Department of Religion

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Reading dreams: an audience-critical approach to the dreams in the Gospel of Matthew.
(Perspectives in Religious Studies., 2006) Dodson, Derek S.; Talbert, Charles H.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This dissertation seeks to read the dreams in the Gospel of Matthew (1:18b-25; 2:12, 13-15, 19-21, 22; 27:19) as the authorial audience. This approach requires an understanding of the social and literary character of dreams in the Greco-Roman world. Chapter Two describes the social function of dreams, noting that dreams constituted one form of divination in the ancient world. This religious character of dreams is further described by considering the practice of dreams in ancient magic and Greco-Roman cults as well as the role of dream interpreters. This chapter also includes a sketch of the theories and classification of dreams that developed in the ancient world. Chapters Three and Four demonstrate the literary dimensions of dreams in Greco-Roman literature. I refer to this literary character of dreams as the "script of dreams;" that is, there is a "script" (form) to how one narrates or reports dreams in ancient literature, and at the same time dreams could be adapted, or "scripted," for a range of literary functions. This exploration of the literary representation of dreams is nuanced by considering the literary form of dreams, dreams in the Greco-Roman rhetorical tradition, the inventiveness of literary dreams, and the literary function of dreams. In light of the social and literary contexts of dreams, the dreams of the Gospel of Matthew are analyzed in Chapter Five. It is demonstrated that Matthew’s use of dreams as a literary convention corresponds to the script of dreams in other Greco-Roman narratives. This correspondence includes dreams as a motif of the birth topos (1:18b-25), the association of dreams and prophecy (1:22-23; 2:15, 23), the use of the double-dream report (2:12 and 2:13-15), and dreams as an ominous sign in relation to an individual’s death (27:19). The contribution of this research is a more textured or multi-dimensional reading of the Matthean dreams that is lacking in other studies. An appendix considers the Matthean transfiguration as a dream-vision report.
A word fitly spoken: poetic artistry in the first four acrostics of the Hebrew psalter.
(2006-05-27T15:20:22Z) Maloney, Leslie D.; Bellinger, William H.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This dissertation explores the occurrences and the functions of various poetic devices within the four alphabetic acrostic psalms found in Book I of the Psalter. These psalms are: Pss 9/10; 25; 34; and 37. These acrostics are four out of a total of eight alphabetic acrostic poems found in the Psalter -- the other four occurring in Book V. This study will also explore linguistic connections between the four Book I acrostics and will point to connections between some of the Book I and the Book V acrostics as an avenue deserving further investigation. The majority scholarly opinion has been that these acrostics are deficient poetically and artistically due to the writers'/editors' preoccupation with the alphabetic pattern. In contrast to this view, the working hypothesis of this dissertation is that the alphabetic acrostic pattern contributes to, rather than detracts from, the poetic artistry of these psalms. This study is primarily descriptive, consisting of a close reading of each of these Book I acrostics. The study highlights the functions of the various poetic devices found in these psalms. The study also sometimes highlights the linguistic connections and grammatical connections between the four acrostics and surrounding psalms in an effort to promote a holistic, canonical reading of the four acrostic poems within Book I of the Psalter. The dissertation's close reading of these poems demonstrates over and over the emotive power and the imagination of this literature in contradiction to its supposedly stiff, wooden nature. Finally, several times throughout this dissertation suggested, conventional emendations of the Masoretic Text are challenged and poetic or linguistically artistic solutions are proposed instead. This study is attuned to the frequent wordplays and plays on sound that occur throughout these four poems. Many times such considerations, as well as the preservation of grammatical parallelism within these acrostics, is a more desirable solution than is the emendation of the consonantal text.
Toward a Protestant theology of celibacy: Protestant thought in dialogue with John Paul II's Theology of the Body.
(2006-05-27T19:29:50Z) Hobbs, Russell Joseph.; Wood, Ralph C.; Williams, Daniel H.; Miner, Robert C., 1970-; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This dissertation examines the theology of celibacy found both in John Paul II's writings and in current Protestant theology, with the aim of developing a framework and legitimation for a richer Protestant theology of celibacy. Chapter 1 introduces the thesis. Chapter 2 reviews the Protestant literature on celibacy under two headings: first, major treatments from the Protestant era, including those by Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, various Shakers, and authors from the English Reformation; second, treatments from 1950 to the present. The chapter reveals that modern Protestants have done little theological work on celibacy. Self-help literature for singles is common and often insightful, but it is rarely theological. Chapter 3 synthesizes the best contemporary Protestant thinking on celibacy under two headings: first, major treatments by Karl Barth, Max Thurian, and Stanley Grenz; second, major Protestant themes in the theology of celibacy. The fourth chapter describes the foundation of John Paul II's theology of human sexuality and includes an overview of his life and education, an evaluation of Max Scheler's influence, and a review of Karol Wojtyla's Love and Responsibility and The Acting Person. Chapter 5 treats two topics. First, it describes John Paul II's, Theology of the Body, and more particularly the section entitled "Virginity for the Sake of the Kingdom." There he examines Jesus' instruction in Matt 19:11-12, celibacy as vocation, the superiority of celibacy to marriage, celibacy as redemption of the body, Paul's instructions in 1 Cor 7, and virginity as human destiny. Second, the chapter reviews John Paul II's statements regarding celibacy found in various encyclicals, audiences, homilies, and speeches. Finally, chapter 6 summarizes John Paul II's theology of virginity and reviews several Roman Catholic evaluations of his understanding of human sexuality. The chapter analyzes areas of commonality and contrast between contemporary Protestant thought on celibacy and John Paul II's thought. In addition, the chapter highlights major areas in need of further development. Chapter 7, the conclusion, reviews discoveries and makes further suggestions.
The narrative effect of Book IV of the Hebrew Psalter.
(2006-07-21T21:50:17Z) Wallace, Robert E.; Bellinger, William H.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This dissertation asserts that a reader encountering the canonical Hebrew Psalter can read from the beginning and capture a sense of plot. The turning point of the story is Book IV (Psalms 90-106). It is at this point in the story that the questions of the failure of the Davidic monarchy are answered. Recent approaches to the Psalter (championed by Gerald Wilson and Nancy deClaissé-Walford) have suggested that the Psalter was redacted purposely to help the exilic and post-exilic communities answer the apparent failure of the Davidic covenant. According to these proposals, the first two books in the Psalter set up the importance of the Davidic monarchy and the Davidic covenant. The third book of the Psalter expresses the problem of Yahweh’s apparent rejection of the Davidic covenant which culminates in Psalm 89. Book V ultimately leads the reader to the fact that Yahweh should be king over Israel and over the nations. Such studies have emphasized the importance of the beginning of Book IV, calling Book IV the "theological pivot point." These approaches have focused on Psalm 90, and how this psalm shifts the reader’s focus to the importance of the Mosaic covenant in light of the failure of the Davidic covenant. As this analysis demonstrates, Book IV does not simply change the focus of the reader to the Mosaic Covenant at its beginning, the book emphasizes Moses throughout. Psalms 90-100 speak with a “Mosaic voice” and Psalms 101-106 demonstrate a "Mosaic remembrance." Book IV as a unit answers the concern of Book III—the failure of the Davidic Covenant. Book IV also introduces the concern of Book V by proclaiming the necessity to focus the attention of the reader on YHWH as King in Psalms 93-100.
Ontology, exegesis, and culture in the thought of Henri de Lubac.
(2006-07-24T16:21:26Z) Hollon, Bryan C.; Harvey, Barry, 1954-; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This dissertation examines the continuity between Henri de Lubac's retrieval of patristic and medieval exegesis and his treatment of the ontological relationship between nature and grace. I argue that, for de Lubac, the spiritual exegesis of Scripture, which is best exemplified in the work of patristic and medieval theologians, is constitutive for the church in its engagement with secular culture and in the ultimate extension of, what John Milbank calls, a "Christianised ontology." While embracing many of Milbank's insights on the relationship between Christology and ecclesiology, I argue that his relative silence concerning the role of biblical exegesis in the church's engagement with culture stems from an insufficient consideration of Scripture's function in mediating Christ to the church and through the Church to a fallen world. This dissertation argues that de Lubac's theological appropriation of the philosophy of history and participatory ontology of ancient Christian exegesis can advance and offer a correction to the work of recent postliberal theologians such as Hans Frei and George Lindbeck as well as radical orthodoxy theologians such as Milbank, Catherine Pickstock, and Graham Ward.
Fidelity to God: perseverance in Hebrews in light of the reciprocity systems of the ancient Mediterranean world.
(2006-07-25T21:04:38Z) Whitlark, Jason A.; Talbert, Charles H.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
The primary focus of this dissertation is to demonstrate how Hebrews represents, in view of its historical and religious context, human fidelity to God. Reciprocity was one primary dynamic in the ancient Mediterranean world for establishing fidelity to a relationship and has been applied by some scholars, such as David deSilva, to Hebrews as the way to understand its strategy for creating perseverance. A major problem with the application of this dynamic is that a common optimistic anthropological assumption is associated with the various reciprocity systems in the ancient world, both Jewish and pagan. There was, however, a Middle Judaic stream that can be traced from the period of the exile which held to a pessimistic anthropology that crippled the success of reciprocity to secure fidelity. Thus, the solution to God’s people’s inability to remain faithful was an act of God that transformed the human condition and enabled faithfulness to the relationship. The argument of this dissertation is that Hebrews, with its emphasis upon the inauguration of the New Covenant by Jesus' high priestly ministry, belongs to this latter stream of thought in understanding how fidelity is secured between God and his people. Hebrews, thus, implicitly rejects the rationale of reciprocity for fidelity.
Solidarity, compassion, truth: the pacifist witness of Dorothy Day.
(2006-10-13T15:56:18Z) Fannin, Coleman.; Harvey, Barry, 1954-; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
The truth of the gospel requires witnesses, and the pacifist witness of Dorothy Day embodies the peaceable character of a church that, in the words of Stanley Hauerwas, "is not some ideal but an undeniable reality." In this thesis I provide a thick description of Day's pacifism and order this description theologically in terms of witness. I argue that her witness is rooted in three distinct yet interrelated principles: solidarity with the poor and the enemy through exploring the doctrine of the mystical body of Christ, compassion for the suffering through practicing voluntary poverty and the works of mercy, and a commitment to truth through challenging the logic of modern warfare and the Catholic Church's failure to live up to its own doctrine. I also argue that Day's witness is inexplicable apart from her orthodox Catholicism and her life among the poor at the Catholic Worker.
One Christian's plea : the life, ministry, and controversies of Francis Johnson.
(2006-10-13T16:51:01Z) Culpepper, Kenneth Scott.; Brackney, William H.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
Francis Johnson (1562-1618) served as pastor of the English Separatist congregation that became known as the "Ancient Church" from 1592 until his death in 1618. The congregation was first gathered in London under the guidance of Henry Barrow and John Greenwood before its members fled to Amsterdam in 1593 under Johnson's leadership to escape persecution by English civil and ecclesiastical authorities. Johnson joined his flock in 1597 after being released from prison. His ministry was filled with strife and conflict as he sought to implement the Separatist ecclesiological ideal of a congregational polity. Despite the turbulence of his early years in Amsterdam, Johnson's Ancient Church finally enjoyed a period of relative peace and growth from 1604-1608. Johnson caused a split within his own congregation in 1610. This fissure was created by his determination to pursue a more congregational rather than presbyterian polity in response to external conflicts with his former Cambridge pupil, John Smyth. After a self-imposed period of exile from 1613-1617 at Emden, East Friesland, Johnson returned to Amsterdam in 1617 to publish his final polemical work. He died at Amsterdam in 1618. In this research project, the author explored the evolving theological views, career, social context, polemical exhanges, controversies, and writings of Francis Johnson with two primary objectives. The first of these objectives was to analyze the course of Francis Johnson's ecclesiological views as he transitioned from an early presbyterian position to congregationalism and back to presbyterianism before he finally came to moderate his original hard-line Separatism. The second major objective of this project was to assess Johnson's contributions to the religious and social context of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Even though Johnson held such an important place in the development of English Separatism and Nonconformity, there has not been a major study of his ministry. Assessments of Johnson's career have been scattered throughout various general studies of English Separatism that have contributed much to our knowledge of Francis Johnson, but have not focused primarily on him. The purpose of this research project is to fill that unfortunate lacuna with a comprehensive treatment of Johnson's life, influence and theology.
The prevenient piety of Samuel Wesley, Sr.
(2006-10-26T19:03:10Z) Torpy, Arthur Alan.; Brackney, William H.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
The life and times of Samuel Wesley, Sr. have been addressed since the time of John and Charles Wesley as an absentee father with little positive influence on the Wesley family. However, the literary contributins of Samuel have been overlooked. Having examined his writings, this dissertation offers a fuller protrait of Samuel Wesley. The thesis of this work is that Samuel Wesley was a complex person whose thoughts, actions, and postions were based on his traditions, experience, scripture, and reasoning. A key to understanding Wesley's life and though can be found in the Pietist strains evident in his writings, published and unpublished, which formed the basis of his dicisions and actions. The chapters explore the dynamics of late seventeenth-century England's cultural milieu where Wesley was raised and educated within post-Uniformity Dissent and provided his rationale for gradually conforming to the Established Church. The origins of Continental Pietism is summarized and its influence on the Established Church through Anthony Horneck. Also discussed is Samuel's view of scripture within the context of the nascent critical apparatus introduced by Richard Simon and Baruch Spinoza. Samuel's rejection of this critical approach is a key to understanding his scriptural hermeneutic which formed the basis of his actions. The overarching characteristic of Samuel Wesley's life and thought was his understanding of Piety which he passed along to his sons, most notably John and Charles, but also Samuel, Jr. Samuel's life is examined using Ernest Stoeffler's tenets of Pietism: the experiential, perfectionism, biblicism, and the oppositive or prophetic, and concludes that Samuel passed these on and had a profound influence on his sons. This work presents a revised portrait of Samuel as reflected in his literary contributions, rather than one based on an anachronistic moral template imposed on aspects of his behavior. The most familiar sketch of Samuel is the profile on the frontispiece in his commentary on Job. The paper seeks to move from the one-sided portrayals of Samuel Wesley, Sr. toward a fuller understanding of his life, thought, and actions which were emulated by his sons.
We believe in the Communion of Saints: a proposed Protestant reclamation of the doctrine.
(2006-10-26T19:10:22Z) Speegle, Jonathan.; Patterson, Bob E.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
The corrective theology of the Reformation broke the historic union, at least in Europe, among all members of the kingdom of God. Perhaps the most serious Protestant loss—one still not satisfactorily recovered—is the doctrine of the communion between pilgrims and saints, especially when we remember that the Reformation declared all Christians to be saints, not just those who had been officially beatified and canonized. So, while the theology of the Church's true treasury may have been corrected, Protestant Christians remain bereft of a satisfactory explication of their creedal claim that "we believe in the Communion of Saints." Hence there is a Protestant need for a recovered doctrine of the Communion of Saints as including the dead no less than the living. This proposed reclamation of the doctrine of the Communion of Saints living and dead for Protestant Christianity will be attempted in this dissertation in three parts. Part one will survey the historical development of the doctrine and outline the reasons for its ultimate rejection. Part two will construct a biblically grounded eschatological context through which we can understand, in part, the life beyond. Part three will explore the Church's understanding of the various interactions between believers on earth and those in heaven. The story of Augustine's mother Monica's internment will introduce the Communion of Saints as a spiritual bond which knits together the faithful in this world and the saints beyond in a mystical organic and historic unity within which there exists a mutuality of faith, prayer, and love that is best and most fully expressed in the Eucharistic feast.
Congregational dynamics in the early tradition of independency.
(2006-12-06T16:20:36Z) Griswold, Barbara Stone.; Brackney, William H.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This study investigates the nature of congregational care within the membership of the earliest congregational-style churches in England during the period 1550-1689. The purpose of this research is to analyze the causes of their survival or demise that may be found within the congregational dynamics of the early separating churches. Having separated from the Church of England, and living on the fringes of the Puritan movement, these congregations experimented with new forms of polity and created unique roles for their pastors and members. New membership dynamics thus emerged. This research answers the question: What were the early manifestations of separatist ideology and independency that allowed some independent congregations to thrive under Tudor and Stuart repression, while others failed to survive? The uniqueness of this study is its search through primary documents for the bases on which the body-life of the congregations were predicated, and for specific indications within their records as to how this body-life was lived out in mutual support and care of members for each other. Previously no other study has brought this information together in one project. Nor has anyone revealed the correlation between membership nurture and care, and local church polity as a cause for the growth or demise of a congregation. My hypothesis was that, where faithfulness to one’s gathered community of faith was implemented through the dynamics of mutual care and support, survival through jeopardous circumstances was possible, even while church leaders were imprisoned. However, where the dynamics of mutual care and support failed, the group failed to thrive, or even survive. The conclusion is that, in order for these churches to have survived and grown into stable congregations and associative bodies, they entertained a unique ecclesiology, a theology of suffering, and a form of mutual congregational nurture and care, beyond what could have been carried out by the pastors and elders alone, which occurred within the congregations, and they formed supportive associations among independent churches. The records of the early congregational-type churches, such as those at Gainsborough, Scrooby, Spitalfields, Southwark, London, Bristol, and others presented herein, substantiates this conclusion.
Pentecost without Azusa: an historical and theological analysis of the Akorino Church in Kenya.
(2007-03-08T15:34:38Z) Waigwa, Solomon W.; Brackney, William H.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
The address - 312 Azusa Street - is recognized as the locus for the creation of modern pentecostal movement. From there, the pentecostal message and experience spread world-wide through the agency of missionaries, sparking revivals that begun pentecostal churches. In Central Kenya, however, a "Pentecost" happened in the 1920s whose provenance and agency had no historical or theological connection with the Azusa Street revival. That "Pentecost without Azusa" gave rise to the Arathi movement which developed into what is now known as the Akorino Church, an African indigenous church in Kenya. This dissertation provides a historical and theological analysis of the Akorino Church, showing that although it is not connected historically or theologically to the Azusa Street revival, it exhibits beliefs and practices that are authentically penecostal and essentially African. It is characterized by emotional repentance of sins accompanied by loud prayers and weeping. It will be shown that central to that Pentecost is the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues, dreams, visions and auditions, and a sustained healing ministry. That doctrine influences their interpretation of Christian theology, their understanding of the scriptures, their relations with the rest of the world, and their participation in the life of their society.
Syncretism: the presence of Roman augury in the consecration of English monarchs.
(2007-12-04T20:04:24Z) Karlson, William R.; Brackney, William H.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
The purpose of this study is to offer insight into the reason for an eagle’s presence in the English royal consecration of the monarch. This trans-era study examines the impact of the Roman practice of augury on the ecclesiastical history of the early Church and the medieval French and English churches. Fresh insight is also provided regarding the possible meanings of the dove at Jesus’ baptism for Luke’s authorial audience. The prevalence of augury in the milieu of the early church likely led the first-century readers of the gospels to interpret the descent of the dove at Jesus’ baptism to be functionally the same as Roman augury regarding royal inauguration but antithetical in form from the bird usually associated with divine confirmation of emperors, the eagle. Several times in the early church, the flight of a dove functioned in the likeness of Roman augury in the selection and divine confirmation of ecclesiastical leaders. This study provides information on additional examples on how the Greco-Roman culture influenced the early and medieval Christian Church and the impact of augury on Christian thinking. There is little doubt that the English eagle Ampulla was an adaptation of the French Sainte Ampoule. This ninth-century French myth was preceded by the miraculous Visigothic royal anointing of Wamba in an effort to bolster the royal claims of the king over would-be contenders. The French legend followed with the account of miraculous avian delivered oil, which first appeared during the reign of Charles the Bald as a means of strengthening the French king’s assert to the throne and later bolstering French claims to having the supreme Christian King of the world. The English adapted the French legend with the myth of St Thomas’ Holy Oil under the reign of Edward II. Richard II later altered the story once again to include the Roman symbolism of an eagle that reflected his imperial aspirations. The eagle Ampulla failed to secure Richard’s kingship and never reached the political significance that he French Sainte Ampulla achieved.
The contours of Donatism : theological and ideological diversity in fourth century North Africa.
(2008-04-22T19:35:08Z) Hoover, Jesse A.; Williams, Daniel H.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
It has been tempting for many historians of fourth century North Africa to view the Donatist church as a monolithic movement. This is not, however, an accurate picture. Donatism exhibited varied contours during its period of ascendancy in North Africa, differences in theological and ideological beliefs which often led to tension, even schism, within itself. The purpose of this thesis is to discuss these varieties within the Donatist movement. Accordingly, it will first examine the evolution of Donatism over time by comparing the concerns of the original schism with those of the movement at the Council of Carthage in 411. The paper will then turn to the great divergences which characterized the late Donatist movement by focusing on the radicals on its right and left flanks—the Circumcellions and Rogatists/Maximianists, respectively. By doing so, a picture of Donatism will be presented that truly appreciates the theological variety within the movement.
An interpretation of Isaiah 6:1-5 in response to the art and ideology of the Achaemenid Empire.
(2008-04-22T19:47:06Z) Cochell, Trevor D.; Kennedy, James Morris.; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This dissertation is an interpretation of Isa 6:1-5. Imperial art, policies, and ideology are a significant part of the context according to which this interpretation is done. The thesis of this dissertation is that in response to the ideology expressed by the imperial art of the empires of the ancient Near East, specifically that of the Achaemenids, the details of the scene in Isa 6:1-5 advance an alternative ideology in which Yahweh alone is sovereign over all the earth. Visual depictions from the ancient Near East of royal figures contribute to a context for interpreting the book of Isaiah. Scenes that include the king enthroned, mythic creatures in the presence of the king, and representatives of the nations bringing tribute to the king are especially relevant to the scene described in Isa 6:1-5. With these symbols as a significant element of an ancient Near Eastern Context it is plausible to interpret Isa 6:1-5 as a counter to the claims of soverignty made by human kings. When reading the book of Isaiah wholistically, the images of chapter 6 contribute to a theme throughout the rest of the book that is critical of empires.
An historical reconstruction of Edomite treaty betrayal in the sixth century B.C.E. based on Biblical, epigraphic, and archaeological data.
(2008-06-09T14:23:16Z) Dykehouse, Jason C.; Burnett, Joel S., 1968-; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This study seeks to reconcile all relevant categories of data around a basic thesis of Edomite treaty betrayal of Judah in the sixth-century B.C.E. Preliminary discussions include the sixth century as the origin for the anti-Edom bias perceivable in many biblical texts, the biblical tradition of a kinship between Edom and Judah, historical-critical considerations of that tradition, the relationship of kinship language to ancient Near Eastern treaties, and the geopolitics and economic importance of the Edomite-Judahite border. The study argues that Edom had the logistical experience and geopolitical position by the early sixth century to capitalize on Judahite misfortune. Epigraphic and biblical evidence is presented in order to argue that by the time of the Babylonian assault on Judah in the tenth month (Tevet) of Zedekiah’s ninth year (December 588/January 587 B.C.E.), Edom had initiated and acted upon a clandestine treaty with Babylon to the detriment of Edom’s deceived and treaty-based ally, Judah. Edom both surprised Judah with hostility coordinated with the opening phases of the Babylonian assault and betrayed perceived, longstanding, and oftentimes cooperative kinship relations with Judah. The intended objective of Edomite economic and political expansion under Babylonian auspices may have been control of the Judahite Negev (particularly the Beersheba Valley). It is possible that clandestine Edomite betrayal facilitated the rapid fall of the Judahite Negev, which was evidently the first zone of military operations in support of the Babylonian enterprise against Judah to see its objectives completed.
Transforming views of Baptist ecclesiology : Baptists and the New Christendom model of political engagement.
(2008-10-02T18:34:06Z) Whitt, Jason D.; Harvey, Barry, 1954-; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
While most twentieth century commentators on Baptist distinctives note well the commitment to religious liberty, the context of the discussion typically treats religious liberty as a natural right secured through the emergence of the modern liberal democratic state. This view tends to interpret the concept of “religious liberty” as a univocal term throughout Baptist history, assuming that the meaning of this idea has been consistent during four centuries of Baptist presence within the Western world. Religious liberty has thus come to be understood as the securing of a natural right dependent for its preservation upon a form of liberal democratic polity. In this dissertation, however, I will argue first that Baptist conceptions of religious liberty and their concomitant views on the relationship between Christians and the state have not been univocal throughout Baptist history. In particular, I will suggest that contemporary Baptist models share significant foundational theological presuppositions concerning the realms of the secular and the religious with the New Christendom model of twentieth century Roman Catholicism. Second, having argued for the shared convictions between both models, I will then note the challenges from within Catholic theology to the New Christendom model and its failures, and by correspondence, suggest that similar shortcomings may be present in Baptist models. As a response to the critiques offered, it will be suggested that the church should instead imagine itself as an alternative body politic to the liberal democratic nation-state. This dissertation is therefore concerned with the development of a Baptist ecclesiology and concomitant social theory.
Understanding the world better than it understands itself: the theological hermeneutics of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
(2008-10-02T18:57:23Z) Bezner, Steven M.; Harvey, Barry, 1954-; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This dissertation argues that Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s work is best understood as a consistent project of theological hermeneutics with an ecclesial focus. The project examines Bonhoeffer’s life and writings with the intention of demonstrating how theological hermeneutics is at the center of his theological project and that each phase of development in his hermeneutics logically fits both with his historical and cultural context and the remainder of his writings. In order to make this argument, the dissertation demonstrates how certain theological themes (Christ existing as church-community, obedience to Scripture, and vicarious representative action, specifically) develop over the course of Bonhoeffer’s work. The dissertation concludes by arguing that the ecclesially-focused hermeneutics proposed by Bonhoeffer provide an excellent framework for contemporary theological reflection and suggest some possible interpretive paths forward given his methodology. After introducing the argument in the first chapter, the second chapter examines Bonhoeffer’s development of Christ existing as church-community. Chapter two investigates Bonhoeffer’s interaction with philosophy, epistemology, and ontology in order to create a theological anthropology rooted in this ecclesial theme of Christ existing as church-community, noting ties to Radical Orthodoxy through participatory ontology. Chapter three examines Bonhoeffer’s time as a professor and pastor, closely reading Creation and Fall, Christ the Center, and Discipleship. Through this reading, the chapter argues that Bonhoeffer builds upon the theological anthropology of Chapter Two using the concept of obedience to Christ. With this theological theme of obedience, Bonhoeffer interacts with and interprets the situation in 1930s Germany. Chapter four surveys the final phase of Bonhoeffer’s life—that of conspirator to overthrow Hitler. The chapter examines Bonhoeffer’s Ethics and prison writings, arguing that the final ecclesial theme that emerges in his theological hermeneutics is vicarious representative action. The final chapter demonstrates how each of Bonhoeffer’s hermeneutical themes builds toward his position regarding nonviolence and provides an example of how the contemporary church might learn from such a hermeneutic.
Bapto-Catholicism : recovering tradition and reconsidering the Baptist identity.
(2008-10-15T13:53:58Z) Jorgenson, Cameron H.; Harvey, Barry, 1954-; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This dissertation is an exploration of a contemporary approach to Baptist theology which some have dubbed “Bapto-Catholic.” The Bapto-Catholic sensibility is described as an attempt to respond to the collapse of the Enlightenment project and its influence on modern Baptist thought. It provides an alternate narrative of the Baptist identity by drawing upon the resources of seventeenth century Baptist theology and the breadth of the Christian tradition in order to find solutions to the current difficulties in Baptist theology. The study proceeds in four major sections. The first section provides historical context for the movement, surveying the debates among Baptist historians, and between conservative and moderate Baptists, about the nature of the Baptist identity. Special attention is given to the controversy in the Southern Baptist Convention in the final decades of the twentieth century and the effect that the resulting schism had on Baptist self-conceptions. The second section assesses the Bapto-Catholic conversation, focusing on its initial programmatic work, the Baptist Manifesto, and its chief proponents and critics. Various conceptual “marks” of Baptist catholicity are also suggested. The third section explores Alasdair MacIntyre’s critique of modernity and his philosophical account of the nature of tradition. This section notes MacIntyre’s influence on Bapto-Catholic thought as well as his potential as a resource for future theological developments, especially with regard to the role of conflict and historicism in Baptist thought. The final section revisits the central question driving this study : what is Baptist Catholicity? It is suggested that the controversies surrounding the Baptist identity since the late twentieth century, and the emergence of the Bapto-Catholic project as an alternative proposal, are an excellent example of what MacIntyre calls an “epistemological crisis” wherein a tradition’s coherence is tested through internal conflicts and encounters with rival traditions. For this reason, the future vitality of the tradition is at stake and the Bapto-Catholic sensibility is an important attempt to discover new conceptual resources for the tradition. The future of the movement, however, may depend on its ability to provide a coherent account of authority and Baptist ecclesiology.
Messenger, apologist, and nonconformist : an examination of Thomas Grantham's leadership among the seventeenth-century General Baptists.
(2009-01-06T20:24:18Z) Essick, John D. Inscore.; Pitts, William Lee, 1937-; Religion.; Baylor University. Dept. of Religion.
This dissertation argues that Thomas Grantham (1633/4-1692) was instrumental in organizing and legitimizing the General Baptists in Lincolnshire and Norfolk in the second half of the seventeenth century. The first chapter introduces the study and provides a historiographical survey of the variety of ways in which Grantham has been studied. Chapter two is a biographical and literary sketch of Grantham’s life and published documents. Unlike most surveys of Grantham’s writings which focus on select publications, the literary sketch in the second chapter provides a brief and basic introduction to all of Grantham’s writings. The third chapter of this dissertation builds on the conclusions of J. F. V. Nicholson by examining Grantham’s role in consolidating the office of Messenger and establishing it as a distinctive third office among the General Baptists in the seventeenth century. Grantham helped to solidify the office of Messenger between 1660 and 1700 by publishing defenses of the Messenger’s office, preaching, baptizing, planting churches, and ordaining ministers in Lincolnshire and later in Norfolk. Chapter Four examines Grantham’s apologetic efforts to defend the baptized believers against Anglicans, Catholics, Quakers, and Presbyterians. He was called upon to contend with other Christian groups by means of public debates and epistolary correspondence. The fifth chapter addresses Grantham’s interactions with the government and his thoughts on civil matters. He represented the baptized believers of Lincolnshire before Charles II and called all Christians to remain loyal, peaceable subjects. Grantham affirmed the acceptance of government-issued licenses to preach and congregate for religious purposes, and he unequivocally instructed his readers to avoid revolution or sedition. Grantham argued that the baptized believers supported the welfare of England by paying taxes; he even believed Christians could hold positions in civil government and serve in the military.

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