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Title: Apostolic memory leveraged : the development of apostolic identification for purposes of theological validation in the first two centuries of the Church
Contributor: D. William Springer (author), Bruce Guenther (thesis supervisor), Archie Spencer (second reader), Craig Allert (external examiner), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Theological Studies
Abstract: This thesis examines apostolic memory and the manner in which these memories were leveraged in the early church. Chapter One provides a summary of the apostolic portrait in the New Testament and charts all references to the twelve among the apostolic fathers, through to Justin and Hegesippus. These writers reveal a view of the apostles distinguished primarily for their honoured role as Christ’s messengers. Chapter Two demonstrates how Irenaeus utilized apostolic memory in such a way that led to an all-encompassing apostolic identity for the church. This development is compared with Tertullian’s ideas, and the comparison reveals a marked difference in emphasis and strategy. In contrast to Irenaeus, Tertullian minimized apostolic referencing and identification, and instead utilized language more dependent on Christocentric identity. These differences are explained in Chapter Three, which argues that the key point of differentiation was the writers’ perspectives on the apostles’ empowerment by the Holy Spirit.
Publication Year: 2014

Title: The Born-again Friar: American Evangelical Appropriations of Saint Francis of Assisi, 1972-2013
Contributor: Paul R. Foth (author), Bruce L. Guenther (thesis supervisor), Robert K. Burkinshaw (second reader), Don M. Lewis (third reader), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Theological Studies
Abstract: Beginning in the late twentieth century, some evangelical Protestants in America turned to historic Catholic saints as inspirational exemplars of Christian faith. A surprisingly diverse range of American evangelicals appealed to Saint Francis of Assisi because he was perceived as a quintessentially authentic Christian. Saint Francis provided historical justification for some of these evangelicals’ own ideals of Christian discipleship, and served as an example for inspiration and emulation as they navigated contemporary American culture and the evolving evangelical movement. This thesis examines a range of American evangelical appropriations of Saint Francis of Assisi from 1972 to 2013, focusing on several sub-groups or movements within American evangelicalism. This examination of the evangelical reception of Saint Francis of Assisi contributes to a deeper understanding of evangelical Protestant interactions with Catholic spirituality, while also illuminating changing evangelical conceptions of what constitutes true Christian faith.
Publication Year: 2019

Title: The central role of lead pastors in developing spiritual leaders at a local church
Contributor: Matthew Yat Sun Sin (author), Jim Lucas (thesis supervisor), Daryl Busby (second reader), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Ministry
Abstract: This research aims to suggest the various key leadership development roles of a lead pastor that will significantly influence the future development of effective spiritual leaders at a local church setting. By reviewing the current literature and biblical foundations, and interviewing the lead pastors and lay leaders/pastors of selected Chinese churches at Greater Vancouver Area, British Columbia, the author developed a contour or paradigm that defines effective spiritual leadership as a holistic personal life development, which includes seven ingredients: Passionate Affection for God, the Servanthood Character of Jesus, Self-understanding and Identity in Christ, Authentic Community Life, Emotionally Healthy Life, Self-differentiated Competence, and Ministry and Life Transformation; and also suggested a common set of the key roles of a lead pastor – Team Builder, Community Developer, Mentor, Group Trainer, Discipler and Coach - that are essential for developing effective spiritual leaders at Chinese churches of Canada.
Publication Year: 2013

Title: Formation by Christocentricity-Grace-Spirit : Applying a Redemptive-Historical Preaching Paradigm to the Chinese Christian Community in Metro Vancouver
Contributor: Peter Kwok-Ping Choy (author), Larry Perkins (thesis supervisor), Daryl Busby (second reader), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution), Hing-Kau (Jason) Yeung (external examiner)
Discipline/Stream: Ministry
Abstract: Assuming the potential practice of egocentric and works-based moralism in the Chinese Christian community in Metro Vancouver, this project investigates the validity of applying a redemptive-historical preaching paradigm to the community that may address this moralistic problem. This preaching paradigm emphasizes Christocentric, grace-based and pneumatic aspects in the redemptive truth, and this paper argues that from a gospel-kingdom perspective this triple-emphasis of proclamation provides the most effective solution to the matter and that only "through this proclamation by the Holy Spirit" generates a genuine spiritual formation in Christian life (true love and obedience towards God).
Publication Year: 2015

Title: How a story means : a narrative linguistic reading of Exodus 2-4
Contributor: Douglas Dunbar (author), Robert Hiebert (thesis supervisor), Larry Perkins (second reader), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution), Dirk Büchner (external examiner)
Discipline/Stream: Administration
Abstract: Well-written narratives communicate more than information. What a story communicates is as important as how the story communicates. The narrative flow of a story engages the reader in the action. Narrative conventions assist the reader in connecting prior knowledge or experience with the story. Authors also make linguistic decisions as to how the story is conveyed. The syntax of clauses, sentences, paragraphs and whole documents conveys the story to the reader in expected, and at times unexpected, ways. This study merges narrative and text-linguistic exegetical methods in the reading of Exodus 2-4. Text-linguistics, the primary method employed, examines the syntax of the story in an effort to understand how the language has been employed in the communicative act. These observations are then combined with narrative observations: characterization, plot, type-scenes, and connections with other stories within the same work, in this case the Pentateuch.
Publication Year: 2015

Title: How Do Participants in an Evangelism Training Program Assess Its Impact on Their Ability and Confidence in Sharing Their Personal Faith?
Contributor: Albert T. Y. Kwan (author), Daryl Busby (thesis supervisor), Curtis Congo (second reader), Brian Cooper (external examiner), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Ministry
Abstract: This research project probed the question, “How do participants in an evangelism training program assess its impact on their ability, confidence and enthusiasm in sharing their faith to non-believers?” Current research suggests that although “evangelicals” firmly believe in the exclusivism of the Gospel message, few actually tell others about this message (a practice called “witnessing to others”). However, current research also suggests that when evangelicals are trained and encouraged to tell others, their confidence and skill level in witnessing is increased. The project reviews both historical and current theological understandings of the term “evangelism”. The project also probes some of the ethical issues related to the motives and reasons for witnessing to others. The project then culminates by presenting the findings of a phenomenological study of thirty people from selected Chinese churches in Calgary who participated in a training program designed to enhance their confidence and skill in witnessing to others.
Publication Year: 2016

Title: The "Law of the Land" in the Land of Lagides: A Comparative Analysis of Exodus 21:1-32
Contributor: Joel F. Korytko (author), Larry J. Perkins (thesis supervisor), Robert J. V. Hiebert (second reader), Dirk Büchner (external examiner), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Theological Studies
Abstract: Septuagint Exodus has long been recognized as an outlier when it comes to the general rigidity and stereotypical translation practices found in other books within the LXX corpus. The general freedom exhibited by the translator, though expressed within careful limits, is well-documented when it comes to grammatical, syntactical, and lexicographical evaluations. This thesis, while engaging in the descriptive analysis of these topics, is also directed towards a new type of synthesis: a comparison of the translation with Ptolemaic legal norms. It is due to the idiosyncrasies and anomalies arising from a translation-technical analysis that the question is asked, “Could these differences be accounted for by consulting Greek legal and societal standards?” With respect to Exodus 21.1-32, the answer in many cases is, “Yes.” This study demarcates these potential influences on a verse by verse basis after briefly identifying the broader legal structures and forces at play in Ptolemaic Egypt.
Publication Year: 2018

Title: Leveraging church culture : how understanding a church’s culture enhances ministry and community engagement
Contributor: Michael Mawhorter (author), Lyle Schrag (thesis supervisor), Archie Spencer (second reader), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution), Randy Wollf (third reader)
Discipline/Stream: Ministry
Abstract: This study looked at organizational culture in a church context, exploring whether understanding and leveraging a church's culture helps focus ministry and maximizes effectiveness. The research used What Is Your Church's Personality, by Philip D. Douglass, in the ministry context of Ladner Baptist Church, Ladner B.C. There were three components to the research: 1. Thirty-five opinion leaders in the congregation took a personality survey with results plotted on a wheel of eight church personalities. 2. A meeting to report the results, with opportunity for feedback and discussion. 3. A follow up interview to assess whether the leadership found this process helpful in understanding their culture and leveraging it for greater effectiveness in ministry and outreach. The result of this project demonstrated that the survey accurately identified the church's personality and the supplemental material on each personality gave valuable insights into how to leverage that culture for greater effectiveness.
Publication Year: 2015

Title: Relevance Theory and Proverbs: Exploring Context through Explicatures and Implicatures
Contributor: Nicholas T Toews (author), Steve Nicolle (thesis supervisor), Sean Allison (second reader), Peter Unseth (third reader), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Linguistics
Abstract: Relevance Theory (Sperber & Wilson 1986/1995) is a theory of communication which states that the human brain is geared towards processing relevant stimuli for little effort. While proponents of Relevance Theory have endeavored to explain various linguistic phenomena such as metaphor, irony, sarcasm, and idioms, there has been little work done on the proverb. The current thesis fills in this gap within Relevance Theory by applying Relevance-Theoretic principles to the interpretation of proverbs in context. This study explains how proverb meaning carries both a base meaning as well as an implicated meaning in context, with the use of Relevance Theory’s explicatures and implicatures. In addition, this thesis makes use of ad hoc concept formation (Wilson & Carston 2007) to account for meaning modulation and contrasts the analysis of proverbs under Relevance Theory with Vega-Moreno’s (2003) analysis of idioms under Relevance Theory.
Publication Year: 2019

Title: The significance of Karl Barth’s conception of petitionary prayer as divine–human correspondence in church dogmatics, iv/4 and the Christian life: cd, iv/4: lecture fragments
Contributor: Suzette Benjamin (author), Archibald Spencer (thesis supervisor), Ken Radant (second reader), Ross Hastings (external examiner), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Administration
Abstract: Karl Barth claims in Church Dogmatics that calling upon God as Father in prayer (invocation) is exemplary human action. Barth’s treatment of prayer in this way provides a different vantage point on the topic of prayer than is often studied in contemporary Christian scholarship, where Christian prayer is studied to establish its devotional or community value. Barth’s presentation of prayer is worth studying because it reveals prayer as the vehicle through which humans learn about themselves and about God. Moreover, prayer reveals God’s divine nature as He connects with the Christian pray-er. Barth calls this relationship between God and the Christian divine–human correspondence. My focus is to explore Barth’s theology to determine the significance of prayer in the context of divine–human correspondence and then to relate it to prayer in everyday Christian life. I conclude that prayer, as effective human action, is inherent to human correspondence with God.
Publication Year: 2016

Title: TERTULLIAN’S THEOLOGICAL HERMENEUTICS: TOWARDS IDENTIFYING TERTULLIAN'S PRINCIPLES OF SCRIPTURAL INTERPRETATION
Contributor: Rob AJ Blazecka (author), Archie Spencer (thesis supervisor), Bruce Guenther (second reader), Craig Allert (third reader), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Administration
Abstract: This thesis is an attempt to articulate Tertullian’s principles of hermeneutics. It gathers relevant statements from across his recognized works, and attempts to synthesize his thought on hermeneutics. What emerges are eight principles that determine his Scriptural interpretation. In the first chapter, Tertullian’s treatises are placed in the literary context of classical rhetoric, and an argument is advanced that Tertullian took much influence from the rhetorical tradition, but does not uniformly conform to exact parameters of Ciceronian rhetoric. Rather, Tertullian is an original writer who synthesized classical rhetoric with the literary structures of the Scriptural canon as he saw it. The second chapter explores Tertullian’s view of the Scriptures, arguing that he held to a unified canon of writings that he understood to be God’s word. The third chapter is the mainstay of this thesis, and argues that many of Tertullian’s treatises are best read as a unified theological project. It is argued that many of his writings evince an effort on Tertullian’s part to apply hermeneutic principles to an array of theological topics, and thus may profitably be read as a concentrated literary effort in hermeneutics. Lastly, an attempt to state his hermeneutics in eight principles are explained and demonstrated.
Publication Year: 2020

Title: Understanding Πνευματικός in First Corinthians: Paul’s Corrective Vision for Spirit Life
Contributor: Jeffrey S. Peters (author), Larry J. Perkins (thesis supervisor), Tony Cummins (second reader), Sven K. Soderlund (third reader), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Biblical Studies
Abstract: Many English Bible translations use the term “spiritual” to translate the Greek adjective πνευματικός. Some translations are exploring alternative ways to render πνευματικός in an attempt to be more specific about what it means, indicating the word “spiritual” may not be an adequate understanding of πνευματικός. Fifteen of twenty-six occurrences of πνευματικός in the New Testament occur in 1 Corinthians. The goal of this project is to ask, Why does Paul repeatedly use the term πνευματικός in 1 Corinthians? This project will clarify the context of 1 Corinthians and why Paul used the term πνευματικός the way he did, and will evaluate that use in light of the broader meaning of πνευματικός. I will argue that this adjective always means “pertaining to the πνεῦμα,” and in Paul’s letters the particular focus is almost always on the πνεῦμα of God, that is, in New Testament terms, the Holy Spirit. Paul’s usage of πνευματικός in 1 Corinthians is part of a corrective response to the distorted pneumatology of some in the Corinthian church. Paul’s vision is for an eschatological community of Christ, empowered by and living obediently to the Spirit in contrast to the schismatic, dysfunctional community that had arisen in Corinth during his absence.
Publication Year: 2020

Title: Very god, very man : a theological exploration of Karl Barth’s christological anthropology
Contributor: Tyler J. R. Harper (author), Archie Spencer (thesis supervisor), Kenneth Radant (second reader), Ross Hastings (external examiner), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Administration
Abstract: In opposition to the historical context of twentieth-century human centered religion, Karl Barth argues for a theologically based anthropology, fixing human self-knowledge on divine revelation and so constructing his understanding of humanity from within his Christology. In founding his concept of humanity on the reality of Christ, Barth is able to avoid the twin pitfalls of optimistic and pessimistic descriptions of humanity in the surrounding zeitgeist. Barth’s anthropology depicts the existence of true humanity as it is only made possible and represented by the person of Jesus Christ, who is simultaneously God for humanity and humanity for God. For Barth, this is humankind as it was created to be. This thesis examines Barth’s corpus to answer the question: Does a coherent theological treatment of humanity exist throughout Barth’s corpus, as it is grounded in the person of Jesus Christ?
Publication Year: 2015

Title: Was Jesus a Mythical Figure? Responding to the Charge that Jesus of Nazareth Never Existed
Contributor: Chris H. Christiansen (author), Paul Chamberlain (thesis supervisor), Kent Clarke (external examiner), Brian Rapske (second reader), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Theological Studies
Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to examine and refute the arguments made by mythicists, who deny the historicity of Jesus of Nazareth. It begins by investigating the historical development of myth. Next, it explores the history of mythicism since its inception in the eighteenth century. The penultimate chapter outlines the main criticisms that mythicists level against the Gospels; the final chapter responds to these arguments. There are two major findings of this thesis. First, the mythicists’ standard for evidence is not applied consistently. Second, they fail to show why their interpretations of the available data are better than more traditional approaches. The conclusion is that they do not provide sufficient reasons for doubting the existence of Jesus as a human in history.
Publication Year: 2020

Title: Writings of an ancient poet : a theological composition of Aurelius Prudentius Clemens’ soteriology as depicted in his Liber Cathemerinon
Contributor: Erika M. McAuley (author), Archie Spencer (thesis supervisor), Bruce Guenther (second reader), Christopher Morrissey (external examiner), Trinity Western University GSTS (Degree granting institution)
Discipline/Stream: Administration
Abstract: By his poetic declarations concerning Jesus Christ, Prudentius appeals to some as a flagship for fourth-century Nicene theology. This thesis investigates the poet’s concept of salvation to determine its congruity with Nicaea’s underlying soteriology. To that end, Athanasius’ Against the Gentiles-On the Incarnation and Prudentius’ Liber Cathemerinon are read in juxtaposition, drawing out and comparing theological themes. Prudentius exhibits an inherent fixation on the problem of sin and its effect on salvation. This diminishes the significance and hope offered by the Incarnation. Yet, Athanasius purports that Nicaea’s Christological proclamations are founded on God’s saving action in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Therefore, while the Christological confessions of Nicaea appear to prefigure the theology of Prudentius in his pastiche, Liber Cathemerinon, a closer analysis reveals that his conception of salvation is inconsistent with the underlying soteriological impetus of Nicene theology.
Publication Year: 2013