Boyce Digital Repository (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)
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The Symbiotic Nature of Spiritual Formation and Missional Context
Full text linkD. Min., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2024To engage the postmodern West, the church must capitalize on the symbiotic nature of spiritual formation and missional context. Chapter 1 explores existing literature in the field and identifies the gaps that needed to be addressed. Chapter 2 examines the current state of the postmodern West and how the church has contributed to individuals’ lack of fulfillment since the Enlightenment. Chapter 3 addresses the myth of the paradoxical relationship between spiritual formation and mission. Chapter 4 focuses on the first phase of spiritual formation and its foundational aspects. Chapter 5 covers the second phase of the spiritual formation continuum, with an emphasis on introducing a missional context. Finally, chapter 6 discusses metrics and measures to ensure churches can effectively track the progress of their congregants. Together these chapters offer a framework for capitalizing on the symbiotic nature of spiritual formations and missional context
Death Will Die: Finding Eternal Life from a Johannine Ars Moriendi
Full text linkThis thesis argues that Christians should develop an Ars Moriendi from the Johannine literature, which recenters death and dying with an eternal perspective, drawing on the beliefs and practices of the Christian tradition to help Christians die well. Chapter 1 describes the Ars Moriendi tradition and reviews relevant literature on the subject. Chapters 2 and 3 exposit the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation to develop a Johannine theology of death. Chapter 4 surveys the alternative Ars Moriendi traditions from Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Stoicism and argues that Christians should implement a Johannine Ars Moriendi. Chapter 5 concludes with five implications of the research and calls on the global church to implement a Johannine Ars Moriendi by (1) caring for the dying, (2) reclaiming the sacredness of death and dying, (3) remembering the ritualistic nature of death and dying, (4) maintaining a theology of the body, (5) and employing a Johannine Ars Moriendi as an embodied apologetic
Developing a Biblical Discipleship Curriculum for United Gospel Rescue Mission in Poplar Bluff, Missouri
Full text linkThe purpose of this project was to create a biblical discipleship curriculum that promotes and introduces clients to faith, repentance, and power through the gospel of Jesus Christ at United Gospel Rescue Mission in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Chapter 1 explains the context and the rationale for developing and presenting this teaching to those addicted to drugs and alcohol. Chapter 2 discusses the biblical and theological basis for the project. Chapter 3 presents the philosophical, theoretical, and practical differences between the secular and biblical definition and treatment of addiction. Chapter 4 recounts the implementation of the project. Chapter 5 summarizes the results of the project and provides theological and personal reflections on the implementation
Developing a Marriage Mentorship Ministry at Lakewood Baptist Church in Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Full text linkThis project sought to equip members of Lakewood Baptist Church, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, for marriage mentorship ministry. Chapter 1 presents the history and background of Lakewood, the rationale for this project, and the goals for success. Chapter 2 provides exegesis of four passages of Scripture (Gen 2:18-3:21; Eph 5:22-33; 1 Pet 3:1- 7, Titus 2:1-8) to establish instructions for mentoring couples to a healthy and biblical marriage. Chapter 3 establishes mentorship as an effective tool to combat cultural opposition to biblical marriage and to support couples through the challenges of marriage. Chapter 4 describes the project, explains the implementation of the curriculum, and gives the results of the rubrics. Chapter 5 evaluates the effectiveness of the project based on completion of the specified goals. Ultimately, this project sought to equip an initial group of couples in marriage mentorship for the launch of a marriage mentorship ministry at Lakewood
Strengthening Discipleship by Implementing Missional Communities for Members and Attenders at Berean Baptist Church in Mansfield, Ohio
Full text linkThe purpose of this project was to strengthen discipleship at Berean Baptist Church in Mansfield, Ohio, by implementing missional communities as the primary strategy for spiritual growth for members and attenders. Chapter 1 explores the background of Berean Baptist Church and current ministry challenges. Chapter 2 provides strong biblical support for the conviction that devoted followers of Jesus should live in missional community. This chapter provides an exegesis of Matthew 28:18-20, John 17, Acts 2:42-47, and Romans 12. Chapter 3 describes the effective form of missional community in an American context. Chapter 4 describes the preparation and steps taken to implement missional community at Berean Baptist Church. Chapter 5 concludes the project with an evaluation of the project’s goals and purpose
Teaching Covenant Church Membership at First Baptist Church Dalhart, TX
Full text linkThe purpose of this project is to teach covenant church membership at First Baptist Church in Dalhart, Texas. Chapter 1 described the context of FBCD and the project’s rationale. Four goals were set to guide the project’s design and implementation. Chapter 2 established the biblical and theological basis for covenant church membership. Because God relates to his people through covenant, his people should relate to one another in covenant. Chapter 3 examined the practical benefits of covenant church membership. It leads to greater spiritual growth, enables restorative church discipline, and presents a better witness of the gospel to the world. Chapter 4 depicted the project’s implementation. Implementation included assessing the church’s knowledge of church membership, writing and teaching a six-week curriculum, and reassessing those who attended the course. Chapter 5 evaluated the project. This included evaluating the goals and offering personal reflections about the project’s strengths and weaknesses
Developing an Awareness of the Demonic in Biblical Counseling, in Conversation With William Perkins
Full text linkWilliam Perkins, the father of Puritanism and the great popularizer of Reformed and Puritan theology from the sixteenth century onward, articulated a robust situational demonology further developed by Puritan writers subsequent to his theological contributions to the field. His demonology serves as the foundation of later pastors’ and theologians’ expansions and applications from this systematic locus. Thus, beginning with a Perkinsian understanding of the demonic, particularly, an awareness of direct and mediated influence from evil spirits in the present epoch of the church, engaging in synthesis with later Puritan advancements and expansions of his thought, and moving onward to pastoral application, this dissertation demonstrates the historic practical theology of a Reformed demonology. After explaining what may be expected between the two advents of Christ in all cultures and across all times, the biblical response to such demonic phenomena is developed. The Reformed and Puritan answer to the demonic is an engagement with the enemy through the ordinary means of grace—Word, sacrament, and prayer—and eschewing a deliverance or ekballistic response to the demonic.
Finally, Perkins’s demonology, as the foundation of Puritanism, is contrasted with Jay Adams’s demonology, as the foundation of the contemporary biblical counseling movement. Subsequent generations of biblical counselors have expanded on Adams’s articulation and have largely retained the practical outworking of his over-realized eschatology and situational understanding of demonology. Thus, Adams and his followers—the theological heirs of Puritanism within the field of pastoral counseling— are compared and contrasted with their theological forefathers under the systematic heading of demonology to determine which approach is most biblically faithful. While a historical and practical corrective to the contemporary demonology of the biblical counseling movement is offered, a positive application to pastoral counseling is also presented—a robust but straightforward embracing of Word, sacrament, and prayer-based ministry. Perkins serves as an historical basis for standard Puritan demonology; reexamining such an historical demonology allows the contemporary practitioner of pastoral counseling to reclaim a genuinely Reformed understanding of the demonic
Montessori Goes to Seminary: Establishing a Framework for Redemptive Formation in Theological Higher Education
Full text linkThis study addresses current trends in theological higher education by proposing a potentially viable mechanism for institutional reform, namely the Montessori method. Although Maria Montessori is widely known as an early childhood educator, this study suggests that her approach aligns quite well with the telos of theological education, the formation of man. Based on Montessori’s educational approach, this study proposes the following conceptual framework: Theological higher education that encourages redemptive formation prioritizes the student’s liberty by intentionally preparing the environment beautifully, age-appropriately, for independence, for spiritual enrichment, and to replicate practical life.
Chapter 1 overviews current trends in theological higher education and suggests that Montessori’s educational approach may provide the means for institutional reform. Chapter 2 analyzes Montessori’s primary source writings to present the core of her educational model and why it can be adapted to adult education. Chapter 3 formally proposes the conceptual framework for theological higher education that encourages redemptive formation. Chapter 4 assesses the proposed framework from Scripture, based on a historic, orthodox Christian perspective. Chapter 5 concludes by considering the advantages and disadvantages of this proposed framework
Training Believers in the Doctrine of Scripture at Madison Ave Baptist Church, Goldsboro, North Carolina
Full text linkThis project was developed with the purpose and goal of increasing the understanding of the doctrine of Scripture to strengthen confidence in biblical authority at Madison Ave Baptist Church. As part of the teaching process, a six-week curriculum will be developed, reviewed by an expert panel, implemented, and then studied for effectiveness. Chapter 1 deals with the ministry context, the rationale for the project, purpose and goals, method of research as well as delimitations and limitations. Chapter 2 argues for the trustworthiness, necessity, and sufficiency of Scripture. All these components are essential for a foundational and robust view of the doctrine of Scripture. Chapter 3 argues that historic Christianity has always held a high view of Scripture even though during the twentieth century a low view of the Bible became popular. Additionally, this chapter presents recent theological and hermeneutical methods to recover this high view of Scripture. Chapter 4 will detail the six-week teaching sessions and implementation. Chapter 5 contains an overall evaluation of the project’s effectiveness, as well as reflections for further improvement
Implementing a Student Leadership Team at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas
Full text linkThis project aimed to develop and implement a student leadership team to provide Prestonwood Baptist Church a framework to construct and raise students who actively serve and live out their calling as a Christian. Chapter 1 introduces the context, goals, and importance of equipping and empowering students to lead within the context of Prestonwood Baptist Church. Chapter 2 examines the biblical framework and significance of students serving in their local church, community, and to the ends of the world. Chapter 3 covers historical reasonings as to why students are capable of leading as well as the challenges. Chapter 4 evaluates and analyzes other ministries implementing a student leadership team. Chapter 5 provides practical steps to build a student leadership team and an evaluation of the project