Library: Philosophy, Religion, and Theology

Evangelical interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:8-15 (certainly at the level of detail) has, in the period from 1945 to 2001, changed from one of received consensus to confused plurality. This thesis provides an explanation of this phenomenon by identifying and analysing the influences within evangelical interpretation that contributed to and shaped it. The first part of the thesis (Section A) is foundational. It establishes the validity of using the term Evangelical as an heuristic concept and provides, by means of a wide-ranging and unique analysis of published discussions of 1 Timothy 2:8-15, t...

Reiki is an emerging adjunctive therapy that claims to provide physical and psychological healing as well as an experience of spiritual connection. It is increasingly employed in counseling centers, hospitals, and even churches. Reiki is believed by many to be a safe, non-invasive healing intervention that draws individuals towards God. Reiki practitioners maintain that they imitate Jesus’ laying on of hands and claim that their praxis is essentially the same as the healing used by Jesus as well as by Buddha. An ethnographic multi-case study was performed comparing the experiences of nine ind...

The concern of this thesis is with the history of ideas; specifically, the history of recent theological ideas. This thesis is not a work of systematic theology but rather situates discourse about a theological problem within the matrix of some relevant contemporary thought. Its category then is the history of the development of ideas. In the late twentieth century many academic theologians found the intelligibility of the traditional language used about the Christian Trinitarian God to be problematic. This is the thesis’ research problem. The research hypothesis is that these recent ac...

Spiritual healing modalities are powerful tools, which enhance holistic and allopathic methods in caring for special needs children. This research paper explores four methods of spiritual healing, which benefit disabled children on all levels of existence. The spiritual healing techniques of Touch Therapy, Sound Therapy, Channeling and Love Therapy address the unique mind-body-spirit requirements of the pediatric special needs community. Spiritual healing empowers parents and caretakers to take the responsibility of healing into their own homes and to enhance communication with their child ...

Shamanism, hypnosis, imaginal psychotherapies, and meditation are based on the use of what we in the modern western world think of as non-ordinary human consciousness. These four modalities have fundamental similarities and differences in purpose, theory, technique, type of alternative consciousness, and their application of non-ordinary reality. Shamanism, the oldest and most intertwined with the cultures in which it is practiced, will be explored as a model for individual healing and transformation and professional training. The shamanic way will also be explored as a model of consciousness ...

This study investigated the impact that women’s body image had on prehistoric, ancient Greek, and developing Jewish and Tibetan Buddhist religions. Questions focused on the validity of a Mother Goddess concept, the justifications used to reinforce negativity about women’s bodies, and the roles women assumed to maintain their spirituality. The evolution of patriarchal leadership was investigated, given the archeological evidence that women’s biological functions were seen as connected to the divine world and in parallel with the mysteries of nature. Data was drawn from arch...

This dissertation argues that business people, clergy, lay persons, and many chaplains do not understand the leadership and management dynamics of chaplaincy, and this lack of knowledge has a direct impact on how chaplaincy is done and not done in certain areas. In chaplaincy and many churches, leadership, management, and ministry have a synergistic effect when they come together in response to a problem or crisis. An understanding of chaplaincy dynamics, scope, methods, possibilities, and issues in relation to this effect is vital to this growing field in four areas: Helps prepare people for...

The purpose of this study was to investigate church congregants’ ratings of church deacons’ leadership skills utilizing the MLQ instrument and compare those ratings among 4 selected churches in Memphis, Tennessee. Because the church has experienced a rapid rate of growth in its membership and has been focused on dealing with those congregation-wide growing pains, it has neglected to provide the support to the deacons, which is necessary for their development. The problem related to rapid growth has resulted in empirical and anecdotal statements by various congregants that ...

Experience confirms that every believer has a daily challenge of how to appreciate and understand the disposition of his God in times of faith crises, great difficulty, trials and near hopelessness. Some would even ask: “Did God ever have a plan of salvation? If so, is it working at all?” Cognisant of the fact that a Biblical example could be the best way of appreciating the disposition of God at difficult times, the remnant motif in the Old Testament and especially in Isaiah presented some attractive issues that, if explored, could offer useful insights into the divine plan. As a response to...

Using a quantitative causal-comparative approach, the researcher conducted a relational study that compared injured and rehabilitated soldiers with no religious foundation to similar soldiers possessing religious preferences and spirituality. The two primary research questions were (a) Does religious preference and spirituality have a positive impact on the retention and attrition rates of injured soldiers? (b) Does an injured soldier’s frequency of spirituality increase the likelihood of being returned to initial-entry training? The study addressed several possible variables; among these were...