Bringing it home : a hermeneutic phenomenological study of teenagers doing Lectio Divina with their parents
Bible -- Teenagers' use -- Case studies.
Bible -- Devotional use.
Bible -- Reading.
Reading -- Parent participation -- Case studies.
Christian education of teenagers -- Case studies.
Christ Church Bells Corners (Ottawa, Ont.) -- Case studies.
Anglican Communion -- Canada.
By Peter John Hobbs, 2013. -- For many years, the parish of Christ Church Bells Corners in Ottawa, Ontario has made the faith formation of children and youth a high priority. As the Rector, I began to the suspect the results of this ministry were fragile. Social science has demonstrated that Canadian mainline churches have experienced a demographic decline and face an uncertain future. The Anglican Church of Canada, for example, exists now as a de-facto disestablished, remnant Christian entity in the early years of a post-Christendom epoch. Within this context congregations must partner with parents and households in the faith formation of young people. The act of ministry at the heart of this thesis project is a hermeneutic phenomenological, qualitative inquiry of the essence of the lived experience of teenagers doing Lectio Divina with their parents at home during Lent 2012. While the hermeneutic phenomenological method calls for a bracketing of prior knowledge and presuppositions, at the outset of the project I anticipated that participating teenagers would demonstrate a willingness to discuss matters of faith, engage in theological reflection, find comfort and enjoyment in doing Lectio Divina with their parents, and show interest in continued spiritual practices at home. The methodology culminates in an exhaustive description of the experience. In the concluding chapter I offer reflections, learnings, and recommendations pertaining specifically to an ongoing partnership between parent, pastor and congregation as well as the usefulness of hermeneutic phenomenology within the frames of pastoral and practical theology.
Hobbs, Peter John.
See record for print version in <a href="http://librarycatalog.vts.edu/record=b1175456~S1">Library Catalog</a>
Virginia Theological Seminary
2013
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. All other rights reserved by US copyright 2013.
Journeying with the Celtic Saints : living our Baptismal Covenant
Doctoral dissertations.
Doctor of ministry degree.
Brendan, Saint, the Voyager, approximately 483-577.
Brigid, of Ireland, Saint, approximately 453-approximately 524.
Columba, Saint , 521-597.
Patrick, Saint, 373?-463?
Episcopal Church -- Adult education -- Case studies.
Episcopal Church. Baptismal Covenant.
Workshops (Adult education) -- Case studies.
Baptism -- Episcopal Church.
Lent -- Study and teaching -- Activity programs.
By Debra M. Brewin-Wilson, 2017. "An adult education program invited participants to reflect on their own spiritual gifts and response to the Baptismal Covenant in light of material presented about four Celtic saints: Saints Brendan, Brigid, Columba, and Patrick. The material presented included stories, songs, and visual art about each saint. Using open-ended questionnaires, small-group discussion, journaling, and semi-structured interviews, participants were able to express that they had engaged more deeply with the Baptismal Covenant as a result of the program; the majority also identified ways they intended to more faithfully live out their baptismal identities in the future." -- (Abstract)
Brewin-Wilson, Debra M.
See record for print version in <a href="http://librarycatalog.vts.edu/record=b1502917~S1">VTS Library Catalog</a>.
Virginia Theological Seminary
2017
Copyright by Debra Brewin-Wilson 2017.
Leadership and justice : reciprocal transformation
Communities -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.
Community organization.
Church work.
Evangelistic work.
Kingdom of God.
Leadership -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.
Justice -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.
By Fadi B. Diab, 2017 -- "A project thesis submitted to the faculty of The Virginia Theological Seminary in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry, June 28, 2017." Advisor : David Gortner. Readers : James Farwell, Niam Ateek.
Diab, Fadi B.
See record for print version in <a href="http://librarycatalog.vts.edu/record=b1708205~S1">Library Catalog</a>.
Virginia Theological Seminary
2017
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. All other rights reserves by US copyright.
'Supply and demand' : a discussion of the practical , spiritual, and theological dimensions of ordained itinerant ministry for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.
Episcopal Church. Diocese of Washington.
Episcopal Church -- Clergy -- Appointment, call, election.
Circuit riders.
Itinerancy (Church polity)
By Olivia P. L. Hilton, 2017. "Through my thesis research and project, I studied clerical bivocationalism and itinerant ministry in EDOW [the Episcopal Diocese of Washington] from practical, spiritual, and theological angles. In these pages, I will analyze my work and propose concrete ways in which the Diocese as a large institution with six geographic regions, from Washington, D.C. to St. Mary’s County in Southern Maryland -- as well as EDOW’s individual members -- can move into a new paradigm and better understanding of the unique gifts of itinerant ministry." -- (p. 2)
Hilton, Olivia P. L., dissertant.
See record for print copy in <a href="http://librarycatalog.vts.edu/record=b1503306~S1">VTS Library Catalog</a>;.
Virginia Theological Seminary
2017
©2017 Olivia P.L. Hilton
‘Evangelistening’ – Listening as Evangelism in Caring Concern for Community
By Nyasha Gumbeze, 2020 -- "Anglican congregations throughout Western countries are struggling with the decline of membership numbers as the societal context becomes more secular. Members at Henderson Anglican Church in Auckland, New Zealand, are faithfully seeking their spiritual growth as they experience God in a Christian context. The members are evangelical in that they are welcoming to the community and hoping for new members that they might experience the blessings of the Christian life. Listening is an evangelism tool that works well in a secular and increasingly multi-cultural society like New Zealand. Church members can share the Christian experience without needing to assert Christianity's preeminence, and it has the added benefit of encouraging the Christian community and personal growth.
My thesis does not intend to redefine evangelism or the call of the church anew; instead, it provides some practical guidelines to help the church fulfill its vocation. My parish benefitted from learning to listen with one another. My goal for this thesis project is to offer a method through which churches might approach evangelism for ministry and mission to their members as well as connecting them to the broader community. The title itself “Evangelistening” is a direct reference to a book by Tim Sumpter Evangelistening: Recovering the Art of Listening in Evangelism."
Gumbeze, Nyasha J.
Virginia Theological Seminary
January 2020
Copyright 2020, the author.
PDF
Project thesis.
1 & 2 Peter
1 & 2 Thessalonians
1 Corinthians
1-2-3 John
1950s - VTS Academic Catalog
1960s - VTS Academic Catalogues
1970s - VTS Academic Catalogues
1980s - VTS Academic Catalogues
1990s - VTS Academic Catalogues
2 Samuel
2000s - VTS Academic Catalogues
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
A Formula for the Application of Trauma-Informed Care in the African American Church
How can the church minister in a more effective way to individuals who have suffered some form of trauma? One of the solutions is to become trauma-informed . This Capstone will offer a deeper understanding of the impact of childhood trauma, and discuss the impact of trauma and the need for ministries to become trauma-informed.
Sweeting, Donna K.
2022
Copyright, Donna K. Sweeting.
PDF
Project Thesis
Amos
Baptism to confirmation in the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia: Strategies for faith formation in children (ages 7-12).
Episcopal Diocese of Liberia.
Spiritual formation -- Liberia.
Children -- Religious life -- Liberia.
Christian education of children -- Liberia.
This capstone focuses on the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia. The faith formation of children has not been a priority in many churches within the diocese of over 30 years. Inadequate attention has been paid to the resources used or the modes of training teachers. Too many children and youth gravitate to other denominations because they do not experience meaningful and relevant teachings to their faith development in the Episcopal Church. Without updated strategies for renewed ministry to children, their faith foundation will be diminished, and the church's growth will continue to be hampered. The growing needs for adequate children's faith formation is crucial for the growth of the church. Identifying specific programs that cater to children's learning and development goals in the church requires planning, training, and implementation. This project seeks to further discuss the historical context of the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia in chapter one. In chapter two, the author will explore the biblical and theological foundation for faith formation, followed by proposing a contextually appropriate curriculum for children in the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia in chapter three.
Gaye, Allen Vahton
See record for print version in <a href="http://librarycatalog.vts.edu/record=b1965916~S1">VTS Library Catalog</a>
Virginia Theological Seminary
May 5, 2021
Copyright 2021, Allen Gaye
Thesis
Between Generations: Using Narrative for Intergenerational Faith Development
Forty years ago I was on a journey of discovery that would lead me to the life changing waters of baptism and a new chapter in my life. My journey began with a deep yearning to learn more about God and Jesus, but my pursuit for answers was wrought with many challenges.
I did not grow up in a Christian home and had no access to a Bible or other
Christian resources. What I did have were two men who shared their faith stories with me. These stories opened my eyes and helped me address some of the more profound questions of faith that were stirring in my heart.
Padre R.N. Jackson and Bishop Henry Hill were very different people. One was a military chaplain at the military college I attended; the other was a retired bishop of a neighboring diocese. Both men entered my life at times when I was questioning my faith and beliefs. They shared stories of how they came to faith and how their faith made a difference in their lives, especially in times of difficulty.
Listening to their faith narratives changed my life and moved me in a direction that would shape me for ministry. It also provided me with a model of formation which forms the basis for my project.
Leibovitch, Warren Neil
2019
Copyright Warren Neil Leibovitch
PDF
Project Thesis
Beyond the Binary: Worshipping a Non-Binary, Gender-Queer God
Gregory, of Nyssa, Saint, approximately 335-approximately 394. Ad Ablabium.
Coakley, Sarah, 1951-
Foucault, Michel, 1926-1984.
Gender nonconformity -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.
Gender identity -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.
Homosexuality -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.
By Robert Grant Mansfield, 2018 --"God is GenderQueer, thus humanity is GenderQueer! God is Non-Binary, thus humanity is Non-Binary! Such powerful, prophetic proclamations of who God is, has always been, and will always be, especially for the hundreds of thousands of individuals who understand and locate themselves outside of the current societal and Christian understanding of humanity and the Divine. These statements are shocking, confusing, and offensive to many. Excluding small, growing, committed branches of the church that promote a wide array of expansive language and imagery to describe and experience God, the Church as a whole, over the course of its life, has overwhelmingly and continues to teach and see God as a white, European, heterosexual man. Of course my original statement brings about strong opposition and confusion; if the Church cannot easily accept diverse images of God that reside within its own constructed gender binary (God as female, God as homosexual, etc.) that it has established to understand humanity and God, what else would the response be to a proclamation that God is also beyond that very binary that has been used to understand ourselves and our God for most of human history?" -- page 3
Mansfield, Robert Grant
See record for print version in <a href="http://librarycatalog.vts.edu/record=b1744144~S1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Library Catalog</a>
Virginia Theological Seminary
2018
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. All other rights reserves by US copyright.
PDF
Big theological questions : using inquiry-based pedagogy in teaching theology and religion to undergraduate students
VTS Thesis Collection
Faith development
Religious education of young people
Young people -- religious life
By Tracy Wenger Sadd. -- "The purpose of this study was to test whether or not using inquiry-based pedagogies, specifically big questions inquiry and appreciative inquiry, to teach Christian theology and religion in an undergraduate first-year seminar course would result in experimental group students reporting increased development of their inner lives and also greater advancements in interfaith understanding and bridge-building behaviors, regardless of the students’ religious or non-religious affiliations, as opposed to comparison group students. This research was conducted over a two-year period, from the students’ entry into college until the end of the students’ sophomore year.
The quantitative results suggest that an inquiry-based pedagogy applied to the teaching of theology and religion can advance students’ spiritual development or enhance their “inner lives” if spiritual development and inner lives are defined in the following ways: Being more aware of who I am, being able to clearly articulate my beliefs, increased curiosity, increased spiritual quest, increased happiness, increased satisfaction with self, finding a sense of what makes life meaningful, and finding a sense of purpose in life. The quantitative results also suggest that an inquiry-based pedagogy applied to the teaching of theology and religion can increase students’ dispositions and behaviors related to what Alexander Astin, Helen Astin, and Jennifer Lindholm call “ecumenical worldview,” and what Eboo Patel calls pluralistic bridge-building behaviors.
...
As a result of this research, the national chaplains networks should consider possible student learning outcomes for student spiritual development, as well as standardizing some best practices for inviting students not only to learn facts about the religions of the world, but also for inviting students to reflect to on their own religious beliefs or non-religious philosophies, not just as systems or institutions of thought and practices, but also as personal theologies or philosophies of life." -- (Abstract)
Sadd, Tracy Wenger
See record for print version in <a href="http://librarycatalog.vts.edu/record=b1455673~S1">VTS Library Catalog</a>.
Virginia Theological Seminary
03/2015
© Copyright 2015, Tracy Wenger Sadd.
Breaking the Silence: Towards an Understanding of Human Disability for Family Life in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika
By Tumaini Sarakikya, 2020. Abstract This thesis examines unexpressed suffering of mothers of children with disabilities in family life in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika in Tanzania. While the needs of the people with disabilities are given great consideration in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika, the understanding of disability and its possible effects are given little attention. This thesis will bring to the fore suffering generated by cultural understanding of disability to the mothers of children born with disabling conditions in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika. Under the influence of traditional views, mothers of children with disabilities are accused of inappropriate sexual relationships, triggering ancestor’s anger by breaking the taboos and for not maintaining good relationships with people during pregnancy. Personal narratives will assist in highlighting the effects of cultural understanding of disability that has victimizes women. A Christian understanding of disability which is rooted in Scripture will be explored. Careful attention will be given to the contradictory tones of Scripture in the whole issue of disability. However, Jesus boldly affirms that mothers are not responsible for the disabilities of their children (John 9:3). The church in the Diocese of Central Tanganyika is called to assist its members to cross the barriers. Just as Jesus crossed different cultural barriers in order to liberate people from understandings that were building hostility among themselves, so must the church today for the purpose of eliminating the sufferings of the mothers of children with disabilities.
Sarakikya, Tumaini A.
Virginia Theological Seminary
2020
@ Copyright 2020 by Tumaini Sarakikya
PDF
Called and Holy: Virginia Theological Seminary LGBTQIA+ Oral History Project