George Herbert: his place in English church history

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityProblem. The purpose of the dissertation is to discuss the place of George Herbert (1593-1633) in the history of the Christian Church in England. With the revival of interest in and appreciation of the metaphysical poets, the name of George Herbert has taken a recognized place in the list of English authors, and his contribution to English literature is acknowledged increasingly. On the other hand, his role in Church history has never adequately been assessed. His theological and ecclesiological position often has been misrepresented gravely, and as a result his English poems, all of which deal with religious subjects, have been misunderstood to some extent by many. The dissertation is not a study of George Herbert considered primarily as a literary artist. It does not attempt to make a literary analysis of his poems, nor does it look for evidences of purely literary influence, except where data of this kind contribute directly to understanding his religion or his place in the Church. George Herbert's religious devotion is for us totally bound up in his poetry, and his attitude toward his poetic gift is at its root religious. Therefore a study of this kind cannot avoid all literary questions, and it refers constantly to his poetry. But what is attempted is an historical view of Herbert's place in English religious life and not a criticism of his poetry and prose. [truncated

George Herbert: his place in English church history

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityProblem. The purpose of the dissertation is to discuss the place of George Herbert (1593-1633) in the history of the Christian Church in England. With the revival of interest in and appreciation of the metaphysical poets, the name of George Herbert has taken a recognized place in the list of English authors, and his contribution to English literature is acknowledged increasingly. On the other hand, his role in Church history has never adequately been assessed. His theological and ecclesiological position often has been misrepresented gravely, and as a result his English poems, all of which deal with religious subjects, have been misunderstood to some extent by many. The dissertation is not a study of George Herbert considered primarily as a literary artist. It does not attempt to make a literary analysis of his poems, nor does it look for evidences of purely literary influence, except where data of this kind contribute directly to understanding his religion or his place in the Church. George Herbert's religious devotion is for us totally bound up in his poetry, and his attitude toward his poetic gift is at its root religious. Therefore a study of this kind cannot avoid all literary questions, and it refers constantly to his poetry. But what is attempted is an historical view of Herbert's place in English religious life and not a criticism of his poetry and prose. [truncated

Sons of Nehemiah: Raising the Level of Leadership in Ten Pastor Revitalizers of the Montgomery Baptist Association

There are churches in America seeking vitality through the restorative and refreshing power of the Holy Spirit. The present term of renewal is called “church revitalization.” Each struggling congregation has or is securing a pastor revitalizer. The question many will ask is, “Are these holy shepherds high capacity leaders? Will they lead the church with a compelling vision, a devoted work ethic, a contagious passion, and a kingdom focus based on a community context?” The thesis project researches ten pastor revitalizers from Montgomery, Alabama. The researcher gives them the name Sons of Nehemiah to build rapport and accentuate Nehemiah’s biblical value as a role model regarding the above four competencies. The researcher performs applied research on these men and their leadership as well as the churches they serve. He coaches the pastors by leading a six-week lecture series that includes peer dialogue, the examination of books, and online courses conducted by national church revitalization leaders. Also, he exposes the pastors to personal time with national leaders who are contemporary church practitioners. The researcher observes the church members’ comments regarding their church longevity and historical legacy. He collects quantitative data from community demographics and annual church profiles. Research concludes that if ten pastor revitalizers with nominal leadership capacity subject themselves to high-level leadership training, then a higher level of leadership capacity should be the anticipated result. The project proves that these men gain a higher degree of leadership skills and inspiration to lead their churches due to the intensive development efforts