While Richard Baxter (1615-91) is well known and rightly held in high esteem for his practical divinity and his evangelistic zeal, he has hitherto been conspicuously neglected as a theologian. In particular there have been no major studies of him with respect to the renewed paradigm of Protestant Scholasticism and none at all of his Methodus Theologiae (1681), which represents the fruit of a lifetime of theological reflection and study and which is arguably, in both scope and vision, one of the last great Summas of English scholastic divinity. This thesis focuses on the Methodus and on Baxter‟s theological method, which he took, though imperfect, to be the closest to the true Scripture method of theology that anyone had yet come. Baxter believed that every level of (active) created reality reflected the impress of God‟s Triune being in metaphysical composition, structure and activity. This he described, following the Italian metaphysicist Tommaso Campanella, in terms of the divine primalities or principles of Power, Wisdom and Love. In the Methodus these insights are systematised into a kind of Trinitarian logic. Baxter held that human reason should be sanctified in order to conform to the Trinitarian structure of created reality, and therefore espoused a method of trichotomising organised according to these same divine principles, derivative of both Ramist and Lullist method. This thesis argues that the whole of Baxter‟s mature thought is structured in a Trinitarian fashion according to his own „hallowed logic‟ and that two themes, often interlinked, are the key to interpreting his thought: the metaphysics of the divine principles and the Christian‟s baptismal covenant with the Triune God. Furthermore it examines Baxter‟s analogical ascent from the general vestigia Trinitatis present in the whole created order through the special vestigium of man‟s soul fashioned in the image of God and finally to the Trinity itself. This detailed exposition provides the basis, in the concluding chapter, for an examination of the whole of the Methodus and a demonstration that this represents a methodological unfolding of the covenant between the believer and God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the threefold Kingdom of Nature, Grace and Glory. In this way the Methodus may be seen as having taken its inspiration from the Theo-Politica (1659) of Baxter‟s friend George Lawson. Finally this thesis concludes that Baxter‟s thought has pronounced Scotist and Nominalist accents. His Scotism in particular runs deep and has strong ties with his Trinitarian thought, which is especially significant in light of the recent increasingly vocal discussions of the Scotist character of Protestant Scholasticism. Overall therefore it is suggested that Baxter is a neglected figure who deserves to be rediscovered and whose mature theology represents a fascinating reconstrual of biblical ideas according to a Trinitarian and scholastic paradigm.

The true nineteenth-century story of the Underground Railroad begins in the South and is spread North by free blacks, escaping southern slaves, and displaced, white, anti-slavery Protestant evangelicals. This study examines the role of free blacks, escaping slaves, and white Protestant evangelicals influenced by tenants of Kentucky’s Second Great Awakening who were inspired, directly or indirectly, to aid in African American community building. The impact of Kentucky’s Great Revival resulted in creation and expansion of systems of escape commonly referred to as the “Underground Railroad” which led to self-emancipation among enslaved African Americans, the establishment of free black settlements in the South, North, within Kentucky borderlands, and the Mid- West, and resulting in the eventual outbreak of a Civil War. An examination of slave narratives, escaping slave ads, the history of American religious societies, as well as examination of denominational doctrines, policies, public views, and actions regarding American slavery confirmed the impact of Kentucky’s 1797 Great Revival on freeing slaves, creating black church congregations, establishment of antislavery churches, and benevolent societies throughout Kentucky and the Mid-West. These newly formed churches and societies spread the gospel of black freedom beyond Kentucky into Western Territories particularly Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. The spread of an evangelical religious message and the violent displacement of white and black antislavery advocates had the unintended consequence of aiding freedom seeking slaves in the formation of independent, black settlements and religious societies, not only in Kentucky but also in the North and West. This work acknowledges the central role Kentucky played in providing two of the three acknowledged and well-documented national Underground Railroad escape corridors which successfully ran through eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains and within the core of the state’s Western and Central Bluegrass Regions.

In the early twenty-first century, Americans have been showing a high interest in ghosts and hauntings, as evidenced by the overwhelming amount of supernatural media available. Despite this, there has been little anthropological research specifically investigating the relationship between popular ghost beliefs and America’s largest system of supernatural beliefs- Protestant Christianity. This study uses qualitative research methods to examine the beliefs of Protestants in Muncie, Indiana, and whether they participate in popular ghost culture. Results suggest that while Muncie Protestants do not generally believe in ghosts, they accept the possibility that demonic forces can haunt locations and interact with humans. Most of those informants who do believe in ghosts base their beliefs on personal experiences. However, in the case of demonic beliefs, this was not necessary. Informants state that their beliefs about demons are based on Christian media sources, such as literature and the Internet, rather than church teachings. Although the Muncie Protestants interviewed here consider it dangerous to participate directly in efforts to communicate with the deceased, most consistently watch reality television shows about the paranormal, as the media provides a degree of separation in which they can safely participate in ghost culture. / Department of Anthropology

Access to abstract restricted until 07/2016. / Eco-typology and the tree of life in Milton's Paradise lost -- The Matthew Bible, eco-typology and the tree of life in Milton's Eden -- The Geneva Bible, eco-typology and the fruit of the living word in Paradise lost -- Speed's 'Genealogies', the King James Bible and the seed of grace in the later books of Paradise lost. / Department of English

This study examines the relationship between the first major religious revival in the New England colonies and the change from psalmody to hymnody in the mid-eighteenth century through an approach which integrates the two fields of theology and church music. The termination date is 1770, and the focus is Protestant congregational song in the three groups most influenced by Puritan thought: the Congregationalists, the Presbyterians, and the Baptists.While much has been written separately about the change in eighteenth-century sacred song and the Great Awakening itself, there has been little research that attempts to place the psalmody/hymnody issue within the larger context of the changing theological milieu. This study first examines the theological and ecclesiastical structures which provided the context for Reformed worship, and then explores how fundamental changes in those structures and thought systems impacted congregational song. In order to comprehend the major changes which occurred in the mid-eighteenth century in colonial America, chapters on the Reformed Church and the beginning and spread of psalmody, the New England colonies to 1700, and the beginning of English hymnody are included.Conclusions1. The primary conclusion of this study is that the Great Awakening is the single most important factor in the change from psalmody to hymnody in the New England colonies. It is not a peripheral factor as indicated in much of the research. Rather, it provides both the rationale and the means for the transition in church song. The Great Awakening represented a basic theological change from a theocentric to an anthropocentric viewpoint that subsequently required alterations in sacred song. The revival movement, through its evangelistic spirit, also provided the vehicle by which this change in psalmody was effected.2. The agitation of the 1720s as evidenced in the tracts and treatises did not affect the transition directly. However, it is indicative of the increasing discontent with traditional Calvinist theology.3. The Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts were not a primary reason for the change, but met the needs of the new anthropocentric theology of the Great Awakening that required a new language of praise. / School of Music

Community is an integrative motif and the central message of the Bible. The divine goal of history is God's establishment of community. The Triune God is the origin of community and community is the mode of existence of God. Christian community is derived from God's community. The church is a community restored by the Triune God, and so the essence of the church is Christian community. The Bible is the history of community involving the beginning of community, the destruction of community, the restoration of community, and the completion of community. Christian community is a channel of realization of the kingdom of God. As a restored community, the early church was a loving, sharing, praying, and witnessing community. The early church's common possession and sharing of materials in brotherly love had continuously been practiced throughout the churches as indicated in the books of Acts and the Epistles. The early church is a model of Christian community that believers must always strive for and constantly return to. It is possible to live the life of the early church community even now. This is proven by the history of the Protestant community and contemporary Protestant communities. Christian community is not just a conceptual, but also a practical community. Christian community can be practiced in various forms. Protestant community includes the four modes: intentional Christian community, monastic community, church community, and cell group community. These four modes have an equal value in a sense that they exert the communal spirit in diverse ways. These four modes of Protestant community have appeared throughout the history of Protestant community. Protestant communities influenced the renewal of the established church through their devoted community life of love. They have been the wellsprings of renewal in Protestantism. Protestant communities also become a place of reconciliation between divided Christians and denominations. The communities have a role as mediator of reconciliation among divided churches and denominations. Community movements have also acted as the main mission movement in the history of Protestant mission. The main missions such as the Anabaptists, Moravians, and modern mission societies all exerted a powerful mission in a communal basis. The contribution of the Moravian missionaries of the Herrnhut community, beginning half a century before William Carey, brought about a shift of emphasis in missionary awareness within Protestantism. The Herrnhut community included the centripetal mission and centrifugal mission by living an intentional community and sending Moravian missionaries. Mission should be exerted from a community dimension, not an individual level. The history of Protestant mission and contemporary Protestantism testifies that mission through community is the most effective and powerful method of mission. Up to now mission has usually been confined to centrifugal mission at an individual level, which emphasized preaching the gospel to foreign regions. It is a phenomenon of unbalanced mission. A balanced mission includes both centripetal and centrifugal mission. Mission is not only a matter of the scope of preaching the gospel to the ends of earth, but also a matter of content. The content of mission is a radical discipleship and whole gospel in all–inclusiveness, containing centripetal and centrifugal mission, Christian presence and Christian proclamation, and the New Commandment and the Great Commission. Community is an essence of church and an essence of mission. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Missiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Community is an integrative motif and the central message of the Bible. The divine goal of history is God's establishment of community. The Triune God is the origin of community and community is the mode of existence of God. Christian community is derived from God's community. The church is a community restored by the Triune God, and so the essence of the church is Christian community. The Bible is the history of community involving the beginning of community, the destruction of community, the restoration of community, and the completion of community. Christian community is a channel of realization of the kingdom of God. As a restored community, the early church was a loving, sharing, praying, and witnessing community. The early church's common possession and sharing of materials in brotherly love had continuously been practiced throughout the churches as indicated in the books of Acts and the Epistles. The early church is a model of Christian community that believers must always strive for and constantly return to. It is possible to live the life of the early church community even now. This is proven by the history of the Protestant community and contemporary Protestant communities. Christian community is not just a conceptual, but also a practical community. Christian community can be practiced in various forms. Protestant community includes the four modes: intentional Christian community, monastic community, church community, and cell group community. These four modes have an equal value in a sense that they exert the communal spirit in diverse ways. These four modes of Protestant community have appeared throughout the history of Protestant community. Protestant communities influenced the renewal of the established church through their devoted community life of love. They have been the wellsprings of renewal in Protestantism. Protestant communities also become a place of reconciliation between divided Christians and denominations. The communities have a role as mediator of reconciliation among divided churches and denominations. Community movements have also acted as the main mission movement in the history of Protestant mission. The main missions such as the Anabaptists, Moravians, and modern mission societies all exerted a powerful mission in a communal basis. The contribution of the Moravian missionaries of the Herrnhut community, beginning half a century before William Carey, brought about a shift of emphasis in missionary awareness within Protestantism. The Herrnhut community included the centripetal mission and centrifugal mission by living an intentional community and sending Moravian missionaries. Mission should be exerted from a community dimension, not an individual level. The history of Protestant mission and contemporary Protestantism testifies that mission through community is the most effective and powerful method of mission. Up to now mission has usually been confined to centrifugal mission at an individual level, which emphasized preaching the gospel to foreign regions. It is a phenomenon of unbalanced mission. A balanced mission includes both centripetal and centrifugal mission. Mission is not only a matter of the scope of preaching the gospel to the ends of earth, but also a matter of content. The content of mission is a radical discipleship and whole gospel in all–inclusiveness, containing centripetal and centrifugal mission, Christian presence and Christian proclamation, and the New Commandment and the Great Commission. Community is an essence of church and an essence of mission. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Missiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This thesis evaluates the contribution of Charles Chiniquy (1809-1899) to the religious life of French Canada in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Once a Roman Catholic priest, he converted to "Bible" Christianity and became a Presbyterian minister. The fluid intellectual context between the liberal "Rouge" and conservative "Bleu" elements in French Canadian society is briefly described to explain his conversion. Then, his anti-Catholic, invective - filled works from 1875 to 1900 are studied to discover his contributions to and his observations of the religious mentalities of late 19th-century North America. One finds the concepts of rhetorical repetition and expansion, a projection of moral misconduct, and a "paranoid" mindset fearful of conspiracies. / Cette thèse évalue la contribution de Charles Chiniquy (1809-1899) a la vie religieuse du Canada français dans la dernière moitie du 19e siècle. Prêtre catholique, il est devenu pasteur presbytérien par la voie d'une conversion au christianisme dit biblique. Le contexte intellectuel et fluide entre les éléments libéraux "rouges" et conservateurs "bleus" de la société canadienne-française est décrit rapidement pour expliquer sa conversion. Ensuite, ses livres anticatholiques et pleins d'invectives, de 1875 a 1900, sont étudiés pour découvrir ses apports et ses observations sur les mentalités religieuses de la fin du 19e siècle en Amérique du Nord. Nous trouvons les catégories d'amplification et de repetition rhétorique, de projection de mauvaise conduite morale, et d'un penchant intellectuel "paranoTaque" redoutant les conspirations. fr

Zugl.: Neuendettelsau, Augustana-Hochsch., Diss., 2005

Zugl.: Diss.