Western Theological Seminary Catalog: 1998-2000

Western Theological Seminary catalogs 1869-[ongoing] (incomplete). Also published as Calendar and Bulletin.https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/wts_catalogs/1087/thumbnail.jp

Western Theological Seminary Catalog: 2000-2002

Western Theological Seminary catalogs 1869-[ongoing] (incomplete). Also published as Calendar and Bulletin.https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/wts_catalogs/1088/thumbnail.jp

An Analysis of Clericalim in some Philippine Church Bodies as an Obstacle to Lay Activty in the Lutheran Church in the Philippines

The present study is born out of the conviction that, humanly speaking, the future of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines, and that of any Christian body for that matter, lies in a vitally active laity. It is also born out of a bit of experience that has seen what laymen can do when properly stimulated and guided. The study is made also in the belief that the clergy themselves to a large extent hold the key to a genuinely active laity and that they can be a tremendous influence either positively or negatively

The place of the church in the social development of young people

This item was digitized by the Internet Archive. Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

Christian Approaches to the Oriential Foreign Student in the United States

It is the aim of this study to ascertain, on the basis of a survey of the literature available, which approaches hold hope of most adequately fulfilling Christian objectives in relating to the Oriental foreign student

Crown rights of the Redeemer : a reformed approach to sovereignty for the National Church in the 21st Century

This thesis argues that the Church of Scotland is hampered in the proper exercise of its inherent power of spiritual jurisdiction by the predominance of a model of sovereignty that owes more to secular political science than to Christian theology. Chapter One analyses sovereignty from a Reformed theological perspective, founding on a prior doxological conception of the sovereignty of God. The result is a model of 'diakonal' sovereignty expressed in covenant relation between God and his people. Chapter Two describes the emergence of a conception of the relationship of authority between Church and state in post-Reformation Scotland that relied excessively on a 'Two Kingdoms' theory of authority. Chapter Three describes the constitutional crisis produced by the events of the 1840s, and the solution that was enshrined in the Church of Scotland Act of 1921 and the Fourth Article Declaratory appended thereto. This settlement is useful for asserting the Church's internal freedom to regulate spiritualia; but as a model of a legally sovereign institution, it was always constitutionally imperfect and obsolescent. Chapter Four traces the fate of the settlement in the last eighty years. The Church's legal privilege has diminished, and its independence been threatened by legislation and case-law; meanwhile the nation state has fragmented to such an extent that it may no longer have the ability to guarantee the Church's freedoms under the terms of the Act. Chapter Five recounts fourteen conversations held with men of experience and influence in the field of Church-state relations; conversations in which issues of Establishment (now barely relevant in the constitution of the Church), religious human rights (a partial, but inadequate alternative basis of religious liberty) and spiritual freedom itself (a separate matter from spiritual jurisdiction) were discussed in depth. Chapter Six concludes that a new philosophy of legal authority is needed to replace the one supporting the 1921 Act and the Articles. It must be a philosophy of service not domination; and it should not be enslaved to any particular understanding of sovereignty, not even a temptingly traditional, Scottish model. It must serve ecclesia semper reformanda and the Church as communio, not as societas perfecta. This produces a suggested re-writing of the Fourth and Sixth Articles Declaratory, on the separation of jurisdictions and the relationship between the Church and the civil magistrate. Only such a re-writing can restore the relevance of the constitutional foundation of the Church of Scotland and defend the spiritual freedom the Church must demand - to obey God above all earthly authority

Church Systems: From Church Attenders to Committed Church Members

American churches are in decline, with attendance dropping below 50 percent for the first time in 2021. The need for revitalization cannot be overstated or underestimated. Luke\u27s historical narrative in Acts 2:42-44 is an ecumenical prescription for a healthy, growing church today. This project seeks to determine the theoretical structure and biblical foundation necessary for churches to achieve healthy, sustainable growth. This study aims to develop and initiate a strategy with biblical praxis that will guide church attenders to an urban church in Columbus, Georgia, through a process to become committed church members. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of six strategic steps designed to turn newcomers to the church into regular attenders into members through assimilation. The intent is to discover a biblical approach to help this church and other churches with a similar context grow spiritually, numerically, and healthily. Therefore, this research project examines the currently available literature on church growth, church health, and congregational systems to discover models and practices that might help this church become more effective in reaching the lost for Jesus Christ and keeping them. The church will leverage a systematic approach that relies on the weekend service to implement six steps that are believed to meet or exceed the expectations of newcomers when they visit. With an effective follow-up and qualitative questionnaire, the church seeks to discover the level of satisfaction churchgoers have toward implementing the church\u27s systems approach and use their feedback to change, modify, or adjust the current strategy