Episcopal churches regionally, it may be atypical, but nationally it remains typical. The total sample for both congregations was 250 persons but only 150 persons responded, 78 from the Assembly of God (58 per cent) and 72 from the Episcopal church (60 per cent). The data were gathered through personally administered questionnaires.

Some systems of authoritarian, Christian ethics present a very straightforward, unambiguous, concise set of rules in accordance with which one supposedly ought to live. Some believers hold that these rules are purportedly justified by the fact that they were created by god and no further explanation is necessary. In fact, a deeper examination of the issue is discouraged by such theists because the concept of a divine and perfect being and the author of morality is inconsistent. It retains at its core certain theoretical shortcomings regarding the compatibility of the characteristics commonly said to hold of a supreme and ultimate being. Many adherents to Christian ethics accept the authority of their deity on faith alone because it satisfies a certain need they have for peace of mind, and in order to eliminate doubts regarding the unknown. This, I contend, is epistemically irresponsible and not fully rational. Furthermore, many versions of Christian religious ethics profess to be primarily other-regarding but they retain at their foundation an appeal to self-interest. This system of ethics openly and unnecessarily denigrates valuing the self and instead advocates an abnegation and prostration of the self both to others and to god, which is not possible according to their own admissions regarding the disposition of human psychology. The absolute sovereign of the Hobbesian social contract provides an astute analogy to the god of Christianity. Both systems of absolutism seem generally to assume that deliberative agents are willing and able to submit blindly and indefinitely to authority without question. The possibility that one can or will submit blindly is questionable given our propensity for self-interest at least insofar as we will not sacrifice the self either morally or physically without some incentive which appeals to our most fundamental interests.

The purpose of this essay is to study the book of Job from the Old Testament, in order to establish the potential evil of God looking at it with the utilitarianism of John Stuart Mill. I will chart the ethical dilemmas that I can find in the book of Job with a hermeneutic method. I am using a qualitative method in order to penetrate deeper into the potential dilemmas that can be found. I am then looking at the ethical dilemmas that can be found from a utilitarian perspective in order to judge the actions of God as right or wrong. In order to define if God is good or evil, I make a definition of evil with help from Christian ethics, exegetics and philosophy. The potential evil of God is in this way defined through utilitarianism and Christian ethics. I later put the utilitarian values that I’ve distinguished through a hermeneutic method against the Christian outlook on life that is mentioned in the Swedish national curriculum Lgr11. The hard thing about using the book of Job is that it belongs to the Old Testament, while Christian ethics are usually based on the New Testament. The book of Job is often defined as metaphorical literature, or literature containing a moral message about the trust and faith that every man should have in God.

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie studie is gepoog om vanuit 'n fundamentele pedagogiek-perspektief, die hele aangeleentheid rakende die normatiewe in die tegnokratiese bestel, te belig. Daar is aangedui dat die wyse waarop norme in die tegnokratiese bestel tot vergestalting kom geen vanselfsprekendheid is nie, aangesien die tegnokratiese era deur 'n onloënbare werklikheid van voortdurende verandering gekenmerk word. Hierdie tendens van verandering het meegebring dat outentieke norme, soos dit in die verlede gehuldig is, vandag nie meer die toonaangewende norme in die opvoedingsgebeure van die tegnokratiese era is nie. Trouens, dit blyk of daar vandag weinig of geen plek is waar Christelike norme prakties deur die Christen uitgeleef kan word nie. Om 'n greep op hierdie werklikheid te verkry, is daar 'n antropologies-ontologiese fundering van die mens as normatiewe synde ondemeem. Die bevindinge waartoe gekom is, dui daarop dat die mens die enigste gemoeide met waardes en norme onder die lewende wesens is. Vervolgens is daar 'n dieptestudie op die mens se huweliks- en gesinsituasie ondemeem, ten einde fundamentele uitsprake te kan maak oor die wyse waarop die norme deur die tegnokrasie geraak is. Dit het hieruit geblyk dat die tegnokratiese bestel ook die huweliks- en gesinsituasie nie ongedeerd gelaat het nie, en dat daar vandag ander waardes betreffende die huweliks- en gesinsnorme gehuldig word. Deur 'n diepteskou op die skoolsituasie, soos dit tot openbaring kom in die bedrywigheidstruktuur, kon daar duidelik aangetoon word dat daar 'n waardeverskuiwing ten opsigte van norme ingetree het. Daar word al hoe meer toegegee aan 'n sogenaamde "neutrale" opvoedingspraktyk, wat daartoe lei dat daar 'n felle aanslag teen Christelike norme heers. Verder het dit uit die ondersoek geblyk dat ten spyte van die negatiewe greep wat die tegnokratiese era op die mens se norme het, hy aileen staande kan bly indien hy die norme in sy huwelik, gesin en skoal met openbaringsinhoude van die Heilige Skrif vul. In die verband is spesifiek die Dekaloog uitgelig om as norme vir 'n partikuliere Christelike opvoedingspraktyk in die gesin en skoal te kan dien. / This study attempts to analyse the phenomenon of normativeness in a technocratic society as seen in a fundamental pedagogic-perspective. It is indicated that the way norms are manifested in the technocratic world cannot be accepted as a matter of course, because the present technocratic dispensation is characterized by an indisputable reality of continual change. This tendency to change causes authentic norms, that were adhered to in the past, to no longer be the guiding principles in the education practice of the technocratic dispensation. As a matter of fact, it appears that there is little or no place, where the Christian can practise his Christian norms today. To obtain a grip on this reality, an anthropologic-ontologic foundation of man as a normative being, is embarked upon. The resultant findings indicate that man is the only being involved with values and norms. A radical study is· also made of man's marriage and family situation to highlight fundamental findings on the way norms are being effected by the technocratic dispensation. It becomes evident that the entire marriage and family situation are also vitally affected by the technocratic forces, while it is evident that other values concerning marriage and family norms are practised today. By means of a thorough study of the school situation, as manifested in the activity structures, it becomes clear that a change of values has occurred concerning the norms being applied in schools. Today there is continuous yielding to a so called "neutral" education practice, leading to a sharp attack on Christian norms. Furthermore, research emphasizes that despite the detrimental influence exercised by the technocratic elements upon the norms of man, he can still assert himself if his norms are embedded and sustained by the inspirations of Holy Scripture. The Ten Commandments are specifically selected to be applied as norms for a particular Christian education practice in the home and school. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Fundamentele Pedagogiek)

Thesis advisor: Thomas Massaro / Thesis advisor: Andrea Vicini / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

This thesis offers an evaluation of and engagement with the reimagined Christian sexual politics that John Howard Yoder began arguing for and engaging in during the 1970s, collectively referred to as his "Grand Noble Experiment." Its primary goal is to present how Yoder postured his "Grand Noble Experiment" as a theological exercise. A secondary goal is to then appraise it in regards to traditional Christian understandings of sex, marriage, and community and also in regards to Yoder's own broader theopolitical work. It is hoped that by doing these things this thesis will not only shed light on Yoder's "Grand Noble Experiment" but will also help others-theological ethicists, Yoder scholars, and Christians more broadly- adjudicate its place and power within his wider corpus as they seek to discern if, and if so how, they might faithfully continue to rely on that corpus. Chapter one will give an overview of the lived history of Yoder's "Grand Noble Experiment" with a particular focus on Yoder's relationships with women around him during the 1970s. This chapter will show how Yoder's new communal sexual theology evolved in the 1970s and early 1980s and will serve as background for the discussions that follow. Chapter two will examine Yoder's efforts in the early 1970s to encourage Mennonite churches to take the loneliness and isolation of single Christians in their midst more seriously and then to restructure their communities in order to better incorporate these single brothers and sisters into their lives together. While there is little that is overtly sexual in these works, and less that is perversely so, much of what followed grew out of this early focus on singleness. Chapter three will look at a set of essays that Yoder wrote in the mid-1970s in which he offers a reappraisal of Jesus' own sexual ethics: how Jesus related to the women around him and therefore, Yoder maintains, how he would have his male followers relate to women as well. Because one of Yoder's core theological, discipular commitments was that the life of Jesus was ethically normative for Christians, the exegetical (eisegetical?) work that Yoder exhibits in these essays will be seen to be a turning point in how he presented the Church's responsibility for the care of single Christians. For Yoder, the freedom that Christians have to relate to one another through physical affection, following the witness of their Lord, brings with it a concomitant responsibility to address the physical, sexual needs of single brothers and sisters around them. Chapter four will then take an extended look at how Yoder himself presented sexuality and its place within Christian community as exhibited in his writings from the second half of the 1970s through the early 1980s. In these essays, Yoder's "Grand Noble Experiment" comes to full flower as he encourages Christians to put off the unchristian sexual inhibitions that they had inherited and to live into the full physical freedom of the Gospel, a freedom that they can enjoy with one another-married and single alike-as brothers and sisters in Christ's Body. Finally, chapter five will briefly step away from Yoder's "Grand Noble Experiment" in order to engage another segment of Yoder's corpus: his unpublished essays on marriage and divorce, collectively titled "One Flesh Until Death." Because these essays on divorce were written over the same period of time as his essays on sexuality and because of the overlap between their subjects, one might assume that the arguments contained in these two sets of essays would be sympathetic to one another. However, it will be shown in this final chapter that the politics of Yoder's "One Flesh Until Death"-the sexual politics to be sure but also the wider communal, Christian politics that it assumes-differ significantly from those of his "Grand Noble Experiment." Therefore, it is the assertion of this thesis that "One Flesh Until Death" offers a helpful juxtaposition to the "Grand Noble Experiment" and therefore that their juxtaposition can serve as a useful heuristic for evaluating the place and power of the "Grand Noble Experiment" within Yoder's wider work.

Thesis (M. Div.)--Emmanuel School of Religion, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-82).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Erskine Theological Seminary, 2000. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-172).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis, MO, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 265-274).