Sin and Salvation : An Inter-Cultural Re-Reading
Is it possible to have only one conception of sin? Of salvation? Derek Nelson in Sin: A Guide for the Perplexed observes that with a variety of approaches, we are able to “see, in relief and detail, features of sin that might be otherwise obscured.” One might say the same of salvation. We can thus gain a richer view of sin and salvation when we put old and new,
traditional and post-colonial theologians in conversation. Looking through the lenses of an early church father, St. Augustine, born and bred in Northern Africa, but a citizen of the Roman Empire, Wonhee Anne Joh, a feminist theologian born in Korea but largely raised in the United States, and Randy Woodley, a Native American theologian also born and raised in the United States but with deep Cherokee roots, we see commonalities and differences. A common sense of something inherent about being human that often leads us to hurt ourselves, others, and creation. The salvation of Christ’s life, death and resurrection is the window into God’s love that desired to heal us so much that God joined humanity in the world and ultimately suffered for us. Yet it also shows us the power of the life lived in love (Augustine)/jeong (Joh) /shalom (Woodley) that God calls us to which is able to heal that buried wound. Through this window, Christ’s life, death and resurrection, then, provides us with the power, grace and freedom to also pursue that life. There are differences in the theologies of these three, of course, coming from different contexts. When we open our ears to the Spirit, however, and the possibilities that cultures beyond our own have something to teach us, we may actually be reminded of what we already knew. Even as we gain greater understanding.
Fischer, Jennifer Anne
2023
Copyright, Jennifer Anne Fischer
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Project Thesis
The alchemical eucharist : the Christian influence on Medieval esotericism
Occultism.
Lord's Supper -- History of doctrines -- Middle Ages, 600-1500.
Alchemy -- Religious aspects -- Christianity -- Middle Ages, 600-1500.
Creation -- History of doctrines -- Middle Ages, 600-1500.
By Evancho, Nicholas, 2018 -- "Because the foundation of medieval philosophical and conceptual thought was the context of Christian doctrine and practice, when inquiry began into the workings of the natural world it was done from the same theological origin. God was seen as the origin of all things and the supreme governor of the world and so it was firmly believed that anything which was true of God would be true of the world at least in a limited sense. Within the medieval consciousness, there was an assumed link between the study of the Creator and the study of the creation and each was able to inform the study of the other.
In today’s world, the idea that scientific inquiry should begin within the framework of Christian theology seems misguided and antiquated. However, in the Middle Ages there was not yet an intellectual distinction between the veracity of theology and that of physical science. This allowed for a sort of spiritual science which conceived of a divinely infused world in which all perceived truths were intimately related and knowledge of the Creator dictated the understanding of the creation. It is difficult for the modern mind to blend the beliefs of faith with the distinctions and formulas of science but for the medieval theologians and esotericists it was impossible to separate the two without somehow admitting that one was not fully true. Through the recovery of the spirit of these esoteric doctrines, the modern Christian can regain an openness to a universe of divine immanence and action during a time where the natural world is understood solely through a mechanical lens."
Evancho, Nicholas
See record for print version in <a href="http://librarycatalog.vts.edu/record=b1744145~S1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library Catalog</a>
Virginia Theological Seminary
April 26, 2018
© 2018, Nicholas Evancho
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A constructive missiological approach to short-term mission
Short-term missions.
Theology, Doctrinal.
Evangelistic work.
Missions.
By Robin Elaine Denney, 2017. -- This thesis moves toward a constructive theology of mission amidst the core problems associated with short-term mission: paternalism, dependency and disempowerment, and lack of critical reflection. Voices in World Christian are prioritized by engaging these problems in conversation with world theology, the contextualization of scripture, and critical reflection on mission practice. From this conversation, nine principles are identified to shape constructive practice : encounter, incarnation, worship, empowerment, narrative, proclamation, repentance, reconciliation, and discernment. These principles are applied to case studies of innovative short-term mission and cross-cultural relationships.
Denney, Robin Elaine
See record for print version in <a href="http://librarycatalog.vts.edu/record=b1503300~S1">VTS Library Catalog</a>.
Virginia Theological Seminary
2017
Copyright © 2017 Robin Elaine Denney
The Episcopal Church in Native American Boarding Schools (1862-1905): Varieties of Assimilation through Transfer Narratives
By Jean Cotting (2020) -- "Within the context of Native American boarding schools, the main objective of the founding Christian churches and later the government was assimilation of students. That is to say, unlike the conventional definition of assimilation which involves recent arrivals adopting the cultural norms of a new homeland, the assimilative process of education in the boarding schools was designed so that children, already situated in their own homeland, gave up their distinctive culture and adopted the cultural norms of white settler society. Within boarding schools such assimilation consisted of eliminating the language, dress, cultural practices, and a unifying ethos of nationhood for Native American children,. In this thesis I will identify these assimilative practices and streams of thought in the Episcopal Church from the mid nineteenth century through the early years of the twentieth century."
Cotting, Jean A.
Virginia Theological Seminary
2020
@Copyright 2020 by Jean A. Cotting
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English
Servant Leaders Seeking Justice : An Ethnographic Sketch of Trinity United Methodist Church (1774-2023)
On November 20, 1774, a young, itinerant Methodist minister, William Duke, rode into Alexandria, Virginia, and preached to a small group of local people. He recorded in his diary that he had “formed them into a new society.” No pomp and circumstance, no grand gestures or even a modest celebration ushered in this new Methodist society.2 Church archives yield sparse documentation of its organization. Few names are associated with those early days when the Methodist movement was planted in Alexandria, Virginia. Yet, if it is evidence one seeks, look no further than 2911 Cameron Mills Road, home of the third “meeting house” of that society, Trinity United Methodist Church, which later became a congregation in an emerging Protestant denomination.
Buchholz, Mary Beth
2023
Copyright, Mary Beth Buchholz
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Project Thesis
Power and Piety: <em>discretio spirituum</em> in the paratexts of early modern English women translators
By Amanda Bourne, 2020 -- The use of modesty topoi by early modern women writers has frequently been studied, but very rarely have these literary devices been explicated in light of the theological traditions which dictated their use. This study argues that the ways of addressing and appealing to religiopolitical authorities in the English Reformation remained largely continuous with the preReformation tradition of discretio spirituum as a source of spiritual and literary authorization, even as evangelicalism and humanism differentiated the theologies and educations of these women from their visionary predecessors. By looking at the paratexts of Anne Cooke Bacon, Elizabeth I, Anne Locke, and Mary Sidney Herbert, this study examines the continuities of discretio spirituum in the work of evangelical translators during the Tudor Reformations. Recognizing discretio spirituum as an ongoing source of religious and political legitimation in early modern England complicates the study of female discourse, and allows for a more complete picture of the self-fashioning of women writers across the Reformation
Bourne, Amanda Patrice
Virginia Theological Seminary
2020
@ 2020 Amanda Patrice Bourne
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Intentional Mentorship Lesson Plan for Training Lay and Clergy Leaders : a tool for Children's Ministry in the Diocese of Bondo, Kenya
Bondo Diocese is one of the Anglican dioceses that has made history in the life of the Anglican Province of Kenya through its progressive support of the quest for the ministry of women’s liberation. This diocese was the first to ordain and consecrate a female priest and a woman as a bishop in the entire Anglican Church in East Africa which includes countries like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. Just as Bondo led the way with its support of women’s ministry, the diocese seeks to lead with its ministry for children. Bondo is a diocese with an established commitment to children’s ministry, but it can be stronger.
Adhola, Carolyne Adhiambo
2023
Copyright, Carolyne Adhiambo Adhola
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Project Thesis
Church in the Forefront:Addressing Violence Against Women in the Anglican Diocese of Bondo, Kenya.
Anglican Communion. Diocese of Bondo, Kenya. Women -- Crimes against -- Religious aspects -- Christianity. <br />Women -- Social conditions -- Kenya -- Bondo. <br />Women -- Violence against -- Kenya -- Bondo. <br />Church and social problems. <br />Women -- Violence against -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.
Gender-based violence is recognized as a pressing social issue because of its psychological and physical consequences to the victimized.1 This study will elaborate on how the presence of gender-based violence causes a ripple effect in the lives of the victimized, and also the dependents of these victimized women. Women who are susceptible to violence undertake the significant role of caring for the whole family which is a basic unit of the community. There should be cohesion within the social fabric of the community on issues of addressing violence against women. There should be systemic changes in unjust social structures in the community that perpetuates gender- based violence. The norms, ethics, the values, the morals and the culture of the society are constructed in such a way that they enhance exploitation of women which practically are the basis upon which societal practices are derived. The social institutions have been structured in such a way that they subordinate women. For instance, according to cultural practice, women’s roles are enshrined within the sphere of domestic chores. They are rarely involved in economic activities that can empower them to meet their basic needs. This makes their situation susceptible to gender-based violence. Likewise, women’s capacity becomes limited in their endeavor to implement their own fundamental rights. This results in women’s minimal ability to participate in institutional and public leadership.
Adega, Ambrose Odiwuour
See record for print version in <a href="http://librarycatalog.vts.edu/record=b1965918~S1">VTS Library Catalog</a>
Virginia Theological Seminary
May 13, 2021
Copyright ©2021 by Ambrose Odiwuor Adega
Thesis