thesis on biblical theology

Sample Student Theses

Global education.

Global Jackson Orlando Charlotte Washington D.C. Atlanta Houston Dallas Memphis --> New York City Global
Campus Home

Below are downloads (PDF format) of the M.A. (Religion) theses of some of our graduates to date.

Note: Certain requirements for current thesis students have changed since earlier theses were completed.

e-Publications@Marquette

Home > ARTSSCI > Theology > dissertations and theses

Theology Dissertations and Theses

The Theology Dissertations Series is comprised of dissertations authored by Marquette University's Theology Department doctoral students.

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

The Universality of God in Amo’s Oracles and Creation: A Historical-Critical Approach within a Catholic Context , Alexandra Bochte

Trinitarian Theology as a Resource for the Theology of Education , Anne Bullock

Existential Thomism and the Ecstasy of the Sexed Body , Kathleen Cavender-McCoy

Ecumenical Traditions: Byzantine and Franciscan Theology in Dialogue , Gino G. Grivetti

Person and Society: The Trinitarian Anthropology of Henri de Lubac , Sara Hulse

Moved to Compassion: Envisioning Parables in the Gospel of Luke , Patrick J. O'Kernick

In the Power of the Spirit: Toward an Agapeic Ethic of Spirit-Baptism , Caroline Rose Redick

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

The Ethical Functions of Deuteronomic Laws in Early Second Temple Judaism , Paul Cizek

Finding Paul in the Fourth Gospel: John 8 and the Reception of the Apostle to the Gentiles , Jason Hitchcock

“Now I Will Recall the Works of God”: Allusion and Intertextuality in Sirach 42:15-43:33 , Gary Patrick Klump

The Human Person Fully Alive: The Transformation of the Body, Brain, Mind, and Soul of Humanity in the Encounter with the Divinity , Christopher Krall

Maximus the Confessor in Aquinas's Christology , Corey John Stephan

Rewriting the Ending: Malachi's Threat and the Destruction of the Temple in the Gospel of Mark , John Michael Strachan

Behold the Beasts Beside You: The Adaptation and Alteration of Animals in LXX-Job , James Wykes

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Biased in a World of Bias: A Cognitive and Spiritual Approach to Knowing Racial Justice , Stephen Calme

Where is Wisdom? Privileging Perspectives in the Book of Job , Israel McGrew

Being and Naming God: Essence and Energies in St. Gregory Palamas , Tikhon Alexander Pino

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Reception of the Economic Social Teaching of Gaudium et Spes in the United States from 1965-2005 , David Daniel Archdibald

Unity and Catholicity in Christ: The Ecclesiology of Francisco Suárez, S.J. , Eric DeMeuse

Filled with 'The Fullness of the Gifts of God': Towards a Pneumatic Theosis , Kirsten Guidero

Cathedrals of the Mind: Theological Method and Speculative Renewal in Trinitarian Theology , Ryan Hemmer

Fire in the Bread, Life in the Body: The Pneumatology of Ephrem the Syrian , David Kiger

Looks That Kill: White Power, Christianity, and the Occlusion of Justice , Wesley Sutermeister

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Beyond Slavery: Christian Theology and Rehabilitation from Human Trafficking , Christopher Michael Gooding

The Ambiguity of Being: Medieval and Modern Cooperation on the Problem of the Supernatural , Jonathan Robert Heaps

Widow As the Altar of God: Retrieving Ancient Sources for Contemporary Discussions on Christian Discipleship , Lisa Marin Moore

The New Day of Atonement: A Matthean Typology , Hans Moscicke

"The Present Evil Age": The Origin and Persistence of Evil in Galatians , Tyler Allen Stewart

A Sweet Influence: St. Bonaventure’s Franciscan Reception of Dionysian Hierarchy , Luke Vittorio Togni

Transforming the Foundation: Lonergan's Transposition of Aquinas' Notion of Wisdom , Juliana Vazquez Krivsky

Infideles Et Philosophi: Assent, Untruth, and Natural Knowledge of the Simple God , Jeffrey M. Walkey

Confessing Characters: Coming to Faith in the Gospel of John , Dominic Zappia

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Eighteenth-Century Forerunners of Vatican II: Early Modern Catholic Reform and the Synod of Pistoia , Shaun London Blanchard

The Media Matrix of Early Jewish and Christian Literature , Nicholas Andrew Elder

Imagining Demons in Post-Byzantine Jerusalem: John of Damascus and the Consolidation of Classical Christian Demonology , Nathaniel Ogden Kidd

Hoc Est Sacrificium Laudis: The Influence of Hebrews on the Origin, Structure, and Theology of the Roman Canon Missae , Matthew S. C. Olver

Reconciling Universal Salvation and Freedom of Choice in Origen of Alexandria , Lee W. Sytsma

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Doubt of the Apostles and the Resurrection Faith of the Early Church , J. D. Atkins

The Two Goats: A Christian Yom Kippur Soteriology , Richard Barry

Exodus as New Creation, Israel as Foundling: Stories in the History of an Idea , Christopher Evangelos John Brenna

Christus Exemplar: the Politics of Virtue in Lactantius , Jason Matthew Gehrke

Image and Virtue in Ambrose of Milan , Andrew Miles Harmon

A God Worth Worshiping: Toward a Critical Race Theology , Duane Terrence Loynes Sr.

The Cry of the Poor: Anthropology of Suffering and Justice in Health Care From a Latin American Liberation Approach , Alexandre Andrade Martins

The First Thing Andrew Did' [John 1:41]: Readers As Witnesses in the Fourth Gospel , Mark L. Trump

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Creator Spirit, Spirit of Grace: Trinitarian Dimensions of a Charitological Pneumatology , Wesley Scott Biddy

The Economic Trinity: Communion with the Triune God in a Market Economy , David Glenn Butner Jr.

Judgment, Justification, and the Faith Event in Romans , Raymond Foyer

Primeval History According to Paul: "In Adam" and "In Christ" in Romans , Timothy A. Gabrielson

Scripture in History: A Systematic Theology of the Christian Bible , Joseph K. Gordon

Gary Dorrien, Stanley Hauerwas, Rowan Williams, and the Theological Transformation of Sovereignties , David Wade Horstkoetter

The Mystical and Political Body: Christian Identity in the Theology of Karl Rahner , Erin Kidd

Love the Stranger for You were Strangers: The Development of a Biblical Literary Theme and Motif , Helga Kisler

Theo-Dramatic Ethics: A Balthasarian Approach to Moral Formation , Andrew John Kuzma

No Sympathy for the Devil: The Significance of Demons in John Chrysostom's Soteriology , Samantha Lynn Miller

Truly Human, Fully Divine: The Kenotic Christ of Thomas Aquinas , Gregorio Montejo

Didymus the Blind, Origen, and the Trinity , Kellen Plaxco

ITE, MISSA EST! A Missional Liturgical Ecclesiology , Eugene Richard Schlesinger

From Modes of Production to the Resurrection of the Body: A Labor Theory of Revolutionary Subjectivity & Religious Ideas , Benjamin Suriano

Blinded Eyes and Hardened Hearts: Intra-Jewish Critique in the Gospel of John , Nathan Thiel

Monarchianism and Origen's Early Trinitarian Theology , Stephen Edward Waers

Sanctification as Virtue and Mission: The Politics of Holiness , Nathan Willowby

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

The Word Became Flesh: An Exploratory Essay on Jesus’s Particularity and Nonhuman Animals , Andy Alexis-Baker

RENOVATIO: Martin Luther's Augustinian Theology of Holiness (1515/16 and 1535-46) , Phillip L. Anderas

Models of Conversion in American Evangelicalism: Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge and Old Princeton, and Charles Finney , Mark B. Chapman

The Kingdom of God and the Holy Spirit: Eschatology and Pneumatology in the Vineyard Movement , Douglas R. Erickson

The All-Embracing Frame: Distance in the Trinitarian Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar , Christopher Hadley

"Make My Joy Complete": The Price of Partnership in the Letter of Paul to the Philippians , Mark Avery Jennings

The Unsettled Church: The Search for Identity and Relevance in the Ecclesiologies of Nicholas Healy, Ephraim Radner, and Darrell Guder , Emanuel D. Naydenov

Seeing Two Worlds: The Eschatological Anthropology of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification , Jakob Karl Rinderknecht

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Palliative Care's Sacramental and Liturgical Foundations: Healthcare Formed by Faith, Hope, and Love , Darren M. Henson

"now These Things Happened As Examples For Us" (1 Cor. 10:6):the Biblical-Narrative Depiction Of Human Sinfulness , Stephen Frederick Jenks

Love For God And Earth: Ecospirituality In The Theologies Of Sallie Mcfague And Leonardo Boff , Rebecca A. Meier-Rao

Stabilitas In Congregatione: The Benedictine Evangelization Of America In The Life And Thought Of Martin Marty, O.s.b. , Paul Gregory Monson

The Word Is An Angel Of The Mind: Angelic And Temple Imagery In The Theology Of John Mansur, The Damascene. , Elijah Nicolas Mueller

"heavenly Theologians": The Place Of Angels In The Theology Of Martin Luther , Christopher J. Samuel

"a Spreading And Abiding Hope": A. J. Conyers And Evangelical Theopolitical Imagination , Jacob Shatzer

Receptive Ecumenism And Justification: Roman Catholic And Reformed Doctrine In Contemporary Context , Sarah Timmer

Mary's Fertility As The Model Of The Ascetical Life In Ephrem The Syrian's Hymns Of The Nativity , Michelle Weedman

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

The Church as Symbolic Mediation: Revelation Ecclesiology in the Theology of Avery Dulles, S.J. , Abraham B. Fisher

Christological Name Theology in three Second Century communities , Michael D. Harris

Transcending Subjects: Hegel After Augustine, an Essay on Political Theology , Geoffrey J.D. Holsclaw

Circumcision of the Spirit in the Soteriology of Cyril of Alexandria , Jonathan Stephen Morgan

Toward a Renewed Theological Framework of Catholic Racial Justice: A Vision Inspired by the Life and Writings of Dr. Arthur Grand Pré Falls , Lincoln Rice

Emerging in the Image of God: From Evolution to Ethics in a Second Naïveté Understanding of Christian Anthropology , Jason Paul Roberts

Isaac of Nineveh's Contribution to Syriac Theology: An Eschatological Reworking of Greek Anthropology , Jason Scully

Between Eden and Egypt: Echoes of the Garden Narrative in the Story of Joseph and His Brothers , Brian Osborne Sigmon

Rediscovering Sabbath: Hebrew Social Thought And Its Contribution To Black Theology's Vision For America , Christopher Taylor Spotts

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Opening First-World Catholic Theology to Third-World Ecofeminism: Aruna Gnanadason and Johann B. Metz in Dialogue , Gretchen Baumgardt

Love and Lonergan's Cognitional-Intentional Anthropology: An Inquiry on the Question of a "Fifth Level of Consciousness" , Jeremy Blackwood

Andrew G. Grutka, First Bishop of the Diocese of Gary, Indiana (1957 to 1984): "Where There is Charity, There is God." , Anthony Bonta

The Election Controversy Among Lutherans in the Twentieth Century: An Examination of the Underlying Problems , John M. Brenner

Yves Congar, O.P.: Ecumenist of the Twentieth Century , Paul Raymond Caldwell

Theo-Poetics: Figure and Metaphysics in the Thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar , Anne Carpenter

Sacrament and Eschatological Fulfillment in Henri de Lubac's Theology of History , Joseph Flipper

Spirit and Flesh: On the Significance of the Reformed Doctrine of the Lord's Supper for Pneumatology , Christopher Ganski

A Comparison of the Kenotic Trinitarian Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar and Sergei Bulgakov , Katy Leamy

Ontological Subordination in Novatian of Rome's Theology of the Son , Daniel Lloyd

Dominus Mortis: Martin Luther on the Incorruptibility of God in Christ , David Luy

The Church and the Mediation of Grace: A Reformed Perspective on Ordained Ministry and the Threefold Office of Christ , Michael Joe Matossian

Advanced Search

Notify me via email or RSS
Collections
Disciplines

Information about e-Pubs@MU

General FAQ
Theology Website

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Home > STUDENT > STUDENT_THESES > MTH_THESES

Master of Theology Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2021 2021.

Poverty Alleviation in the Rural Areas of Kunene Region in Namibia: The Role of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) , Jeremia Ekandjo

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Missional Discipleship Within the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria , Innocent Webinumen Anthony

Empowering Laity to Engage in Pastoral Care Ministry: A Proposal for Capacity Building and Supervision for Larger Congregation with Special Reference to Kohima Ao Baptist Church, Nagaland, India. , Tsuwainla Jamir

The Social Role of Worship: A Reading of Micah 6:1-8 , Khin Win Kyi

Murmuring Met with Mercy and Grace: An Examination of the Pre-Sinai Wilderness Wanderings Traditions , Anna Rask

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

A Reinterpretation of Chin Christian Spirituality Beyond One Century in the Light Of Martin Luther's Freedom Of a Christian , Bawi Dua

New Every Morning: Epectasy as a Theology for Innovation , Joel Hinck

The Church’s Call to Minister to Refugees: A Case Study on Liberian Refugees in Minnesota , Rufus Kudee

Apostolicam Ecclesiam: Socio-Liturgical Interpretation of the Mission of the Church in the Perspective of Friedrich Nietzsche's "Antichrist" , Sebastian Ryszard Madejski

Developing Adaptive Leaders: An Initial Intervention for Transforming a Church Culture , Molly Schroeder

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Need for Older Adults’ Ministry in the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) , Bitrus Habu Bamai

Luther's Understanding of Grace and Its Implications for Administration of the Lord's Supper in the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) , Yelerubi Birgamus

Living the American Dream: Faith Formation and the Missio Dei Dilemma among Seventh Day Adventist African American Immigrant Families , Enock Ariga Marindi

Lakota Cultural Fusion and Revitalization of Native Christian Identity , Kelly Sherman-Conroy

The Word-of-God Conflict in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in the 20th Century , Donn Wilson

The Rupture That Remains: A Trauma-Informed Pastoral Theology , Eric Worringer

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Challenge of Being in the Minority: Palestinian Christian Theology in Light of Christian Zionism Post-1948 , Medhat S. Yoakiem

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Towards Beloved Community: Racial Reconciliation through Multiracial Missional Churches , Gray Amos Kawamba

Sanctification in Adolescence: How Karl Barth’s Two-Fold Critique of the Church Could Influence Youth Ministry Practices Today , Joel Vander Wal

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

The Absolving Word : Luther's Reformational Turn , Matthew W. McCormick

The Defiled Imago Dei and Forgiveness: The Tensions Between Ethnicity and Humanity in the Image of God in the Context of the Ethiopian Churches , Wondimu Legesse Sonessa

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Widowhood Care and Empowerment in 1 Timothy 1:3-16: A Case Study of the Evangelical Methodist Church of Christ as a Paradigm for African Instituted Churches , Millicent Yeboah Asuamah

Theses/Dissertations from 2008 2008

Understanding the Nature and Impact of Alcoholism : Implications for Ministry in Kenya , Margaret Kemunto Obaga

Theses/Dissertations from 1963 1963

An Approach to the Interpretation of the Self-Designation of Jesus: The Son of Man , Marlin Eugene Ingebretson

Advanced Search

Notify me via email or RSS
Collections
Disciplines

Author Corner

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Home > SEM > THEOLOGY-CHRISTIAN-PHILOSOPHY > Master's Theses

Department of Theology & Christian Philosophy

Master's Theses

Master's theses from 2016 2016.

The Relationship of the Old Covenant to the Everlasting Covenant , Kumar Ashwani

Master's Theses from 2015 2015

Rita Nakashima Brock, Rebecca Ann Parker, and Governmental Atonement Theology , Andrew John Blosser

Master's Theses from 2014 2014

The Ethical Viability of Church Support of Moral Legislation , Jason Alexander Hines

Master's Theses from 2013 2013

Toward a Biblical View of Collective Responsibility for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the Twenty-first Century , Miroslav Danihel

Master's Theses from 2012 2012

Protology and Eschatology in the Writings of John C. Polkinghorne: a Study of Contrastive Roles of Scripture , H. Nicholas De Lima

Socially Constructing God: Gender, Culture, and a Stratified Trinity , Landon P. Schnabel

Master's Theses from 2009 2009

The Doctrine of Sin in the Thought of George R. Knight: Its Context and Implications , Jamie Kiley

Master's Theses from 2008 2008

Reason in Theology: a Comparison of Fernando Canale and Wolfhart Pannenberg , Sven Fockner

Master's Theses from 1993 1993

Quantum Reality: Some Implications for Christian Theology , Charles Chinyoung Choo

Master's Theses from 1990 1990

Inerrancy and Sovereignty: a Case Study on Carl F. H. Henry , Joseph Karanja

Master's Theses from 1989 1989

The Final Generation: a Descriptive Account of the Development of a Significant Aspect of M.l. Andreasen's Eschatology as Related to His Treatment of the Sanctuary Doctrine Between 1924-1937 , Dwight Eric Haynes

Master's Theses from 1958 1958

An Investigation of the Concept of Perfectionism as Target in the Writings of Ellen G. White , F. W. Bieber

Library Links

James White Library

Advanced Search

Notify me via email or RSS
Collections
Disciplines

Author Corner

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

DigitalCommons@Cedarville

Home > Departments and Schools > Biblical and Theological Studies > Faculty Dissertations

School of Biblical and Theological Studies

Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Dissertations

Dissertations from 2022 2022.

Paul and Allegory: Galatians 4:21–31 Revisited , John Jarrett Ford

Dissertations from 2019 2019

Cross-Cultural Missional Partnership: Mediating Relational, Cultural, and Hermeneutical Tensions for Mutual, Faithful Missional Engagement , Joshua Bowman

Dissertations from 2018 2018

She Knows Truth: Toward a Redemptive Model of Women's Epistemological Development , Erin Shaw

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Narratives in Conflict: Atonement in Hebrews and the Qur'an , Matthew A. Bennett

Dissertations from 2016 2016

The Speckled Bird: Nathanael Emmons, Consistent Calvinism, and the Legacy of Jonathan Edwards , Zachary Bowden

Jesus as Faithful in Testing: A Key to the Rhetorical Connection Between Hebrews 3:1-6 and 3:7-4:13 , Michael McKay

Dissertations from 2015 2015

The Representation of God in First Corinthians 8-10: Understanding Paul in the Context of Wisdom, Philo, and Josephus , Trent A. Rogers

Dissertations from 2014 2014

Angelic Assumption of the Body in Thomas Aquinas and Scripture , John R. Gilhooly

Martin Luther's Messianic Rationale for Christ as the Sensus Literalis of Scripture in His Prefaces to the Bible , William M. Marsh

Dissertations from 2013 2013

That Their Souls May Be Saved: Church Discipline As a Means to Repentance and Perseverance , Jeremy M. Kimble

Dissertations from 2012 2012

'Behold, I Make All Things New': An Intertextual Analysis of New Creation in Galatians, 2 Corinthians, and Ephesians , Mark D. Owens

Toward a Canon-conscious Reading of Scripture: The Legitimacy of Utilizing the Concept of Canon as a Control on the Interpretive Task , Ched E. Spellman

Dissertations from 2010 2010

The Reformed Theology of Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) , Jonathan W. Arnold

God Is One: The Function of ΕΙΣ Ο θΕΟΣ as a Ground for Gentile Inclusion in Paul's Letters , Christopher R. Bruno

His Heart, My Heart - The Role of the Devotional Life in the Discipleship Process , Michael L. Parrott

Dissertations from 2007 2007

Relational Metaphors and Divine Omniscience in the Hebrew Bible , T. C. Ham

Dissertations from 2006 2006

An Analysis of a Compositional Approach to Biblical Narrative (Genesis 37) , Randall L. McKinion

The Verbal System of Biblical Aramaic: A Distributional Approach , Michael B. Shepherd

Dissertations from 2005 2005

Beliefs About Gender Roles and Issues Held by Undergraduate Students in Selected Christian Higher Educational Institutions , Joy Fagan

Imagination as a Handmaiden to Theology: An Evangelical Appraisal of the Role of Imagination in Theological Methodology , Mark Leeds

Dissertations from 2001 2001

Believing Doubt and Doubting Belief: Christian Scholars Working and Succeeding in the Secular Academy , D. Scott Dixon

Dissertations from 1997 1997

Adult Education in the Church: An Analysis of Student Perceptions of Classroom Environment , Thomas Hutchison

Paul's Theology of Parent-Child Relationship , Robert W. Milliman

Dissertations from 1994 1994

The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture , Chris A. Miller

Dissertations from 1993 1993

God and Christian Existence in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, & Titus , Gregory A. Couser

Dissertations from 1992 1992

Other Followers of Jesus: The Characterization of the Individuals From the Crowd in Mark's Gospel , Joel F. Williams

Dissertations from 1991 1991

Spirit and Law in the New Age: A Study of the Pauline Conception of the New Covenant , Paul R. Thorsell

Dissertations from 1988 1988

From Patriarch to Pilgrim: The Development of the Biblical Figure of Abraham and Its Contribution to the Christian Metaphor of Spiritual Pilgrimage , Daniel J. Estes

Advanced Search

Notify me via email or RSS
School of Biblical and Theological Studies
Collections
Disciplines

Author Corner

Submit Research
Copyright Guidelines
Permission Agreement

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Ten Theses on the Theological Interpretation of Scripture

Introduction: The Ugly Divorce between Theology and Biblical Studies

According to David Bebbington’s well-known definition, “biblicism” is one of the four marks of evangelicalism, along with substitutionary atonement, conversion, and activism. For years, one of the chief questions fueling my work has been: What does it mean to be biblical? During this time, I witnessed the so-called “battle for the Bible” played out in and between evangelical (and Southern Baptist) churches and seminaries over inerrancy. Today I am involved in a new battle for the Bible, or rather over Bible reading . The issue this time is not inerrancy but interpretation, and the combatants are not conservatives and liberals but biblical scholars and systematic theologians.

“Battle” may be too bellicose a term, though at times the discussion between different academic disciplines does resemble a kind of entrenched warfare, with neither side able to speak the language of the other with fluency. Moreover, family feuds are often the most painful and intense, especially when what is at stake is possession of the family jewels: the authoritative Scripture of the Old and New Testaments. Whose inspired line is it? Which guild, the exegetical or the dogmatic, is the better keeper of the flame of biblical Christianity?

The answer, for many, is a no-brainer: of course biblical scholars are closer to the Bible, not least by definition. But this assumes that being biblical means being textual in a particular way. Many biblical scholars, however, are content to read the Bible like any other ancient text, studying the original languages and situating texts in their original historical contexts. Often this involves applying critical approaches that bring new historical knowledge to bear on the text’s interpretation. Does recovering a text’s “natural history,” so to speak, enable us to discern the Word of God? Can the grammatical-historical method get beyond descriptions of Israelite and early Christian religion in order to read the Bible as Scripture –as God’s self-communication?

Something new is happening in biblical interpretation–or rather, something old that had disappeared is making a comeback. After two centuries of captivity to Berlin (the university where the divorce between biblical studies and systematic theology became official), some exegetes are beginning to return to Jerusalem to read the Bible in canonical (and ecclesial) context as a unified Word of God to the church today.

As with all broken relationships, there are two sides to the story, and to suggest that biblical scholars alone have dropped the ball is only half the truth. If biblical scholars have been insufficiently theological, then theologians have been insufficiently biblical. The temptation for theologians is to read the biblical text in ways that confirm one’s prejudices (and confessional frameworks). Alas, the text offender you will always have with you. Revisionist and conservative theologians alike too often give the impression that they are unwilling to let particular biblical texts get in the way of their marching truth and sweeping generalizations.

Neither the divorce between biblical studies and theology nor the vilification of one by the other of these disciplines serves the church. The fact is that many biblical scholars seek to be faithful to the Bible precisely by attending to its language and historical context. The question is whether and to what extent their Christian faith is operational rather than merely notional when it comes to the thick of the exegetical process. In order to be biblical in its faith, thought, and life, the church needs to know both how to read the Bible as Scripture and something about the tradition of its orthodox interpretation. Exegetes and theologians must work together to develop biblical and theological literacy: canon sense and catholic sensibility.

Bebbington’s quadrilateral you know, less so Vanhoozer’s decahedral, a ten-point checklist for fledgling theological interpreters of Scripture. The ten theses are arranged in five pairs: the first term in each pair is properly theological, focusing on some aspect of God’s communicative agency; the second draws out its implications for hermeneutics and biblical interpretation. ( 1 )

1. The nature and function of the Bible are insufficiently grasped unless and until we see the Bible as an element in the economy of triune discourse. ( 2 ) Those who approach the Bible as Scripture must not abstract it from the Father who ultimately authors it, the Son to whom it witnesses, and the Spirit who inspired and illumines it. Theological interpretation acknowledges the priority of God’s communicative activity as well as the integrity of human authorship. That the Bible is (a) a word of God that (b) speaks to readers in their own day captures the two most important assumptions that all ancient readers implicitly adopted. ( 3 )

2. An appreciation of the theological nature of the Bible entails a rejection of a methodological atheism that treats the texts as having a “natural history” only. The Bible is like and unlike other books: like other books, the Bible has authors; unlike other books, its primary author is God. Hence what I call the analogia lectionis or “analogy of reading”: the similarity in reading the Bible like other books is marked by an even greater dissimilarity due to its character as the Word of God. Moreover, God is a living author who intends our participation in his communicative act. Reading the Bible is part of our creaturely and covenantal relationship to God, hence the doctrines that speak to that relationship (for example, sin, regeneration, sanctification, ecclesiology, and so forth) also have a bearing on the act of reading. ( 4 )

3. The message of the Bible is “finally” about the loving power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16), the definitive or final gospel Word of God that comes to brightest light in the Word’s final form. The God who authored Scripture sends his Son and Spirit into the dramatic storyline. The God who led Israel out of Egypt is the same God who raised Jesus from the dead; the one Exodus anticipates the other. This in contrast to Walter Brueggemann’s defiant claim: “It is clear on my reading that the Old Testament is not a witness to Jesus Christ, in any primary or direct sense.” ( 5 ) Jesus himself interpreted “in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27) and rebuked those who search the Scriptures for eternal life while ignorant of the fact that they bear witness to him (John 5:39).

4. Because God acts in space-time (Israel, Jesus Christ, and the church), theological interpretation requires thick descriptions that plumb the height and depth of history, not only its length. An exegetical method is only as rich as its conception of history. Exegetes are not outside the world described by the Bible looking in; on the contrary, the Bible describes our world, our history. Adolf Schlatter dedicated himself to enabling biblical scholarship to deal with the presence and work of God in history. However, modern biblical scholarship has by and large hobbled itself to a purely immanent understanding of history as atomistic and linear. In contrast to this thin conception, theological interpreters insist that to be in history is to participate in the field of God’s communicative activity. This gives a very different spin to grammatical-historical exegesis, for “historical” now includes “a participation in realities known by faith.” ( 6 )

5. Theological interpreters view the historical events recounted in Scripture as ingredients in a unified story ordered by an economy of triune providence. There is no square inch of human history that is extrinsic to the mission fields of Son and Spirit. The biblical authors are witnesses to a coherent series of events ultimately authored by God. This series of events involves both divine words and divine deeds and, as such, is both revelatory and redemptive.

6. The Old Testament testifies to the same drama of redemption as the New Testament, hence the church rightly reads both testaments together, two parts of a single authoritative script. Again, this hermeneutical thesis follows from the preceding theological claim. What unifies the canon is Divine Providence and this in two senses: formally, the Bible is the product of divine authorship; materially, the subject matter of the Bible is the history of God’s covenant faithfulness. It is the story of how God keeps his word: to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and so on. It follows that the Old and New Testaments are connected at a profound level, for the one story of God’s faithfulness to his covenant promise is told in two parts. The typological connections that link the two testaments are grounded on God’s acting consistently through time. ( 7 )

7. The Spirit who speaks with magisterial authority in the Scripture speaks with ministerial authority in church tradition. We owe the insight into the unity of the Old and New Testaments to precritical readers–Fathers and Reform-ers–who developed and maintained the Rule of Faith that generated in turn a typological Rule for Reading, in which earlier events and persons prefigured later aspects of the person and work of Christ. What might otherwise seem to be an arbitrary history of diverse interpretations looks different when viewed theologically, for example, as the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to send his Spirit to guide his followers into all truth (John 16:13). Viewed in the context of the triune economy of communication, the Spirit is the prime minister of scriptural understanding, the Rule of Faith a prime means of the Spirit’s ministry of the Word. ( 8 )

8. In an era marked by the conflict of interpretations, there is good reason provisionally to acknowledge the superiority of catholic interpretation. The Word of God addresses the one church, local and universal; we are not the first generation to receive illumination. It is a bold critic who is prepared to identify his own interpretation with “what the Bible says” even when it flies in the face of the Great Tradition. One need not conclude from the history of textual effects that the Bible’s meaning has changed, only that communities in different times and places have searched the Scriptures from their respective situations, enriching our understanding of the literal sense.

9. The end of biblical interpretation is not simply communication–the sharing of information–but communion, a sharing in the light, life, and love of God. The Word of God is not mocked: we may think we can master it, but it is “living and active,” turning the spotlight on us, “discerning the thoughts and intentions of [our] heart” (Heb. 4:12). It can also circumcise our hearts, renew our minds, and transform us (Rom. 12:2). We need to recover the practice of reading Scripture in order to renew our mission and reform our habits. The theological interpretation of the Bible is as much if not more a matter of spiritual formation as it is a procedure readers work on the text: “God’s employment of the words of Scripture to be an instrument of his own communicative presence, by which process they are made holy, has its goal and essential counterpart in God’s formation of a holy people.” ( 9 )

10. The church is that community where good habits of theological interpretation are best formed and where the fruit of these habits are best exhibited. The Bible’s communicative aim is to foster communion with God and with one another. God calls the church into being to be the community that facilitates this happening. The church is not one more interpretive community with its own set of idiosyncratic interests, but the divinely appointed context wherein God ministers new life via his Word and Spirit. Strictly speaking, “Scripture” makes no sense apart from the community whose life, thought, and practice it exists to rule and shape.

Scholars know deep down that they can and should do better than stay within the safe confines of their specializations: “For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the interpretive good I want, but the historical-criticism or proof-texting I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but interpretive habits that have been drilled into me. Wretched reader that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of secondary literature?” Thanks be to God, there is a way forward: the way, truth, and life of collaboration in Christ, where sainthood and scholarship coexist, and where theological exegesis and exegetical theology are mutually supportive and equally important.

Conclusion: Toward Theological Exegesis

The way forward is to tear in two the disciplinary curtain that divides biblical studies from theology in the ivory temple, so to effect a reconciliation of these alienated parties. Between the original languages and the doctrinal propositions of the Bible lie various forms of biblical literature. The literary forms of the Bible are lenses that school our imaginations to see and grasp things as wholes: the individual books as a whole, the connection between the books and, most importantly, our own world in light of the world of the biblical text. Those who wish to be “biblical” would do well to remember this literary level.

Theological exegesis is not less but more than grammatical. Meaning occurs not only on the level of the sentence but also of the genre as a whole, which is why our interpretation must be “lettered,” adept at interpreting the whole panoply of the Bible’s literary forms.

Theological exegesis is not less but more than historical. Everything depends on exegetes having a theologically “thick” view of history as the field of God’s communicative activity. It is precisely because of this broader divine economy “that the ultimate meaning of texts cannot be simply handed over to the critical biblical scholar.” ( 10 )

Theological exegesis aims for both understanding and communion with God. To renew our evangelical mission to be a people of the book, then, we must conform our minds, wills, and hearts to the forms of thinking, doing, and feeling inscribed in Scripture. Being biblical is not simply a matter of grasping propositions but rather of learning certain cognitive, volitional, and affective dispositions that are part and parcel of what the Bible communicates.

Understanding without communion is empty; communion without understanding is blind. Joel Green’s comment continues to haunt: “No amount of linguistic training or level of expertise in historical and textual analysis can supersede the more essential ‘preparation’ entailed in such dispositions and postures as acceptance, devotion, attention, and trust.” ( 11 )

The chief end of biblical studies and theology is to minister understanding of God’s Word. If current disciplinary structures and procedures get in the way of this end, then seminary faculties will need the courage to go against the institutional grain for the sake of forming theological interpreters of Scripture able to minister the Word, even if this means a loss of academic respectability.

It is best to view the new interest in theological interpretation of Scripture in relation to the old task of training ministers of the gospel. Exegesis and theology alike serve the task of Christian proclamation: that distinctive talk about the triune God and the gospel of Jesus Christ that the Bible both generates and governs. The preacher is a “man on a wire,” whose sermons must walk the tightrope between Scripture and the contemporary situation, bringing God’s Word to bear on all of life. The pastor-theologian should be evangelicalism’s default public intellectual, with preaching the preferred public mode of theological interpretation of Scripture. ( 12 ) The health of the church depends on it.

Editorial Note: For more discussion on biblical studies and theology, see the interview with D. A. Carson in this issue.

Kevin J. Vanhoozer

From the issue: interpreting scripture, vol.19 , no.4 , jul/aug 2010, related resources, the old testament written in the blood of christ: a review of "the seminary as a textual community: exploring john sailhamer’s vision for theological education".

Some writing provokes joy in reading through beauteous prose or by bringing clarity to dense topics, but other literature is compelling because it pinpoints the questions that matter most. John Sailhamer’s writing is the latter sort. [...]

"Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics: Foundations and Principles of Evangelical Biblical Interpretation" by Graeme Goldsworthy

As the proverbial saying has it, "Well begun is half done." Graeme Goldsworthy seems to have followed that maxim when he set out to write his textbook on hermeneutics. First off, he dedicated it to his mentor, Alan Cole, who, among other things, had an "irrepressible Irish humor." While I often ignore dedications and prefaces, […]

Thinking Clearly About the Clarity of Scripture

Are the Scriptures clear? Most of us would tend to answer: "sometimes yes, sometimes no." There are passages that seem straightforward and other passages that appear really confusing. What else could we expect of a collection of books written over the course of 1,500 years, by so many diverse authors, in so many diverse styles? […]

The Gospel According to Söderberg

Rural Sweden is dotted with pristine, government-subsidized Lutheran churches whose pews and pulpits are mostly empty-even on Sundays. So it's worth taking a close look at Bible Illuminated: The Book, a new version of the Good Book that in one year has increased Swedish Bible sales by 50 percent and received more press than a […]

“Modern Reformation has championed confessional Reformation theology in an anti-confessional and anti-theological age.” J. Ligon Duncan, III Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church

Magazine Covers; Embodiment & Technology

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with all things Modern Reformation.

Home > Academic Departments > School of Theology and Seminary > Graduate Papers/Theses

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

Submissions from 2022 2022.

(Graduate Paper) The Role and Characteristic of Love in 1 Corinthians 13 , Ninh Van Nguyen

(Master's Thesis) Synodality as the Listening Church: Pope Francis Continues and Expands Vatican II's Teaching on Collegiality , Toan Van Phan O.Cist

Submissions from 2021 2021

(Graduate Paper) Pauline Theology: The Interdependently Called Body of Christ , Katryna Bertucci

(Master's Thesis) The Glory of the Lord Whose Likeness is as the Appearance of a Human Being/Adam: A Study of Ezekiel’s Son of Man/Adam Anthropology , Timothy R. Schmeling

(Graduate Paper) The Power, (Problem), and Potential of Prayer , Meghan E. Stretar

Submissions from 2020 2020

(Graduate Paper) How Can Catholic Youth Programs Improve the Youth’s Connection To the Mass? , Elizabeth Cook

(Graduate Paper) Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall: A Glimpse Into the Theme of Righteousness Through the Anthropology, Theology, and Spirituality of the Psalms , Elizabeth Cook

(Graduate Paper) Introducing Queer Theology , Cole Epping

(Graduate Paper) Taking Care of the Forgotten: A Pastoral Response to the Hospice Care Professional , Constance Friebohle

(Graduate Paper) A Global Church in the Local Parish: Fostering Intercultural Competency for Indonesian Catholic Ministry in the United States , Janice Kristanti

(Graduate Paper) The Indispensability of Inculturation For Effective Evangelization: Revisiting The Evangelization of Sub-Saharan Africa , Mark Obeten

(Graduate Paper) Seeking a New Paradigm for Youth Ministry of Waegwan Abbey, South Korea , Cyprian Ji-Eung Ryu

(Graduate Paper) The Catholic Church and the Turn of the 20th Century: An Anthropology of Human Flourishing and a Church for Peace , Maria Siebels

(Graduate Paper) The Wounded Body of Christ: Social Trauma in Pastoral Care , Kelsi Watters

Submissions from 2019 2019

(Graduate Paper) A Non-Dualistic Reading of Body and Soul in the Gospel of Matthew: Focusing on Matthew 10:39 in the Context of Discipleship , Alexander Blechle

Submissions from 2018 2018

(Graduate Paper) Catholic Social Teaching and the Christian Responsibility to the Poor , Rose Aspholm

(Master's Thesis) Not Quite Calvinist: Cyril Lucaris a Reconsideration of His Life and Beliefs , Stephanie Falkowski

(Graduate Paper) Life or Death and Other False Dichotomies: A Theology of Hospice , Kayla Stock

Submissions from 2017 2017

(Master's Thesis) On Dionysian Theological Methodology , Joseph Arrendale

(Graduate Paper) The Transcendence of the Apprehension of Beauty , Mary Abigail Coleman

(Graduate Paper) The Paradox of Remarkable/Unremarkable Julian of Norwich , John P. Fitzgibbons

(Book Chapter) Agape Unbound in Silence and Deep River , Elizabeth Cameron Galbraith

(Graduate Paper) Formed for Diverse Communion: Toward Developing An Ecumenical Formation Process for New Members of Holy Wisdom Monastery’s Sunday Assembly , Rosy Kandathil OSB

(Graduate Paper) A Garden Enclosed, A Fountain Sealed Up: Paradoxical and Generative Metaphors of Enclosure in Medieval Female Anchoritism , Cody Maynus Obl.S.B.

(Graduate Paper) The Gospel of Mark , Nancy McCabe

(Master's Thesis) A Theological Retrieval of Communal Parenting as a Moral Response to Baby Stealing and Childlessness in Nigeria , Henry U. Omeike

(Graduate Paper) Do This, in Memory of Me! , Joseph Qiu-Lin Zhang

Submissions from 2016 2016

(Master's Thesis) A Church Built on Charity: Augustine's Ecclesiology , Michael J. Clinger Jr

(Graduate Paper) A Story of Identity in the Christian East , Manya Gustafson

(Graduate Paper) Jude's Enochian Apocalypse , Lucian López OSB

(Graduate Paper) Matthew's Least Brothers and It's Application in the Catholic Church , Runbao Zhang

Submissions from 2015 2015

(Electronic Book) Illuminating Christ , Jessie Bazan

(Master's Thesis) Gifting Freedom to the Samaritan: Considerations on access to both the sacramental event and salvation for those who, for whatever reason, find themselves outside the Church, and the consequences of identity for the Church in gifting such access , C. A. Chase

(Graduate Paper) My Brother's a Jerk and Dad's Gonna Spank Him: Roles and Relations in Obadiah , Aletta Stumo

Submissions from 2014 2014

(Graduate Paper) Christology, Theology, & Evolution in Celia Deane-Drummond's Christ and Evolution , Trevor Beach SJ

(Graduate Paper) Joy as Illumination: Participation in God's Life-giving Trinitarian Love , Trevor Beach SJ

(Graduate Paper) Consideration of the Church's Identity and Mission, Predicated on the Church Be-ing 'Ligamen' (Bond) , C. A. Chase

(Graduate Paper) Observations on the Performative Force of the Qyama and the Ihidaye, and its Pertinancy Today , C. A. Chase

(Graduate Paper) Christ, the Meeting Point of Sacramental and Trinitarian Theology , Nathan Peter Chase

(Graduate Paper) The Christological Remnants within Eucharistic Prayers , Nathan Peter Chase

(Master's Thesis) With Eyes That See: The Role of Spiritual Vision in the Ascent of Nyssen Noetic Theology , Benjamin Rush

(Master's Thesis) St. John of the Cross and the Denudation of the Soul , Wesley Sutermeister

Submissions from 2013 2013

(Graduate Paper) A History and Analysis of the Missel Romain pour les Diocese du Zaire , Nathan Peter Chase

(Graduate Paper) The Development of the Epiclesis: Alexandrian or Syrian? , Nathan Peter Chase

Submissions from 2011 2011

(Graduate Paper) Short-Term Solution, Long-Term Problem: The Rite of Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest and its Use in the United States of America , Christopher Angel

(Graduate Paper) Welcome (Back): The Use of Initiatory Elements in the Reconciliation of Heretics to the Early Church , Christopher Angel

(Graduate Paper) The Gospel of Matthew: The Temple Cleansing in 21:12-17 , Kasey Devine

(Graduate Paper) The "Ladder" of the Lord's Plagues , Kasey DeVine

Submissions from 2010 2010

(Graduate Paper) St. John Chrysostom and His Message of Social Justice Today , Joel Cassady

(Graduate Paper) Trinitarian Christology: The Grammar of The Christian Faith and the Foundation for a Theology of Religious Pluralism , Eric Christensen

(Graduate Paper) Entering into the Profound Mystery: Yves Congar’s Via Media on the Salvation of People of Non-Christian Religions , Elizabeth M. Cunneen

Submissions from 2009 2009

(Graduate Paper) Ego Eimi Formula and a Sense of Continuity in John’s Gospel Chapter Sixth (Jn 6: v.20, vss.35-58) , John Changjin Bai

(Graduate Paper) Jesus the Christ as a Jun-Zi in Confucian Perspectives , John Changjin Bai

(Graduate Paper) An Exegesis of 1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:1-3 , Gregory Congote OSB

(Graduate Paper) Gregory Palamas and Hesychasm , Gregory Congote OSB

(Graduate Paper) Modern Usury: The Moral Challenge of Credit Cards in Light of Catholic Teaching and Practice in the Past and the Present , David R. Smoker

Submissions from 2008 2008

(Graduate Paper) Community in the Theology of Søren Aabye Kierkegaard , Nicholas Coffman

(Graduate Paper) Jean-Luc Marion’s Theology of Eucharistic Presence , Nicholas Coffman

(Graduate Paper) Proclaiming the Truth of Beauty , Larry Fraher

(Graduate Paper) Augustine of Hippo and Elizabeth de la Trinite: A Conversation across the Centuries , Vernon W. Goodin

(Graduate Paper) "Who Do You Say That I Am?" The Role of Story in Christology , Vernon W. Goodin

(Graduate Paper) Sufficere, “It Is Enough”: Avarice vs. Simplicity and Detachment in the Rule of Saint Benedict , Arlen M. Hanson

(Graduate Paper) Stories in Stained Glass: An Analysis of the Stained-Glass Windows at Saint Norbert Abbey in De Pere, Wisconsin , Timothy A. Johnston

(Master's Thesis) Wittgenstein and Worship: Investigations of Liturgical Language-Games and Their Formative Role in Christian Identity , Michelle Kathleen Weber

Submissions from 2007 2007

(Graduate Paper) Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Prophet & Martyr , Fr. Michael Calhoun OSB

(Graduate Paper) Saint Basil: Monastic Reformer , Fr. Michael Calhoun OSB

(Graduate Paper) Looking at Conflict Diamonds Through the Lens of Catholic Social Teaching , Heather Cherpelis

(Graduate Paper) “Allegorical Typologies” of the Eucharist: An Analysis of Some Eastern Liturgical Commentaries , Nathaniel G. Costa

(Graduate Paper) “For All the Saints”: A Feast for All People and All Time , Nathaniel G. Costa

(Graduate Paper) Eternal Hope: The Story of Sr. Mary Luke Tobin and Other Women who Participated in Vatican Council II , Megan S. Enninga

(Graduate Paper) Vulgar and Ascetic Christians: the Myth of a Higher Spirituality The rhetoric of monastic profession as a second baptism , August L. Gothman

(Graduate Paper) Active Participation and the Song of the Assembly , William Griffiths

(Graduate Paper) Transforming both the gifts and the people: Eucharistic presence , William Griffiths

(Graduate Paper) “You Can Become All Flame”: Do the Desert Fathers Have Anything to Say to Us Today? , Arlen M. Hanson

(Graduate Paper) Toward a Domestic Ecclesiology: The "Domestic Church" Finds Articulation in Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body" , Craig James St. Clair

(Graduate Paper) Celebrating the Communion Rite , Jay Stimac

(Graduate Paper) Karl Rahner: On Grace and Salvation , Nicole Streit

(Graduate Paper) One Body, One Spirit, One Priesthood; Many Members, Many Charisms, Many Ministries: Reflections Anglican and Catholic , Cody C. Unterseher

(Graduate Paper) Arianism, Athanasius, and the Effect on Trinitarian Thought , Andy Witchger

(Graduate Paper) How the Parish and School of St. Agnes Creates Vocations , Andy Witchger

Submissions from 2006 2006

(Graduate Paper) How Paul and the Jerusalem Council Might Speak to Division in the Twenty-First Century Church , Mary Birmingham

(Master's Thesis) Becoming One Spirit: Origen and Evagrius Ponticus on Prayer , Hilary Case OSB

(Graduate Paper) Syncletica: Urban Ascetic and Desert Mother , Susan Dreyer OSB

(Graduate Paper) The Education of Heloise in Twelfth-Century France , Susan Dreyer OSB

(Graduate Paper) A Woman of the Reformation , Megan S. Enninga

(Graduate Paper) A Key and Classic Text: Ephesians 5:21-33 , Katinka Nadine Ellen Evers

(Graduate Paper) Concealing to Reveal: Modesty in Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body , Katinka Nadine Ellen Evers

(Graduate Paper) Sex in the City of God , Diana Macalintal

(Graduate Paper) The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ecclesial Discipleship and Redemption , Diane Draxler Pederson

(Graduate Paper) The Spiritual Potential of Poetry , Carl Schlueter

(Graduate Paper) Complicating the Poor Widow’s Gift: Exegesis on Mk. 12:41-44 , Timothy Traynor

(Graduate Paper) "We Should Glory in the Cross:" The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and its Contemporary Liturgical Significance , Cody C. Unterseher

Submissions from 2005 2005

(Graduate Paper) Hermeneutics and Liturgical Space: Interpreting the Domus Ecclesiae - Domus Dei , Gregory Reed Beath

(Graduate Paper) Eros: Human and Divine , Denae M. Fielder

(Graduate Paper) And the Question Became Flesh: Jesus the Catechist in the Gospel of John , Diana Macalintal

(Graduate Paper) Hesychast Prayer: Attending the Cosmic Banquet of the Heart , Tamara Ann Moore

(Graduate Paper) A Study in Spiritual Lineage: The "Influence and Noninfluence" of Pseudo-Dionysius on The Cloud of Unknowing , David M. Odorisio

(Graduate Paper) The Cistercian Spirit in Stone , David M. Odorisio

(Graduate Paper) Architectural Reforms of Eucharistic Reservation , Diane Draxler Pederson

Page 1 of 20

Advanced Search

Notify me via email or RSS
Collections
Disciplines

Author Corner

Submit Research
School of Theology and Seminary Website

Library Links

CSB/SJU Libraries

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Scholarly Resources from Concordia Seminary

Home > Concordia Seminary Scholarship > Doctor of Theology

Doctor of Theology Dissertation

Theses/dissertations from 1998 1998.

The Mission and Ministry to German-Speaking Lutherans in Western Canada 1879 - 1914 , Richard Kraemer

Theses/Dissertations from 1997 1997

Postliberal Approaches to the Theology of Religions: Presentation, Assessment, and Critical Appropriation , Joel Okamoto

Orality as the Key to Understanding Apostolic Proclamation in the Epistles , Thomas Winger

Theses/Dissertations from 1996 1996

Isaiah's Damascus Oracle: Responding to International Threats , Harald Schoubye

Genre and Outline: The Key to the Literary Structure of Hebrews , Harald Tomesch

Theses/Dissertations from 1995 1995

The Lord's Prayer-Its Interpretation and a Reassessment of an Eschatological Orientation, Favoring the Prayer's Primary Application as Being for the Present Gospel Age , David Fielding

Law and Gospel in Luther's Antinomian Disputations, with Special Reference to Faith's Use of the Law , Jeffrey Silcock

Theses/Dissertations from 1994 1994

Marriage and the Image of God as it is Reflected in Paul's Understanding of Women and the Ministry in Four Passages: 1 Cor. 11:2-16; 14:33b-36; Eph. 5:22-33; 1 Tim. 2:11-15 , Lane Burgland

Integrity and Integration in Ecclesiastical Historiography: The Perspective of Mosheim and Neander , Paulo Buss

When God Becomes Your Enemy- The Theology of the Complaint Psalms , Ingvar Floysvik

The Missiological Significance of the Doctrine of Justification in the Lutheran Confessions , Klaus Schulz

Theses/Dissertations from 1993 1993

Reading 2 Corinthians 3:4-18: An Exercise in Exegesis , Vilson Scholz

A Proposed Prolegomenon for Normative Theological Ethics with a Special Emphasis on the Usus Didacticus of God's Law , John Tape

Theses/Dissertations from 1992 1992

The Arminian Libertarian Doctrines of Freedom and Responsibility Evaluated According to Biblical-Reformed Doctrine of Sin , Carlos Heber de Campos

Theology of the Pain of God: An Analysis and Evaluation of Kazoh Kitamori's (1916- ) Work in Japanese Protestantism , Akio Hashimoto

The Bestowal of the Benefits of the Real Presence the Early Eucharistic Works of Martin Chemnitz as a Contribution Toward the Formula of Concord Article VII , Brynjulf Hoaas

Jesus and the Gentiles in the Gospel of Matthew: A Historical Study of the Redemption Motif , Young Jin Kim

Propter Absolutionem: Holy Absolution in the Theology of Martin Luther and Philipp Jacob Spener A Comparative Study , Gerald Krispin

The Theology of Spiritual Gifts in Luther and Calvin: A Comparison , Robert Wetmore

Theses/Dissertations from 1991 1991

Mystical Aspects of Pentecostal-Charismatic Soteriology , James Breckenridge

The Home Mission Work of the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference: A Description and Evaluation , George Gude

The ΛΟΓΟΣ-Christology in the Prologue of the Gospel of John as a Bridge Concept Between the Old Testament Shekinah Events and Johannine Christology , Chul Hae Kim

Theological Nuance in the Synoptic Nature Miracles , Mark Schuler

Theses/Dissertations from 1990 1990

Presbyterian Missions to Indians in Western Canada , James Codling

The Theology of Israel's Sea Crossing , Rodger Dalman

Gadara of the Decapolis , Lee Maxwell

The "I" in the Storm: Paul's Use of the First Person Singular in Romans 7 , Michael Middendorf

Theses/Dissertations from 1989 1989

The Nature and Function of the Lutheran Confessions in Twentieth Century American Lutheranism , Charles Arand

Current Models in Roman, Lutheran, and Reformed Prolegomena: Exposition, Analysis, and Programmatic Assessment , David Lumpp

Theses/Dissertations from 1988 1988

The Apostolic Tradition- A Study of the Texts and Origins, and its Eucharistic Teachings with a Special Exploration of the Ethiopic Version , Eshetu Abate

A Theological Assessment of Minjung Theology, Systematically and Biblically , Yong Wha Na

Theses/Dissertations from 1987 1987

Biblical Authority in the Westminster Confession and its Twentieth Century Contextualization in the Reformed Presbyterian Testimony Of 1980 , John Delivuk

An Historical Analysis of the Doctrine of the Ministry in the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod Until 1962 , John Wohlrabe

Theses/Dissertations from 1986 1986

An Examination and Evaluation of A. H. Strong's Doctrine of Holy Scripture , Myron Houghton

Jesus' Teaching on "Entering the Kingdom Of Heaven" in the Gospel According to Matthew (Interpretation of Selected Matthean Texts and Parables) , Caleb Huang

Millennialism in American Lutheranism in Light of Augsburg Confession, Article XVII , Francis Monseth

Watchman Nee and the Priesthood of all Believers , Wai Man Ng

Imputatio Iustitiae Christi, Liberum Arbitrium in Renatis, and Tertius Usus Legis in Melanchthon's Later Loci , Richard Osslund

A Scriptural Stance Toward Undocumented Hispanics and Selected Methodologies for Reaching them with the Gospel , Fred Pankow

The Hermeneutics of Liberation Theology: A Lutheran Confessional Response to the Theological Methodology of Leonardo Boff , Jacob Preus

Theses/Dissertations from 1985 1985

The Hermeneutical Principles of Theodore Laetsch with a Focus on the Relationship Between the Old and the New Testaments , James Bollhagen

An Investigation of Contemporary Feminist Arguments on Paul's Teaching on the Role of Women in the Church , Hershel House Wayne

The Nature and Significance of Christ's Death as Reflected in Selected General and Pauline Epistles , Masao Shimodate

Theses/Dissertations from 1984 1984

The Last Testaments of Jacob and Moses , Joel Heck

The Theological Argument of Hebrews 11 in Light of its Literary Form , Merland Miller

Dr. H. C. J. Leupold, The Man and his Work --Especially His Exegesis , David Schreiber

Theses/Dissertations from 1983 1983

Judgment and Grace in the Wilderness Narratives , Martin Buerger

The Preaching of Clovis G Chappell- A Study of the Published Sermons in Light of the Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel as Articulated by C. F. W. Walther , William Carpenter

The Conflict of Krishna and Yahweh as Warrior: A Comparison of the Conflicts of Krishna in the Puranas and of Yahweh as Warrior in the Old Testament, with Special Emphasis on the Themes of History, and Salvation, and their Relevance to Human Life , Arockiam Rajaian

A Search for the Archetype of the Greek Gospel Lectionary , Karl Rutz

Theses/Dissertations from 1982 1982

The Historical-Critical Method- Dividing Wall Between Moderates and Conservatives in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Controversy , Jose Fuliga

Uemura Masahisa (1857-1925) First Generation Pastor, Christian Leader and Instinctive Proponent of Indigenized Christianity in Japan , Addison Soltau

Theses/Dissertations from 1981 1981

Predestination: A Comparative Analysis of the Theology of A. W. Pink in Relation to the Westminster Confession of Faith , Richard Belcher

Was Jesus the Priestly Messiah A Study of the New Testament's Teaching of Jesus' Priestly Office Against the Background of Jewish Hopes for a Priestly Messiah , Jonathan Grothe

The Cosmic Christ of Colossians , Victor Raj

Theses/Dissertations from 1980 1980

The Preservation and Restoration of Creation with a Special Reference to Romans 8:18-23 , Robert Neff

Theses/Dissertations from 1979 1979

Covenant and Kingdom as Fulfilled in the Synoptics , Marvin Middendorf

A Critical and Exegetical Analysis of Exodus Twenty-Four with Special Attention to Covenant Ratification , Peter Talia

The Role of Psalm 89:6-19 in Israel's Cult , Ronald Vahl

Theses/Dissertations from 1978 1978

The Doctrine of God in African Traditional Religion , Tokunboh Adeyemo

The Doctrine of the Church in the Writings of Dr. C. F. W. Walther , John Martin Drickamer

Theses/Dissertations from 1975 1975

The Passion Predictions in the Light of Hebrews 2:5-9 , E Clark Copeland

Theses/Dissertations from 1973 1973

A History of the Research of Exodus 18:1-12 with a Critical Evaluation and Suggestions for Further Progress , Andrew Chiu

The Theology of Justus Menius , Alvin H. Horst

The Return-to-Origins Motif in Pauline Theology and its Significance for a Theological Interpretation of Messianic and Millenarian Movements in Melanesia , John Gerhard Strelan

Public Doctrine in the Lutheran Church --Missouri Synod , Waldemar Wehmeier

Theses/Dissertations from 1972 1972

The History of the Attitudes within the Missouri Synod Toward Life Insurance , James W. Albers

A Study of Some Lucan Parables in the Light of Oriental Life and Poetic Style , Kenneth Ewing Bailey

The Theology of Divine Anger in the Psalms of Lament , Thomas Dixon Hanks

An Analysis of the Structure and Traditions of Zechariah 7 and 8 , John Henry Miller

The Relation of the Servant Songs to Their Contexts in Isaiah 40 to 55 , Gyoji Nabetani

Theses/Dissertations from 1971 1971

The Significance of 1 Chronicles 22, 28, 29 for the Structure and Theology of the Work of the Chronicler , Roddy L. Braun

The Pauline Understanding of "The Law of Christ" , Keith Arnold Gerberding

A Case Study in Exegetical Methodology George Stoeckhardt and Johann Philip Koehler on Ephesians , William John Hassold

A Study of the Hermeneutical Principles Involved in the Interpretation and Use of Psalm 22 in Biblical and Extra-Biblical Sources , Harvey Donald Lange

The Implications for Christology of the Idenity of the Poor Man in the Teaching of Jesus , Adrian Max Leske

A Systematic-Historical Study of the Policy of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod with Respect to Fraternal Organizations in the Past Fifty Years , George F. Lobien

Richard Taverner (1505?--1575) and the English Reformation , James Herbert Pragman

The Role of the Old Testament in High School Level Curricula of the American Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Church in America, and the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod 1964-1970 , Harold W. Rast

Theses/Dissertations from 1970 1970

The Diakonis Function of the Church in Hong Kong , Manfred Helmuth Berndt

The Doctrine of the Church in American Presbyterian Theology in the Mid-Nineteeth Century , David Clyde Jones

The Fear of God as Ethical Motivation in Pauline Theology , Walter A. Maier

Movements in the Church of England as Reflected in English Prose Fiction of the Eighteenth Century , William H. Traugott

Theses/Dissertations from 1969 1969

The Role of the Symbols in Australian Lutheranism , Elvin Janetzki

A Comparative Study of the Prolegomena in Karl Barth's Christliche Dogmatik of 1927 and the Kirchliche Dogmatik of 1932-1938 , Heino Olavi Kadai

Division and Reunion in the Presbyterian Church in Korea 1959-1968 , Bong Rin Ro

The Controversy Provoked by William Perkins Reformed Catholike- A Study in Protestant--Catholic Relations in the First Quarter of the Seventeenth Century in England , Robert E. Webber

Theses/Dissertations from 1968 1968

Relations Between the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Australia 1846-1965 , John Koch

The Origin and Meaning of the Axiom- Nothing has the Character of a Sacrament Outside of the Use, in Sixteenth-Century and Seventeenth-Century Lutheran Theology , Edward Peters

Jesus as the True Israel According to the Passion Narrative of Saint Mark , Roy Schroeder

Theses/Dissertations from 1967 1967

Paul's Source and Use of Tradition as Reflected in his Writings to the Corinthians , Paul Andrews

Psalms 2 and 110: A Comparison of Exegetical Methods , Herbert Hohenstein

A Study of Applications Used in the Sermons of the Concordia Pulpit of the Years 1955-1964 , Erwin Kolb

Characteristics of Southeast Asian Islam as Factors in A Theology of the Christian Mission to Philippine Muslims , Robert McAmis

Via Propria and Via Mystica in the Theology of Jean Le Charlier De Gerson , David Schmiel

Ezekiel 40-48 , Gerald White

Theses/Dissertations from 1966 1966

The Temptation of Jesus in Matthew , Paul Bretscher

The Voice in the Wilderness and the Coming One-- The Old Testament as the Link Between John the Baptist and Jesus Christ , Walter Rosin

Theses/Dissertations from 1965 1965

The Meaning of DIKAIOŌ , William Beck

Lutheran Theology in the Tranoscius with Special Attention to the Doctrine of the Church , Samuel Boda

Collections
Disciplines

Advanced Search

Notify me via email or RSS

Author Corner

801 Seminary Place St. Louis, Missouri 63105 314.505.7000

Facebook Link
Twitter Link
Instagram Link

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Featured Essay The Love of God An essay by Sam Storms Read Now
Faithfulness of God
Saving Grace
Adoption by God

U.S. Edition

Arts & Culture
Bible & Theology
Christian Living
Current Events
Faith & Work
As In Heaven
Gospelbound
Post-Christianity?
TGC Podcast
You're Not Crazy
Churches Planting Churches
Help Me Teach The Bible
Word Of The Week
Upcoming Events
Past Conference Media
Foundation Documents
Church Directory
Global Resourcing
Donate to TGC

To All The World

The world is a confusing place right now. We believe that faithful proclamation of the gospel is what our hostile and disoriented world needs. Do you believe that too? Help TGC bring biblical wisdom to the confusing issues across the world by making a gift to our international work.

The Importance of Theology and Theological Understanding

Other essays.

Theology is the study of God and his relations to, purpose for, and work within the created universe.

Theology is the study of God and his relations to, purposes for, and work within the created universe. As such, it encompasses all of created reality from the vantage point of the Creator who made all that is. Only because God has revealed himself are we able to know who God is and what his purposes, plans, and works are within the creation that he has made. Every area of theology—the creation of the world, his formation of man as male and female in his image, their fall into sin, his plan of salvation and restoration for a fallen world involving his call of Abraham and choice of Israel through whom the Messiah would come, his providential workings to bring about salvation through the incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection of his Son, his formation of the church, and his plans to bring all creation to its divinely decreed ends, and more—all are tied directly to God and his own character, will, ways, plans, and providential work. Only as we understand these aspects of life and theology from God’s perspective can we understand rightly who God is, who we are, and how best we should live.

Introduction and Definitions

The term “theology,” combining theos (God) and logos (word about, or study of), refers most literally to the study of God. Yet this term is used for the study of humanity, and sin, and salvation, and the church, and last things (and more). The reason “theology” may rightly be used of these other areas is this: theology is the study of God and his relations to, purposes for, and work within, the created universe, which include his creation of the world, his formation of man as male and female in his image, their fall into sin, his plan of salvation and restoration for a fallen world involving his call of Abraham and choice of Israel through whom the Messiah would come, his providential workings to bring about salvation through the incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection of his Son, his formation of the church, and his plans to bring all creation to its divinely decreed ends. The expanse of what theology covers is breathtaking, and it shows us just how comprehensive and widely impactful it is to all of life.

Consider a few areas in the study of theology for how a correct and biblically informed theological understanding affects the whole of our lives. We begin with the doctrine of God, sometimes referred to as theology proper, since theology is most centrally and most importantly the study of God’s self-revelation concerning his own character, triune Being, and providential workings in the world he has created. In his classic treatment of the attributes of God, A. W. Tozer begins chapter one with these now famous words, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us” (A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy [New York: HarperCollins, 1961], 9.). Tozer’s insight here is of paramount importance and deals directly with our question of the importance of theology and theological understanding. Because the knowledge of God affects every area of life, and because our conception of God shapes our worldview, our values, our commitments, and our affections, and our actions, there is no other area of human understanding that is more impactful in shaping the whole of our minds, and hearts, and lives.

Theological Understanding and the Creator-creature Distinction

One of the most important aspects of a Christian worldview is affirming what is sometimes called the Creator-creature distinction. God, as eternal, self-existent, self-sufficient, infinite, simple, and omnipotent, exists eternally independent of anything created and finite in the infinite fullness of life and joy as the Triune God. Since the world that God created had a beginning, but God has no beginning, it must be the case that God exists eternally, apart from the world, in the fulness of his transcendent excellencies such that everything qualitatively good resides intrinsically and eternally in God. He has no need for the creation that he chose to bring into existence. So, while the creation is dependent upon God for every aspect of its existence and for every good thing it has and shows forth, God is independent of and transcendent over all that he has made. The heavens declare the glory of God, not the glory of the heavens, since every quality exhibited in the heavens comes from and is reflective of the infinite beauty, power, and wisdom of God. To know the transcendent fullness of God, who does not need us or anything we have to offer, humbles us greatly. But it also amazes us because though God does not need us, he created us to fill us with himself and make himself manifest in and through our lives. He not only exists independent of all that he has made, he also lives as the immanent God intimately involved in and working through our very lives. As Triune, he lives eternally in the joy of the fellowship of the persons of the Trinity. Yet, he made us persons who are created and redeemed to share in his life and the joy he knows in his own Triune being.

Consider also how faith in God is strengthened and sustained by an understanding of his attributes. When one examines just what faith in God requires, one sees how important it is to have deep and abiding confidence in aspects of the character of God, without which we simply won’t believe him or look to him when difficulties face us. For example, when one encounters some hardship, trust in God requires an understanding of and confidence in God’s comprehensive knowledge and flawless wisdom. Why would we go to God and trust in God if we doubt whether he really understands all the features of what is happening to us and can determine, in his infinite wisdom, the best course of action to take? So, confidence in God’s perfect knowledge and wisdom is essential for genuine trust in God. In addition, trusting God during a time of affliction requires that we have confidence in God’s indomitable power. If we believe that God knows everything that can be known about our situation and has perfect wisdom to decide what is best to do, yet we doubt that he can actually act to bring about what is best, we won’t truly trust him. So, faith in God – trusting him during times of suffering and affliction – require a deep and abiding confidence in both his perfect wisdom and his unassailable power. Yet we also must have an unquestioning confidence in God’s love for us. If we believe he knows what is best, and can do anything he chooses, but doubt that he truly cares about us, we still will be disinclined truly to trust him. So, trust in God is something like the trust we put in a three-legged stool when we choose to sit on it. We have to believe God’s wisdom is perfect and cannot be improved upon, that his power is such that nothing can thwart him doing what he chooses to do, and that his love for his children is flawless, faithful, and will never falter. Knowing the character of God makes all the difference, then, in how we live our lives before him.

Theological Understanding and the Nature and Extent of Sin

Consider also some aspects of a correct theological understanding of the nature of our sin and of the salvation God has brought to us in Christ. One of the starkest contrasts between a Christian with a theologically-informed worldview and that of the culture of which we are apart is the basic understanding of why bad things happen and what to do about it. For most secularists, bad things happen because people, though fundamentally good, are victims of mistreatment or abuse and hence they act out their own frustrations and behavioral conditioning but are often not genuinely responsible for the bad things that they do. In contrast, a biblical and theological understanding of the doctrine of total depravity instructs us that every person is born into this world with a deep and abiding propensity to sinful attitudes and actions rooted in their connection to Adam, the first human being whose sin brought sin upon the entire human race (except for Jesus Christ). So, contrary to our culture, we are not fundamentally good people; just the opposite, we are deeply sinful and selfish with inclinations that run the opposite direction from what they should. We should honor God and seek to live in a manner that pleases him, but due to our sin, we turn from him and seek to chart out a course for our lives independent of him and his moral directives.

Tied to this disparate understanding of the fundamental nature of humans is also a deep divide in what to do about the evil and corruption that is evident in all of us. Our culture, because it sees us as fundamentally good, tries to recover the goodness that is within us. Self-help books abound. Therapies that bring out the spark of divinity within, or the power of the inner child, are drawn on to provide self-solutions to our own corruption. But Christians think very differently about these matters. We realize that due to our sin in Adam, we are totally unable both to remove sin that enslaves us from within and remove the guilt we have incurred by our sin before a holy God. The good news of the gospel is predicated on the bad news of the impossibility of humanly derived solutions. The Bible makes clear that our only hope is in what is done for us, and to us, through the work that Christ accomplished in his sinless life, substitutionary death, and liberating resurrection. We cannot overcome our sin and guilt on our own. Our only hope—THE only hope—is found through trusting God to do in us and for us what we cannot do ourselves. We are, as Luther would remind us, beggars who as empty-handed have nothing to offer for our salvation. We are dependent altogether on God in Christ and what he has accomplished for us. The Spirit must open our eyes and awaken our dead hearts so that we believe and receive God’s redeeming grace that justifies us before God and begins the process of sanctifying us as we await our full glorification.

Theological Understanding and the New Creation and Final Judgment

Of the many areas of theology we could rightly consider further, may we look lastly to the difference a correct theological understanding makes regarding the end of history and the establishing of the new creation. Certainly there are areas here that have frustrated full consensus among thoughtful Christian thinkers over the centuries. We differ over the nature of the millennium and the timing of the return of Christ vis-a vis the tribulation. But those areas of biblical teaching that are of the greatest importance have elicited a broad consensus through the history of the church. We believe that Christ who was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, who lived a sinless life and died and rose for our sins, ascended back to heaven, and is coming again to take all of his followers to himself. The return of Christ and the bodily resurrection of believers is taught often and clearly in Scripture while they also enjoy wide agreement in the church, and for this we may be thankful. Does it matter to know that Christ will return, establish his kingdom in the new creation, and enlist us in service with him forever in heaven? Indeed, this makes an enormous difference as one considers the question of the meaning of our lives. We Christians realize that the most important parts of our lives are those that make an impact for eternity. Life after death, resurrection from the dead, joining with Christ in his kingdom rule over the new creation—these are truths that inform us now and enable us to rethink priorities of time and resources. Sadly, we may fail to think sufficiently about these theological truths and so fail to live in ways that would have been more greatly informed by them. But when we do, we realize that these truths make all the difference between living life merely for earthly pleasures and living for eternal reward and glory.

Another area of wide agreement, and of clear biblical teaching, is the final judgment to come for all people. For believers, this will be a day of great joy as we recall before the very face of our Savior that all of our sin has been paid for by him thus eliminating for us the judgment we otherwise would face. But for unbelievers, this will be a day of deep sorrow and unending regret as they come face to face with the extensiveness of their sin and the certainty of God’s judgment in the form of their eternal condemnation. How very sobering to realize that in that day, all pretenses are removed and all deception is exposed for what it is. All unbelievers will face certain and permanent judgment based upon the works they have done in their lives. Does it matter to know this now? Indeed, it does, for as we know now the certainty of the joy prepared for believers, and the corresponding sorrow and suffering prepared for unbelievers, we realize afresh the importance of sharing the good news of the gospel to those whose only hope is found in turning from self and trusting Christ for the salvation he has accomplished for repentant and believing sinners.

Theology—the study of God and his relations to, purposes for, and work within the created universe—matters! Every area of theology shows us that correct and biblical theological thinking provides us with instruction not only into truths we are called to believe but grants us insight and directive into how best to live our lives.

thesis on biblical theology

IMAGES

VIDEO

COMMENTS