16,584 research outputs found
The Christian ministry : case studies of preachers of the Churches of Christ in Bicol, Philippines
No full textThis thesis examines the challenges faced by the ministers of religion in Churches of Christ (Restoration Movement) in Bicol, Philippines. The goal is to do theology from below, not from above, as pastoral ministry must come from the experience of those who practice it, not from textbooks. The pastoral perspectives of the dilemmas that the ministers raise are heard, observed, documented, and then reflected upon. To do this, case studies of four preachers are used and the mga problema that they present are explored with them.
As a result, first, I introduce some of those challenges which are perplexing on the ground level and which appear to be under-researched in serious theological circles, especially in an Asian context. Second, I hope that these case studies can be used to stimulate reflection in ministerial and spiritual formation. Third, I document some of the theology and methodology of the Churches of Christ, particularly as practiced in the Philippines.
Chapter 1 explores the dichotomy between the perceived satisfaction in the pastoral ministry with the crisis of role and identity. In particular, issues such as forced exits and stress are presented while baptism and preaching are scrutinized. Chapter 2 centres on the conundrums experienced in planting a new church and being the lone planter. Chapter 3 examines three challenges–the task of ministering in a home congregation, the issue of accreditation in ministerial training, and how the minister can be a success and grow the church. Never far from the thoughts and actions of any of the Bicolano ministers is the problema of poverty, so Chapter 4 considers some of the Filipino, personal, and spiritual complexities of poverty, delineates a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration in any effort to overcome this malady and concludes with a particular reference to ministry
Quest for a Christian America
No full textThe Disciples of Christ, led by reformers such as Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone, was one of a number of early-19th-century primitivist religious movements seeking to "restore the ancient order of things." The Disciples movement was little more than a loose collection of independent congregations until the middle of the 19th century, but by 1900 three clear groupings of churches had appeared. Today, more than 5 million Americans—members of the modern-day Disciples of Christ (Christian Church), Independent Christian Churches, and Churches of Christ, among others—trace their religious heritage to this "Restoration Movement.
What Led Jesus to be Called the Son of God? An Historical Investigation of how an Appellation of Alexander the Great and of the Roman Emperors came to be used of Jesus.
No full textAbstract of a Master of Letters Degree, Durham University
The Reverend Canon William Ernest Lionel Broad M.A., Durham University
By 100 CE the principal appellation of Jesus of Nazareth had become ’Son of God’; a title of such importance to his followers that one of their principle activities for the succeeding 350 years was to define its meaning. Yet this dissertation maintains that widespread belief that the title originates in the Hebrew Scriptures is misplaced. Investigation of Jewish literature leads to the discovery that the title ‘Son of God’ was seldom used in it and never in such a way as to justify it becoming Jesus’ most significant appellation. The aim of my thesis is to examine where else in the ancient world the appellation ‘Son of God’ was used, and, when it was used, to see if it could provide the basis for describing Jesus by this title. The objective of the dissertation is to establish that the use of this title by Greeks and Romans provided the model for Jesus of Nazareth to be called ‘Son of God’.
Chapter 1 examines the religions of Persia, Egypt and Greece and finds that, in the world of mythology, Greek heroes were born as a result of intercourse between a god and a human being and were called sons of the gods. Chapter 2 examines the career of Alexander the Great and especially his visit to the shrine at Siwa and finds that he was there proclaimed a son of god. It establishes that this proclamation transformed the appellation ‘Son of God’ from a mythological to a historical title and led to Alexander’s deification. Chapter 3 examines the Hebrew Scriptures and other Jewish literature with the results described above. Chapter 4 examines the use of the title ‘Son of God’ in the New Testament and discusses the development of this title in the unfolding history of the first century church. It finds that the title was first used of Jesus in Greece during Paul’s ministry to the gentiles and that it provided the motif for Mark’s Gospel. Chapter 5 assesses the use of ‘Son of God’ in post apostolic literature and establishes that, though this literature shows a development of the appellation, it provides no further clue as to it origin. Chapter 6 investigates the effect that the titling of Augustus and subsequent Roman emperors as sons of god had on the way Jesus was portrayed by the evangelists. In particular, it finds that Augustus, originally called a ‘Son of God’ because his father was deified on his death, is portrayed as a figure of such excellence that he was deified during his lifetime.
Chapter 7 concludes the thesis. It shows that Alexander, a person whose historical doings more than justified his being described as ‘the Great’ and who was surrounded by fabulous legends, provided a precedent for a human being to be called a ‘Son of God’ and hence for Jesus of Nazareth to be so described. It indicates how events at Siwa were a precursor of the baptism of Jesus, how one of the temptations was clearly modelled on Alexander’s experiences at Siwa and how Jesus’ reported age at his crucifixion was perhaps chosen because it was Alexander’s age when he died. It also shows how the widespread titling of Roman emperors as sons of gods seriously influenced the way Jesus was perceived as ‘Son of God’. Three appendices examine the birth stories of Alexander, the Messiah as ‘Son of God and some of the titles of Augustus that are relevant to the thesis
Worship as thanksgiving: the offering of life
No full textSandra Fach contributes a fresh reading of T. F. Torrance’s renowned essay “The Mind of Christ in Worship: The Problem of Apollinarianism in the Liturgy”. As well as providing an insight into Torrance’s theology of worship, particularly the idea of worship as thanksgiving, she also explores his emphasis on Christ’s mediatorial role with particular reference to two other Scottish theologians, William Milligan and John McLeod Campbell.Publisher PD
The claim of humanity in Christ : salvation and sanctification in the theology of T.F. and J.B. Torrance
No full textThis thesis critically engages with the Torrances’ claim that all of humanity is in Christ. It explores how God has claimed humanity in salvation and the claim that He has placed upon humanity in sanctification. It argues that this claim upon humanity is not a cumbersome one, for God’s radically objective act of salvation is the basis for the subjective outworking of the Christian life. As we freely participate by the Spirit in the incarnate Son’s filial relationship with the Father, we grow into the ontological reality of who we are in Christ.
Part One critically examines how the salvation wrought for us by the triune God of grace is filial, ontological and objective. It challenges soteriologies that have an overarching federal or external framework which lead to people being thrown back upon their own subjective endeavours to gain salvation. Part Two extends the implications of the Torrances’ soteriology to the outworking of our sanctification. It roots sanctification objectively with
justification in Christ, challenging the belief that, having been justified by God, it is now our part to work out our own sanctification; Affirming humanity’s new eschatological orientation in the risen humanity of Christ, it argues for confidence in the nature of our humanity and in the outworking of sanctification. Thus it challenges external paradigms that can only offer a poor perspective on humanity and demand our own ineffectual efforts. It presents the outworking of sanctification in dynamic, relational terms, rather than static, moralistic terms, as the free gift of participating by the Spirit in the Son’s
intimate communion with the Father
Where is European Research on Inclusive Education Heading? An Analysis of European Conference of Educational Research Abstracts Over the Past Twenty Years
No full textAs a multifaceted and dynamic field, inclusive education is progressively evolving from its original emphasis on ensuring educational access and rights for students with disabilities and special educational needs towards fostering a comprehensive culture of inclusion, participation, and empowerment for all learners. This evolution has encompassed a significant broadening of conceptualisations of inclusion to address diverse identities, intersecting forms of marginalisation, and systemic inequalities, redefining inclusion as a matter of educational provision but also of social justice and structural transformation. Inclusive education today entails critical engagement around equity, participation, and recognition, reflecting shifting societal expectations and the need for more responsive and context-sensitive education systems. Furthermore, the field has increasingly emphasised the co-construction of knowledge with marginalised communities, the necessity of transformative policy engagement, and the recognition of intersectional oppressions that influence educational access and experience. In exploring these transformative shifts, this chapter adopts and juxtaposes two complementary empirical approaches: (1) a qualitative inquiry based on video interviews with key members of the European Conference of Educational Research’s Network 04, and (2) a large-scale quantitative analysis of ECER research trends using computational topic modelling. The first, rooted in narrative and interpretive methodologies, foregrounds the lived experiences, personal trajectories, and affective investments of scholars within the Network. The second, drawing on techniques from science studies and digital humanities, systematically maps the evolution of research themes through statistical analysis of conference abstracts spanning over two decades. This dual-method framework enables an in-depth, phenomenological understanding of academic life within the network and a broader, data-driven perspective on the structural evolution of inclusive education research. By aligning these approaches, the chapter seeks to illuminate both the continuities and tensions between subjective academic experience and the emergent patterns revealed by computational modelling. Moreover, situating the analysis within the wider context of science studies, the chapter recognises inclusive education as both a pedagogical project and a dynamic knowledge field shaped by diverse epistemic practices, disciplinary boundaries, and technological mediations. It draws on conceptual tools from the sociology of science to interrogate how inclusive education is produced, legitimised, and contested through the interplay of communities, infrastructures, and knowledge technologies, thereby foregrounding questions around the production of academic authority, the role of conferences as knowledge hubs, and the ways in which research topics and disciplinary boundaries are assembled and reconfigured over time.2 WHERE IS EUROPEAN RESEARCH ON INCLUSIVE ... 15 The European Conference of Educational Research (ECER) interlinks different national and cultural research traditions with widely varied disciplinary understandings and theoretical and methodological approaches (Keiner, 2010). European Educational Research Association (EERA) networks aim to provide a forum for this diversity and create a European research space with a culturally specific intellectual and social practice among educational researchers (Figueiredo et al., 2014; Lawn , 2002). This chapter explores transformative shifts within the European context; specifically, the role of EERA’s Network 04 Inclusive Education which. Over the past three decades, has reflected broader developments in the field and functioned as an engine for innovation, advocacy, and intellectual exchange. Network 04 has contributed to shaping the research agenda around inclusive education in Europe and beyond, providing a consistent forum for critical engagement with national and international policy, curricular practices, inclusive teacher education, and epistemological reflections on the nature and purpose of inclusion. The chapter is thus constructed through the articulation of these two empirical strategies. The first draws on interviews with a wide array of network participants—founding members, long-standing contributors, current convenors, and emerging scholars, whose voices collectively provide a textured, polyphonic account of Network 04’s evolution. These testimonies are both personal narratives and social artifacts that are indicative of the affective economies underpinning knowledge production around in/exclusion. The second approach utilizes the analysis app EduTopics: ECER, which leverages advances in computational social science to extract, cluster, and visualise research topics from a vast database of ECER conference abstracts. By applying topic modelling algorithms to this dataset, the analysis reveals latent thematic shifts, patterns of collaboration, and emerging research frontiers within the network and the wider field of inclusive education. Throughout the chapter, the structure and presentation of findings from both approaches are carefully aligned: each empirical section addresses comparable analytical questions such as the evolution of thematic priorities and negotiation of epistemic boundaries, enabling a dialogic interplay between qualitative depth and quantitative breadth. Recent research undertaken by the network’s convenors (Rix Inclusive Research, 2025a–d) informs the chapter. Drawing on video interviews with founding members, long-standing contributors, current convenors, and emerging scholars, the initiative assembled a polyphonic account16 F. DOVIGO ET AL. of Network 04’s evolution, illuminating how the network has both responded to and helped reconfigure the field of inclusive education. These testimonies shed light on the tangible transformations brought about by the network in terms of capacity building, research priorities, and institutional critique. Simultaneously, the EduTopics: ECER analysis app represents a paradigmatic instance of how contemporary science studies rely increasingly on digital infrastructures and algorithmic tools to render academic fields visible, traceable, and analyzable at scale. The use of machine learning-based topic modelling expands the empirical reach of the chapter but also invites critical reflection on the affordances and limitations of computational methods in education research. Accordingly, the chapter adopts a reflexive stance on the epistemological consequences of combining human and machine reading, qualitative and quantitative inference, and the co-construction of meaning across methodological divides
The ascending prayer to Christ: theodore Stoudite's defence of the Christ-єikwv against ninth century iconoclasm
No full textTheodore Stoudite (759-826) was at the centre of a revival of patristic learning which equipped him to apply the weight of the Christian tradition to the Byzantine image controversy of the eighth and ninth centuries. In this recovery of the tradition Theodore discovered how the epistemological and ontological demands of both radical divine transcendence and divine active agency in the creative order are met in the incarnate Christ. He concluded that the liturgical expression of this developed theology requires the presence of the Christ- єikwv. The structure of this thesis reflects the single argument of the three-part ‘Avtρρητικοι κατα єικουομάxwv(c. 816). Antirr I and II describe the content of the 754 and 787 Councils, revealing the causes of the theological impasse which prevented the resolution of the controversy. In Antirr I and II Theodore also establishes the ground for his argument in Antirr III by distancing the eighth century Christ- єikwv from its function in former centuries as symbol, pure narrative painting and relic. Theodore defines its contemporary function as liturgical, devotional and doctrinal in character. Written in response to the 815 Council, Antirr III is Theodore's apology for this Christ- єikwv as a legitimate object of лροσκύvησs-. The argument is established within the parameters of the tradition as Theodore carefully defends the circumscribability of Christ in accordance with Chalcedonian Christology. My analysis of the Antirr, assisted by a reading of his letters, reveals that Theodore understands the Christ- єikwv as playing a key role both in the ascetic struggle to free the mind from λογισμοι (distracting thoughts), and in the practice of θєwρια(contemplation) within the Liturgy. The liturgical, doctrinal and devotional Christ- єikwv has become a revealed and formal means by which the worshipper receives a Dionysian άυαγwγη(spiritual uplifting) to the divine presence
The theological and doxological understanding of resurrection: an examination of its centrality within the 4th century Christian orthodox understanding of Easter with particular reference to the festal letters of St. Athanasius of Alexandria
No full textThe Festal Letters of Saint Athanasius were composed in response to a decision by the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The Council of Bishops assembled primarily to confront the teachings of Arianism, which had questioned the Nature and Person of Jesus Christ. But another problem that the Council of Nicaea faced related to the celebration of Easter. For some time the Church had become divided about the proper observance not only of Easter itself, but also the Lenten Season and the post-Easter period leading to Pentecost. The Council deputed to the Bishopric of Alexandria the task of computing the correct dates for Easter to ensure unity of theological belief and doxological expression. While the practice of composing pastoral letters had already been established in Alexandria, Athanasius continued to notify the Church concerning Easter by sending Festal Letters throughout his entire period in office. In the first instance, we shall examine the historical background to these Pastoral Epistles. The theme of resurrection is then investigated in relation to three of Athanasius' main works - Contra Gentes, De Incarnatione and Contra Arianos (I - III). The third chapter particularises the concept of resurrection and the manner in which Athanasius perceives it within the Festal Letters themselves. This is complemented by an analysis of the doxological significance of resurrection within worship and especially Eucharistic practice. Chapter Five expresses the main theological realities that formed the foundation of Athanasius' soteriological beliefs. Central to these are the nature of the homoousion and the saving vicarious humanity of Jesus Christ. The sixth chapter concludes appropriately with a study of immortality in relation to body and soul
De Degradatione
No full textSub Praesidio ... Dn. Ernesti Friderici Schröters ... Ad diem Febr. MDCLXXII. In Auditorio ICtorum publice disputabit Johannes Alexander Christ/ Wunsid. Var. Auto
Douglas Alexander Stewart, poet, author and playwright
No full textDouglas Alexander Stewart, poet, author and playwrigh
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