Boyce Digital Repository (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
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Equipping Members to Practice Communion with God Through Bible Meditation and Prayer at Riverside Baptist Church in New Port Richey, Florida
Get PDFThis project seeks to strengthen the practice of communion with God amongthe members of Riverside Baptist Church in New Port Richey, Florida, by teaching them
the importance of the spiritual disciplines while instructing them in how to perform them.
The disciplines of Bible meditation and prayer are the primary focus with this project in
an effort to provide the church with a solid foundation for walking with God. This project
utilizes a six-week sermon series both to instruct and to equip church members.
Chapter 1 is introductory, describing the purpose and plan for this project.Chapter 2 lays out the biblical and theological foundation for this project. Chapter 3
relates historical and practical issues related to this project. Finally, chapters 4 and 5
describe the details and description of the project, along with an evaluation
“Seeing the Invisible God”: John Ryland Jr.'s Spirituality of Triumphal Living in Christ
Get PDFPh. D., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2022This dissertation argues that John Ryland, Jr.’s doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation, as they relate to the deity of Christ and his presence among believers, have a direct bearing on his spiritual formation. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the Trinitarian conflicts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the response to these conflicts by the English Particular Baptists in their creation of the First and Second London Baptist Confessions of Faith. This chapter also introduces two key theological mentors of Ryland: John Gill and John Collett Ryland. Chapter 3 explores key issues of Ryland’s Trinitarian theology, including his understanding of the deity of Christ. The chapter seeks to demonstrate the direct bearing Christ’s deity has on Ryland as a pastor and hymn writer. Chapter 4 examines Ryland’s thoughts concerning the presence of Christ as it relates to the incarnation of the Son of God and how this Evangelical truth lived out in Ryland’s pastoral care among the Particular Baptists. Chapter 5 is the conclusion, and it summarizes the thesis and arguments of this dissertation to answer the research question
Developing a Missional Community in the Urban Context of Decatur, Illinois, in Cooperation with First Christian Church of Decatur, Illinois
Get PDFThis project developed a missional community in the urban context of Decatur, Illinois, in cooperation with First Christian Church or Decatur, Illinois. Chapter 1 presents the history and ministry context of Decatur, Illinois, its urban neighborhoods, its area churches, and communicates the goals for the project. Decatur has experienced significant economic, educational, and social challenges in recent decades resulting in the decay of its urban neighborhoods and a growing segment of the community’s population that is unreached by churches. Chapter 2 provides exegesis of four passages of scripture (Jer 29:4-11; Acts 1:3-1; 1 Thess 1:1-10; 2 Tim 2:1-2) to illustrate how God calls his people to represent and make him known to people in local settings and uses his people as a primary means of spiritual transformation and gospel mission. Chapter 3 presents the ways a missional community is the most effective as a means of engaging and reaching the urban context of Decatur, Illinois. Chapter 4 describes the project itself, recounting the content and teaching methodology of the specific missional curriculum. Chapter 5 evaluates the efficacy of the project based on completion of the specific goals. Ultimately, this project sought to develop a group of people, in community, who are equipped to engage and disciple others in Decatur’s urban context for the glory of God
Historiography and Extra-Biblical Sources Related to Daniel
Get PDFThis dissertation develops a historiographical methodology and applies that methodology to extra biblical sources related to the book of Daniel. The first chapter provides basic introductory information and presents the problems addressed. The second chapter presents the two dominant historiographical methods in recent history: historical criticism and postmodernism. It introduces some major proponents of each approach and their contributions to historiography. It critiques both camps, highlighting strengths that should be maintained and problem areas that require further nuance. Then, it proposes a historiographical method that combines elements from both approaches. This approach solves a few issues with the two prevailing views.
The third chapter dives into the Babylonian texts. These texts are written in Akkadian and biased toward the Babylonians. The chapter includes basic information about each source and analyzes its historical reliability, literary structure, biases, and relevance for Daniel. The next two chapters include analysis of this kind. The fourth chapter analyzes the Persian texts. These sources also exist in Akkadian but are heavily pro-Persian. Cyrus and his administration most likely commissioned these texts after his conquering of Babylon. The fifth chapter shifts from ancient Near Eastern sources to the Greek historians. The Greek historians naturally write in Greek, not Akkadian. Herodotus and Xenophon prove critical sources for understanding Daniel but display a vast array of purposes and biases in their writing that require untangling.
The sixth chapter discusses a few historical issues in Daniel to show the value of analyzing the sources in the previous chapters. The exercise displays how readers may utilize the research in this dissertation to gain a better grasp of the extra-biblical sources and the biblical text. The chapter covers a few minor issues before discussing the identity of Darius the Mede, then finally examining the fall of Babylon in greater detail. It also summarizes my arguments and draws attention to other potential areas of research, such as extra biblical literature related to books of the Bible other than Daniel
Echoes of War: Religious Militancy in Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity
Get PDFPeople, pundits, the press, pulpiteers, and politicians opine that religion has been the major cause of war since the beginning of history. Many claim that religions are the same in their militancy; that one religion is as violent as the next. Some argue that religion is not important in modern conflict and statecraft, and that organizations should pay no attention to religion. Governments and other organizations wrestle with how to operate in a world which is violent, as well as religious. This study notes the effect of religion on war and evaluates religious militancy in five major world religions (Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity). Religious militancy is comprised of Doctrinal Militancy (what the scriptures say) and Lived Militancy (what followers do). Doctrinal Militancy is quantified by evaluating five major militancy-related words (battle, conquer, fight, sword, and war) in the primary scriptures of each religion. Every instance of each word is reviewed in context and in consultation with appropriate commentaries. After review, each word is graded on a scale of 1 to 5 (prohibits violence, discourages violence, neutral, encourages violence, commands violence). Scores are grouped to calculate the Doctrinal Militancy Index (DMI) of each religion. Lived Militancy is not quantified but is illustrated by looking at the militant behavior of early leaders, later leaders, and modern adherents in each religion.
Islam was discovered to have the highest DMI, followed by Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Buddhism. Regarding lived militancy, a review of the historical record demonstrates that Christianity was the least militant in its first 300 years. However, since the first 300 years after the founding of each religion, there has been little difference in the lived militancy of each.
Based on scriptural teachings and historical precedent, the conclusion shares techniques by which governments, militaries, businesses, and other organizations can evaluate conflicts and shape religious influences to achieve their goals. Finally, three modern conflicts are examined - India-Pakistan, China-South China Sea neighbors, and Israel-Arab nations - and recommendations made to evaluate and address the religious component of each conflict
Paul's Endangered Benefactor: Galatians in Its Benefaction Context
Get PDFPaul’s use of the word χάρις (“generosity,” “benefaction,” “gratitude”) in Galatians (Gal 1:3, 6, 15; 2:9, 21; 5:4; 6:18; cf. χαρίζεσθαι in 3:18) opens the possibility for understanding his interaction with the wider cultural encyclopedia of benefaction. This dissertation argues that in Galatians Paul operates in continuity with the wider corpus of benefaction-events by using language, motifs, concepts, and social scripts from the cultural domain of benefaction, but he exhibits differences in his specific configuration and combination of those various elements. To contextualize and understand Paul’s benefaction language this dissertation examines documentary (epigraphical and papyrological) and literary sources from ca. 350 BC to AD 150. Chapter 1 introduces the word χάρις as well as civic benefaction, and surveys important scholarship on benefaction in relation to Galatians since 1980. Chapter 2 overviews the basic operations of benefaction and several social scripts associated with it. Chapter 3 examines a variety of topics related to benefaction: civic freedom, promises, starting and completing a benefaction, word-deed congruence on the part of a benefactor, how benefits were expected to be dispensed to worthy recipients but also how clemency and pardon were highly valued, how people represented prototypical and abundant generosity, certain temporal themes of benefaction, ingratitude, fidelity and disloyalty, benefaction within kinship diplomacy, memory, imitation, and community survival. Chapter 4 shows how many of the previously examined benefaction social scripts and motifs cohere and belong together by briefly examining parts of the First Mithridatic War (89–85 BC). Chapters 5 and 6 describe and analyze in detail the phenomenon of endangered benefaction as attested in epigraphical and literary sources, including 1 Maccabees and the Life of Josephus. Chapter 7 then situates Paul’s use of benefaction language in Galatians within the wider cultural encyclopedia of benefaction. Chapter 8 summarizes, draws conclusions, and offers suggestions for further research
"May I Again Taste the Sweets of Social Religion": The Ecclesiological Devotion of William Carey
Get PDFWilliam Carey has served as an example for over two hundred years of how to effectively fulfill the Great Commission. One of the primary sources of Carey’s success as a missionary was his devotion to the local church. Chapter 1 introduces the topic of Carey’s ecclesiology and its significance in his life and ministry. Chapter 2 considers Carey’s ecclesiological context by examining Particular Baptist ecclesial thought and its expression within the Northamptonshire Association in the late eighteenth century. Chapter 3 examines Carey’s ecclesiological formation and praxis at Moulton and Leicester, his two pastorates in England. Chapter 4 explores Carey’s ecclesiological commitment during his missionary service in India. Chapter 5 expounds on the way Carey’s devotion to the local church affected the overall success of his ministry. Finally, chapter 6 presents how Carey’s example can serve the church today as it seeks to continue the missionary task
Sanctified by the Spirit: Applying John Owen's Concept of Spirit-Infused Habitual Grace to Divergent Models of Sanctification within the Biblical Counseling Movement
Get PDFIn this dissertation I argue that John Owen’s (1616–1883) conception of Spirit–infused habitual grace appropriately corrects and develops two divergent frameworks for understanding sanctification within the biblical counseling movement. Owen portrayed Spirit-infused habitual grace as the internal, metaphysical work whereby God sanctifies his people and conforms them to the image of Christ. He demonstrated that sanctification occurs by means of the Holy Spirit’s infusion of a habit—or principle—of grace in the soul of the believer at regeneration inclining them away from sin and toward righteousness, the Spirit’s increase of the operations of that habit of grace upon the faculties of the soul, and the Spirit’s bringing forth of the effects of that habit of grace through the bearing of the actual fruit of righteousness.Owen’s understanding of sanctification corrects and reconciles two divergent conceptions of sanctification that have developed among the first and second generation of biblical counselors. The first, represented by Jay Adams (1929–2020) and his followers, regards habituation as primary in bringing about human change, and the second, represented by David Powlison (1949–2019) and his followers, regards heart motivation as primary.
Chapter 1 offers an overview of the divergent models of sanctification that have developed within the biblical counseling movement. Chapters 2 through 4 each focus on an aspect of Owen’s overall theology that is key to understanding his theology of habituation and his doctrine of sanctification. Chapter 2 grounds Owen’s doctrine of sanctification in the doctrine of God, specifically his understanding of inseparable operations and divine appropriations. Chapter 3 discusses Owen’s doctrine of sanctification with regard to his Christology. He viewed Christ as the paradigmatic example for the sanctification of his church. Chapter 4 discusses Owen’s doctrine of sanctification with reference to his anthropology. This chapter focuses on the Spirit’s work of infusing habitual grace in believers. Chapter 5 proposes specific theological and methodological developments and corrections for modern biblical counseling based upon my discussion of Owen’s theology of sanctification
Ichak Adizes's Organizational Theory Applied to the Classical Christian Education Movement: A Multiple Case Study
Get PDFUsing a multiple case study methodology, this research investigates the leadership contributions to school growth using the organizational theory of Ichak Adizes. By utilizing representative schools for each stage of school maturity, a broader description of how schools mature over time emerges. Moreover, the connection is made to certain management roles that bring about organizational growth in the school. Chapter 1 describes the need for such research within classical Christian education. Chapter 2 describes the relevant precedent literature on organizational lifecycles from Ichak Adizes. Chapter 3 describes the qualitative multiple case study methodology used in the study. Chapter 4 presents the case reports from the different schools, and chapter 5 presents a taxonomy for school growth throughout the school lifecycle
All of Christ for All of Life: Discipling Believers in the Christian Worldview at Riverview Baptist Church in West Saint Paul, Minnesota
Get PDFThe goal of this project was to disciple believers in the Christian worldview by teaching the foundational beliefs of Christianity and then applying the Christian worldview to the major areas of life. Chapter 1 lays out the project’s context, rationale, purpose, goals, research methodology, definitions, and limitations/delimitations. Chapter 2 establishes the theological foundations by demonstrating the comprehensive nature of the Christian worldview by examining Christianity’s theological foundations in Genesis 1:26-31, Colossians 1:15-20, Matthew 28:18-20, and 2 Corinthians 10:3-6. Chapter 3 addresses the challenges secularism and postmodernism pose to the Christian worldview. Chapter 4 explains the specifics and details of how this ministry project was conducted. Chapter 5 evaluates the project’s success, and examines its strengths and weaknesses, while also offering theological and personal reflections on the process