The purpose of this study is to determine to what extent the teacher’ manual, The Methodist Teacher V-VI, Fall, Winter, and Spring 1964-65, published by the Graded Press, Nashville, Tennessee, succeeds in providing insights for church school teachers in understanding the developmental patterns of the late elementary years in order to encourage and guide the child intelligently in his Christian growth.

The public relations response of the church to the sexual abuse malady is the focus of this project. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the discourse and actions of the church according to image restoration theory.

Were the years of the Fundamentalist/Modernist Controversy (1890-1936) in the Presbyterian Church in the USA years of doctrinal development? This dissertation argues that the answer to this question is both "yes" and ''no." This dissertation, in exploring this particular era of modem American church history, takes its structure from well-known Catholic theologian, John Courtney Murray, and his contribution to the discussion of doctrinal development as it applied to the years of the Arian Controversy culminating in the Council of Nicaea. Murray identified three factions in that struggle: the Futurists, the Archaists, and the Centrists. The Futurists, represented by Arius and his followers, sought to identify Christianity with the prevailing philosophies of the day, thereby reinterpreting and altering certain affirmations of the faith. The Archaists, as seen in the person of Eusebius of Caesarea, reacted strongly to the Arians' proposals by not admitting any doctrinal formulation not couched in the 'sacred words' of Scripture. The Centrists, representing more balanced judgment, as seen in St. Athanasius, prevailed in the end. He saw that doctrinal development, which is herein defined to mean further definition, clarification, and application of existing truths, does indeed take place but not at the expense of denying the historic affirmations of the faith. After investigating development, tradition (the results of doctrinal development over time) and historicism (the theory that doctrine develops out of the historical process itself), Murray's structure is then applied to the struggles in the Presbyterian Church in the early twentieth century. Beginning with Charles Briggs of Union Seminary in New York and his avocation of historical criticism as applied to the Scriptures, the Presbyterian Church in the USA was thrown progressively into turmoil regarding just what constituted the historic affirmations of the faith. Briggs and those who followed, the Liberals or Futurists, wanted to jettison or remold a sizeable portion of the historic Westminster Confession of Faith, the doctrinal heritage of Presbyterianism. Further events, such as the confessional revision of 1903 and the Cumberland reunion of 1906, helped to propel the entire church in a Futurist direction. Opposition from the beginning came primarily from Princeton Seminary. Princeton's professors sought to maintain the historic, confessional stance of the church. In this endeavor they were at times Archaists, Centrists, and even Futurists. The efforts of those who would preserve the traditional, confessional stance of Presbyterianism, however, were doomed to failure as the church moved steadily in a Futurist direction. After some brief insights into the more prominent Futurist personalities and the rise of Fundamentalist opposition, the remainder of the dissertation is taken up with the exploits of J. Gresham Machen and his expulsion from an increasingly Futurist church. Machen was viewed as a trouble maker for opposing this trend. Those of more moderate sentiments often sided with the Liberals/Futurists over against Machen. After much anguish and a lengthy trial, Machen was deposed from the office of minister in the Presbyterian Church in the USA. He immediately proceeded to found a new Presbyterian denomination. Into this new church came both Archaist and Centrist alike, who had previously formed an uneasy alliance in opposition to the Futurism in the mother church. The coalition, however, did not last, and after a short time fragmented into smaller constituencies. Although things did not change all at once in the Presbyterian Church in the USA, Liberalism/Futurism became the norm and remains so until this day. This dissertation argues that the confessional revision of 1903 and the work of J. Gresham Machen can be classified as doctrinal development and, thus, Centrist endeavors. All of the other events of significance that characterize the Fundamentalist/Modernist Controversy were either Archaist in character or Futurist endeavors more concerned with changing the historic affirmations of the faith than developing them. / Church History / M.Th. (Church history)

Were the years of the Fundamentalist/Modernist Controversy (1890-1936) in the Presbyterian Church in the USA years of doctrinal development? This dissertation argues that the answer to this question is both "yes" and ''no." This dissertation, in exploring this particular era of modem American church history, takes its structure from well-known Catholic theologian, John Courtney Murray, and his contribution to the discussion of doctrinal development as it applied to the years of the Arian Controversy culminating in the Council of Nicaea. Murray identified three factions in that struggle: the Futurists, the Archaists, and the Centrists. The Futurists, represented by Arius and his followers, sought to identify Christianity with the prevailing philosophies of the day, thereby reinterpreting and altering certain affirmations of the faith. The Archaists, as seen in the person of Eusebius of Caesarea, reacted strongly to the Arians' proposals by not admitting any doctrinal formulation not couched in the 'sacred words' of Scripture. The Centrists, representing more balanced judgment, as seen in St. Athanasius, prevailed in the end. He saw that doctrinal development, which is herein defined to mean further definition, clarification, and application of existing truths, does indeed take place but not at the expense of denying the historic affirmations of the faith. After investigating development, tradition (the results of doctrinal development over time) and historicism (the theory that doctrine develops out of the historical process itself), Murray's structure is then applied to the struggles in the Presbyterian Church in the early twentieth century. Beginning with Charles Briggs of Union Seminary in New York and his avocation of historical criticism as applied to the Scriptures, the Presbyterian Church in the USA was thrown progressively into turmoil regarding just what constituted the historic affirmations of the faith. Briggs and those who followed, the Liberals or Futurists, wanted to jettison or remold a sizeable portion of the historic Westminster Confession of Faith, the doctrinal heritage of Presbyterianism. Further events, such as the confessional revision of 1903 and the Cumberland reunion of 1906, helped to propel the entire church in a Futurist direction. Opposition from the beginning came primarily from Princeton Seminary. Princeton's professors sought to maintain the historic, confessional stance of the church. In this endeavor they were at times Archaists, Centrists, and even Futurists. The efforts of those who would preserve the traditional, confessional stance of Presbyterianism, however, were doomed to failure as the church moved steadily in a Futurist direction. After some brief insights into the more prominent Futurist personalities and the rise of Fundamentalist opposition, the remainder of the dissertation is taken up with the exploits of J. Gresham Machen and his expulsion from an increasingly Futurist church. Machen was viewed as a trouble maker for opposing this trend. Those of more moderate sentiments often sided with the Liberals/Futurists over against Machen. After much anguish and a lengthy trial, Machen was deposed from the office of minister in the Presbyterian Church in the USA. He immediately proceeded to found a new Presbyterian denomination. Into this new church came both Archaist and Centrist alike, who had previously formed an uneasy alliance in opposition to the Futurism in the mother church. The coalition, however, did not last, and after a short time fragmented into smaller constituencies. Although things did not change all at once in the Presbyterian Church in the USA, Liberalism/Futurism became the norm and remains so until this day. This dissertation argues that the confessional revision of 1903 and the work of J. Gresham Machen can be classified as doctrinal development and, thus, Centrist endeavors. All of the other events of significance that characterize the Fundamentalist/Modernist Controversy were either Archaist in character or Futurist endeavors more concerned with changing the historic affirmations of the faith than developing them. / Church History / M.Th. (Church history)

This dissertation describes a movement I am calling Radical Social Activism that flourished among Catholic women between the years 1920-1960. The Catholic women participating did not abandon their Church's teachings on women but worked within the androcentric Catholic Church to achieve some lasting results as Radical Social Activists. This Radical Social Activism worked in the lives of Dorothy Day, Maisie Ward, and Dorothy Dohen, three women who retained a firm attachment to the Catholic faith and who would not align themselves with the incipient feminism of the times, but who, nevertheless, strove for social change and justice without regard for political or social recognition. Their work was radical because they were not complacent with the status quo and worked to change it. Their work was social because they ignored Church politics and reached outside their individual egos. And their work was definitely action oriented in that they practiced their beliefs rather than simply preach them. Few Catholic women were involved with the early women's Suffragist movement; the overwhelming majority did not participate in mainstream feminism, in part due to their immigrant background. Women stepped out of the family setting and into active roles in a society that increasingly measured success in terms of economic well being. These role changes produced trade offs in terms of how the family was viewed and it de-emphasized society's spiritual well being. Some of the issues and solutions for women in modern society collided with moral and ethical teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. I have selected three such women who responded with Radical Social Activism, and participated in the American Catholic Church, however, they did not participate in the general feminism of the times. These women, Dorothy Day, Maisie Ward, and Dorothy Dohen, represented in their Radical Social Activism, a feminism of the spirit, as it were, while still remaining within the structure and Magisterium of the Church proper. As women moved into secular society, they made compromises concerning their duties and responsibilities to family. Issues of divorce, birth control, and abortion became popular remedies that helped limit family duties and responsibilities. However, the Catholic Church has always viewed these as problematical and theological challenges to Catholic teaching and has consistently refuted the expediency of these solutions on moral grounds. Yet, if the Church's view on women limits women as feminists have claimed, it did not stop Day, Dohen, and Ward from participating and changing the secular world around them, while still remaining loyal to the teachings of the Catholic Church. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / D.Th. (Church History)

Includes information about a letter to James Harper, the Mayor of New York; the early Christian Fathers; Professor Durbin's travels in Europe.

Includes information about Bishop Hughes' letter, and an opinion editorial about the Philadelphia riots. Also contains the poem "The Hour of Prayer at a Girl's School" by Celia M. Kellum.

Contains a letter from a Philadelphian about the Philadelphia riots describing the origins and consequences.

Includes information about the memoirs of the life and times of Rev. John Carroll; the early days of Christianity; Catholic missions in the east.

Includes information about early Catholic missions in the west; Catholic activity in Philadelphia. Also contains the poem "Our Banner is Fallen" by M. Weir.