Boyce Digital Repository (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
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Augustine’s Understanding of the Human Soul: Origin, Life, and End
Get PDFThis dissertation argues that Augustine’s conceptualization of the human soul is intricately linked to the guidance provided by Scripture and tradition. Augustine believed that the Scriptures teach the creation of the human soul, its anthropology, spiritual growth, and its eventual reunification with the resurrected body.
The first chapter introduces the thesis, methodology, and historical overview of academic discussions surrounding Augustine’s understanding of the human soul. This chapter positions the argument of this dissertation within the contemporary debates, elucidating the significance of the research conducted and its relevance to current scholarly discourse.
The second chapter presents the creation of the human soul by God. The creation ex nihilo takes center stage, setting Augustine’s perspective apart from Neoplatonism and other philosophical ideologies. This chapter shows Augustine’s articulation of the Christian doctrine of creation ex nihilo, examining its presence in various works by him.
The third chapter unfolds the human soul’s life, centering on the relationship between the soul and immortality, the spirit, and the body. Augustine’s unwavering reliance on the authority of the Scriptures proves his steadfast commitment to the Christian faith.
The fourth chapter explores the distinct concepts of ascension embraced by Augustine and Plotinus. By scrutinizing these concepts of the soul’s ascension, this investigation underscores Augustine’s commitment to the authority of Scripture, which teaches that the soul’s ascension encompasses its life after Christ.
The fifth chapter illustrates the culmination of the human soul’s journey. Augustine’s vision delineates the anticipated trajectory of the human soul following the cessation of the physical body, ultimately culminating in its reunion with the resurrected body as outlined in the teachings of Scripture. This distinctive perspective on the soul’s end emphasizes the inherently Christian nature of Augustine’s teachings.
The sixth chapter explains Augustine’s methodology for categorizing sources in depicting the human soul. In this framework, Scripture precedes alternative ideologies, with philosophical reasoning considered secondary to Scripture yet superior to other secular thoughts
Equipping Lay Leaders of Cape Bible Chapel in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to Create a Community of Biblical Counseling
Get PDFThe purpose of this project is to train the key lay leaders of Cape Bible Chapel in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to counsel those under their care for the further development of the church’s community of disciples. Chapter 1 presents the history and ministry context of Cape Bible Chapel and the goals of this project. Chapter 2 provides an exegesis of five key passages of Scripture that demonstrate the biblical evidence of the importance of community and the role that lay leaders must play in the maintenance of that community. Chapter 3 presents an overview of the doctrines and concepts that are essential to the practice of biblical counseling. Chapter 4 describes the project itself in each key step of preparing content, equipping lay leaders for biblical counseling through the teaching of that content, and developing a ministry plan to implement the training into everyday ministry within the community of Cape Bible Chapel. Chapter 5 provides an evaluation of the efficacy of the project based on the completion of the goals of the project. Ultimately, this project sought to equip Christians within the context of the local church to counsel one another for the purpose of creating a healthier church community
“Eminent Spirituality and Eminent Usefulness”: Andrew Fuller’s Contribution to the Revitalization of the Particular Baptists in the Long Eighteenth Century
Get PDFAndrew Fuller was convinced that eminent spirituality in a minister would usually be attended with eminent usefulness in the ministry. Chapter 1 introduces the thesis and argues that this foundational conviction drove Fuller and made him an effective instrument of renewal in Particular Baptist life in the long eighteenth century. Chapter 2 outlines the decline experienced by Particular Baptist churches in England in the eighteenth century and Fuller’s assessment of the reasons for this decline. Chapter 3 explores Fuller’s instrumental role in the renewal experienced in these same churches during the last three decades of the eighteenth century. Chapter 4 describes in greater detail the undergirding convictions that made Fuller so effective by examining his pastoral theology as revealed in a sermon he preached at the 1787 ordination of Robert Fawkner. Chapter 5 concludes by recapitulating why Fuller’s foundational convictions on pastoral ministry need to be heard again today
Four Practices Correlated to a Sense of Belonging in a Church
Get PDFThis dissertation examines the communal practices of mutual support, vulnerability, forgiveness, and accountability as well as their correlation with the sense of belonging that members feel in regard to a church community. It utilizes Trinitarian scholarship, biblical imperatives for communal practices, historical investigations of Christian communities, and modern psychological research. Additionally, an empirical case study is performed in which the practices of mutual support, vulnerability, forgiveness, and accountability are emphasized in a church congregation.
Following an introductory chapter, chapter 2 focuses on Trinitarian scholarship of perichoresis and carefully examines how the love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit informs proper loving relationships between Christians. Specific attention is given to Jesus’s prayer in John 17 petitioning that the church would be one as He and the Father are one. In chapter 3, the biblical imperatives for communal practices are examined. They are rooted in Christ’s love for His church, provide a comprehensive rubric for fellowship among church members, and are one means by which the church makes Christ known to the world. In chapter 4, the historical investigation includes studies of the Moravians, John Wesley’s societies, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Finkenwalde community. These three groups show remarkable commonality in the practices of mutual support, vulnerability, forgiveness, and accountability. In chapter 5, modern psychological research, while not authoritative in isolation, provides insights into the benefits of obedience and the pain of disobedience in regard to biblically commanded communal practices. In particular, studies of attachment theory, group identification, and one’s sense of belonging reinforce scriptural one-another mandates. In chapter 6, the empirical study of a church congregation utilizes the revised and campus social connectedness scales, which are validated survey instruments used to measure one’s sense of belonging to a group. From these five fields of study, a unified conclusion is drawn that mutual support, vulnerability, forgiveness, and accountability are indeed correlated to the members’ sense of belonging in a church
The Impact of Open Theism on C. Peter Wagner's Philosophy of Discipleship
Get PDFPh. D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2023.This dissertation demonstrates that Wagner’s philosophy of discipleship emerged from a theological basis established in open theism, affirming God’s limited foreknowledge and omnipotence while denying his immutability. Moreover, an underlying consequentialist ethic drove Wagner’s understanding and praxes of the Great Commission. Wagner’s telos sought to create disciples by any means necessary so that God could instill his will upon the earth. This research introduces three new terms to articulate Wagner’s theological convictions and praxes: divine interventional mutability, cooperationism, and commissional pragmatic consequentialism. The present chapter introduces the need for the research. Chapter 2 serves as an excursus on the history and culture of American evangelicalism (1900–1930) and the early developmental years (1930–1952) of C. Peter Wagner. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 articulate Wagner’s primary theological dispositions concerning the doctrine of God throughout his career (1952–2016). Chapter 6 provides the research conclusions and articulates the implications of Wagnerian theology on discipleship praxes and ethics.
Wagner’s early theological writings demonstrated minimal parity with open theism, though some functional similarities existed. His early philosophy of discipleship emphasized individual means by the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit through theological education. As Wagner progressed through life and no longer held to the traditional primary tenets of American fundamentalism, his theological writings aligned with open theism. Wagner’s theological basis evolved into a pragmatic means of discipleship, affirming God’s dependency upon the prayers of humanity. In 2001, Wagner formally adopted open theism and articulated a revised means of discipleship through Dominion theology, marginalizing theological education and doctrine. In conclusion, within the context of Wagner’s scriptural narrative, his philosophy of discipleship manifests as a means to implement the will of God on earth. An abundance of disciples means the greater instillment of God’s will; therefore, Christ can return once all things have come under his authority. Wagner continuously changed his discipleship praxes throughout his career by measuring the phenomenological success of his discipleship methods. In the end, Wagner’s means of discipleship manifested from the contextual narrative of open theism all along
Male and Female, He Created Them: Gender in the Context of Human Embodiment
Get PDFIn this dissertation, I develop a conception of gender that (1) holds that men and women share a common humanity that is grounded in their mutual creation in the image of God and results in the expression of common human properties and common human capacities in ways that are fitting to their masculinity or femininity, respectively, and (2) maintains the distinction between men and women as two unique types of humanity that is grounded in the created differences of gendered embodiment. This project aims to present and defend this conception of gender as consistent with Scripture, internally coherent, defensible against external critique, and valuable for contemporary discourse on gender. Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to this study. In chapter 2, I develop a framework for evaluating conceptions of gender based on Scripture’s teaching. In chapter 3, I define, evaluate, and critique gender essentialism, the view concerned with determining what fixed or innate qualities are intrinsic to being male or female. I ultimately conclude that gender essentialism does not satisfy the biblical criteria developed in chapter 2. In chapter 4, I survey and evaluate the social construction of gender, the view that affirms that gender is derived from societal forces and is not dependent on biological sex. I ultimately conclude that the social construction of gender also fails to satisfy the biblical criteria developed. In chapter 5, I construct a biblical conception of gender based on the view that there are no particular capacities or properties, outside of physiological differences, that belong exclusively to men or that belong exclusively to women. Instead, as I argue, men and women uniquely express common human traits as men and as women. According to this conception of gender, the common humanity of men and women serves as the foundation of the ontological equality of men and women. Hence, in this chapter, I offer an ontological definition of men and women. In chapter 6, I consider gender in the context of human embodiment to show how the emphasis on the common humanity of men and women is compatible with Scripture’s teaching on men and women as two distinct types of humanity. Chapter 7 concludes this study
Establishing a Discipleship Pathway for Ministry Programming at Brookside Church, Omaha, Nebraska
Get PDFThis project establishes a discipleship pathway for ministry programming at Brookside Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Chapter 1 presents the ministry context of Brookside Church and the goals of this project. Chapter 2 focuses on the biblical emphasis on discipleship, demonstrating a holistic picture of discipleship from Matthew and clear priorities for discipleship from Acts 1-2. Chapter 3 makes this biblical picture of discipleship concrete—identifying programs aligned with the biblical picture and advocating for access to and movement across these programs. Chapter 4 describes the project itself, outlining the content of the discipleship pathway curriculum and its implementation at Brookside. Chapter 5 evaluates the efficacy of the project in relation to the specified goals. Ultimately, this project seeks to establish a discipleship pathway so the organized life of the church intentionally contributes to “presenting everyone mature in Christ” (Col 1:28)
Equipping “Empty Nesters” for Ministries at Maryland Chinese Baptist Church, Rockville, Maryland
Get PDFThis project seeks to equip “empty nesters” in Maryland Chinese Baptist Church, Rockville, Maryland for Christian service by leading them to understand the relationship between their needs and God’s calling and encouraging them to respond to God’s calling. Chapter one introduces the need for equipping “empty nesters” in Maryland Chinese Baptist Church. Chapter two provides a biblical and theological basis for equipping “empty nesters” in eight specific areas of life to be satisfied by their response to God’s calling. Chapter three discusses the theoretical and practical issues concerning equipping “empty nesters” in finding their satisfaction in life in the designing of God for his people. Chapter four gives details and a description of the project. Chapter five evaluates the results of the project with personal reflections on the area of strength and weakness
Equipping Members of Lakewood Baptist Church in Gainesville, Georgia, to Reach Unreached People Groups
Get PDFThe purpose of this project was to equip members of Lakewood Baptist Church to obediently participate in God’s mission of reconciling the unreached to himself through the gospel.Chapter 1 explores the context of ministry at Lakewood Baptist Church and evaluates the need for the ministry project. This chapter also determines the goals and methodology required to achieve this project’s success.
Chapter 2 provides biblical and theological foundations for reaching unreached people groups. This is accomplished through an exploration of Revelation 5:9-10, Romans 10:14-17, and Matthew 28:19-20.
Chapter 3 examines theoretical, practical, and historical issues related to reaching unreached people groups. Specifically, this chapter explores the history of the church’s involvement in reaching the unreached, as well as contemporary missiological concepts, terms, and definitions pertaining to unreached people groups.
Chapter 4 describes how the ministry project was implemented and the statistical data resulting from the project’s implementation. This chapter also includes an interpretation of the statistical results of the project.
Chapter 5 provides an assessment of the entire project including its purpose, goals, strengths, and weaknesses. This chapter also provides both theological and personal reflections reached upon the conclusion of this project
Paul and Allegory: Galatians 4:21–31 Revisited
Get PDFThose engaged in modern hermeneutical debates have begun to look afresh at the apostles for guidance concerning how one should read the Bible. How did the apostles read, and do their methods match those used in modern biblical scholarship? Amongst the texts discussed in this conversation, Galatians 4:21–31 stands out. Paul’s methods seem foreign to modern minds, and he even seems to flag his reading as an allegory, leading many to see in this text a justification for allegorical hermeneutics. This dissertation attempts to address the question “was Paul allegorizing?" by arguing that Paul was not allegorizing because Paul was not doing what Philo, the allegorical exemplar of the first century, was doing. This argument is built on the following four pieces: First, this dissertation provides a selective survey of modern scholarship on the issue, showing that Philo serves as the allegorical exemplar of the first century and, consequently, as a baseline for figuring what “allegory” was. Second, it analyzes what is implied by the phrase ἅτινά ἐστιν ἀλληγορούμενα in Galatians 4:24 by a broad study of how the verb ἀλληγορέω functioned in the first century, concluding that Paul meant little more than “these things are metaphorical.” Third, it provides a careful reading of Philo’s treatise De congressu eruditionis gratia, suggesting that Philo’s hermeneutic comprised four attributes: (1) problem solving, (2) etymology, (3) numerology, and (4) arbitrariness.
Fourth, it attempts to explain how Paul moved from Sarah and Hagar to the present and heavenly Jerusalems through a detailed analysis of the so-called allegorical pericope found in Galatians 4:21–31 and the Old Testament texts on which this pericope depends (i.e., Gen 16–21 and Isa 54:1). Fourth and finally, it compares this interpretive scheme to that of Philo