Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Spiritual warfare - Biblical teaching'

In this thesis I argue that the letter of Ephesians contains a coherent argument and that this argument is animated by the ideology of divine warfare. This ideological tool was utilized throughout the ancient world to assert and defend the cosmic supremacy of national deities, and appears throughout the Old Testament in texts that declare the exalted status of Yahweh over all other gods and over the forces of chaos that threaten creation. This ideology is applied to Ephesians with the result that what many regard as the central portion of the letter-Ephesians 2--contains a complete cycle of this mythological pattern. Here, within a context of praise and worship (1:1-19), the cosmic Lordship of Christ is asserted (1:20-23) and the triumphs of God in Christ over the powers that rule the present evil age are elaborated (2:1-22). God in Christ has triumphed over the powers that hold humanity captive to death by raising believers to life and seating them in the heavenlies with Christ. Further, Christ triumphs over the powers and their divisive effects within humanity by creating a new unified humanity that shares in the life of God in Christ by the Spirit. I then attempt to demonstrate that reading Ephesians through this lens provides satisfying solutions to a number of problems in subsequent sections of the letter. The 'autobiographical' remarks in Eph 3:2-13 are not intended as an apostolic defence, but rather are an explanation of how Paul's imprisonment, which would appear to be a devastating argument against the cosmic Lordship of Christ, actually serves to epitomize and reinforce that exalted status. I also argue that the difficult quotation of Psalm 68 in Eph 4:8 finds a satisfying solution through the application of divine warfare ideology. Finally, I argue that this reading demonstrates that the two halves of Ephesians are integrally related-that the exhortatory portion is a call to the New Humanity to engage in divine warfare against the evil powers, embodying the triumph of God in Christ in their corporate life.

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Objective: Approach in a theological way the Rite of Roman Exorcism. Allowing for greater dissemination of this important sacramental in the Church. Justification: There is more and more exposure on the subject of exorcism, whether in the media or in the assemblies of the faithful. However, this exhibition is full of folkloric, cultural and fanciful exaggerations. With this the need to scientifically approach the exorcism understood as a real combat that the Church assumes. Hypothesis: The Devil's action is real and he begins a battle with humanity that had already begun in the angelic field. Thus the Roman Rite of Exorcism exercises the mandate of Christ on the Apostolic Church, the power given by Christ to men to expel evil from the world. Methodology: Work divided into three chapters. In the first moment one seeks to know the evil nature of the devil, a fallen angel. As the development of the Holy Scriptures and Tradition recognizes the presence of the evil one and will show Jesus as the great exorcist. In the second chapter, the Church conscious of her ministry as an exorcist will develop the ritual over the centuries, from the apostolic age to the Second Vatican Council. In the third chapter an analysis of the Exorcism Ritual, observing its liturgical activity and how it is a true instrument of Spiritual Combat
Objetivo: Abordar de forma teológica o Ritual de Exorcismo Romano. Permitindo uma maior divulgação deste sacramental tão importante na Igreja. Justificativa: Existe cada vez mais uma maior exposição sobre o assunto do exorcismo, seja na mídia, seja nas assembleias dos fiéis. Todavia, essa exposição vem carregada de exageros folclóricos, culturais e fantasiosos. Com isso a necessidade de abordar cientificamente o exorcismo entendendo como um real combate que a Igreja assume. Hipótese: A ação do Demônio é real e ele inicia um combate com a humanidade que anteriormente já havia iniciado no campo angélico. Assim, o Ritual Romano do Exorcismo exerce o mandato de Cristo sobre a Igreja Apostólica, o poder dado por Cristo aos homens de expulsar o mal do mundo. Metodologia: Trabalho dividido em três capítulos. No primeiro momento busca-se conhecer a natureza maligna do demônio, um anjo decaído. Como o desenvolvimento das Sagradas Escrituras e da Tradição reconhece a presença do maligno e mostrará Jesus como o grande exorcista. No segundo capítulo, a Igreja consciente do seu ministério de exorcista desenvolverá o ritual ao longo dos séculos, da era apostólica ao Concílio Vaticano II. No terceiro capítulo uma análise do Ritual do Exorcismo, observando o seu agir litúrgico e como ele é um verdadeiro instrumento de Combate Espiritual

This dissertation seeks to answer the question: "Is the use of a spiritual gift identification instrument the best way for people to find their place of joyful service within the church?" Chapter 1 provides a history of the Church Growth Movement (CGM) through 1972 as an important backdrop for the development of spiritual gift identification instruments, the first of which was the SGI-McMinn. One of the key factors in the early popularizing of the SGI-McMinn was the CGM's emphasis on every member serving in the church by using his or her spiritual gift. The early 1970s saw a marked increase in the interest of spiritual gifts and their identification that was largely due to the influence of the CGM. This emphasis led to the popularization of the SGI-McMinn, which had been in development since the mid 1960s. The popularization of the SGI-McMinn led to the problematic issue of whether the instrument was based on solid theological and methodological ground. Chapter 2 provides a thorough examination of the historical development of the SGI-McMinn. This chapter includes an assessment of the relationship between the CGM's emphasis on spiritual gift utilization and the development of a tool for spiritual gift identification. This chapter examines the development of spiritual gift identification instruments beginning with the SGI-McMinn (1972), moving to the SGI-L (1984), the SGI-WHMQ (1979), and SGI-Gilbert (1986). Chapter 3 demonstrates that spiritual gift identification instruments are dependent upon defining spiritual gifts as abilities that may be accurately self-reported. Further, the design of spiritual gift identification instruments is inherently influenced by the biblical and theological bias of those designing them. Two popular spiritual gift identification instruments will be compared to demonstrate this dependence: the SGI-WHMQ and the SGI-Gilbert. Biblical bias is demonstrated as some spiritual gift identification instruments hold firmly to a set, unchanging number of gifts tested for, while other instruments are modified significantly over time. This biblical bias is problematic as it lends to creating confusion over the number and identity of spiritual gifts. Theological bias is demonstrated by the tendency of such instruments to focus on the individual rather than the New Testament purpose for gifts as a blessing to the local church. An excursus on the problem of self-assessment concludes the chapter. Chapter 4 brings together a number of empirical analyses of spiritual gift identification instrument construct, validity, and reliability. Regardless of the supposed biblical or theological basis for utilizing spiritual gift identification instruments, the research into the construct of the instruments themselves is vital to determining their usefulness in the church. The empirical analyses demonstrate that the methodology inherent in the development of spiritual gift identification instruments is not demonstrably valid or reliable to reveal individual spiritual gifts, but is reliable for revealing broad gift categories. Chapter 5 presents an alternative approach to spiritual gift identification in which spiritual gift discovery and service is rooted in the life of the church. The chapter begins with a quick review of the inherent tendency of spiritual gift identification instruments to place the focus on the individual will be undertaken. Following that, the biblical basis for an ecclesiocentric model for spiritual gift identification is presented. A key component of that model is addressed next, namely, that spiritual gifts are best defined as ministries in and for the church. Finally, the role of the church and church leadership in particular to spiritual gift discovery is examined, including a five-step strategy to implement an ecclesiocentric model of spiritual gift identification. Chapter 6 concludes the dissertation with final thoughts on spiritual gift discovery and how further study of spiritual gift identification might be pursued.

Christocentric spiritual formation approaches that incorporate the physical body are lacking in the literature base. The physical body plays a crucial role in spiritual formation; failure to recognize the significance of human embodiment in this way neglects a fundamental aspect of the imago Dei. This thesis researches the biblical view of human embodiment and assesses how the physical body relates to spiritual formation. Often, the soul⎯or spiritual dimension of believers⎯is elevated at the expense of the physical body within the Christian context due to insufficient theology of human embodiment. This is often rooted in a dualistic, compartmentalized understanding of humanity. The relationship between the physical body and spiritual formation is rooted in an evangelical theology of human embodiment founded in Scripture, which is necessary for a holistic understanding of the human person. The Bible demonstrates that God has created the whole person with the purpose of bringing glory to himself.

This dissertation suggests the Song of Songs as a biblical paradigm for Christian spiritual direction based on the poem’s human dynamics, theological poetics and mystical aesthetic. The Song of Songs is paradigmatic as a journey from a state of self-neglect (depletion), through dynamic encounters of love (transformation), to living who I am in union with the divine I AM (deification). Identifying the human beloved as archetypal seeker and positing transformation in love as the raison-d’être for spiritual direction, the research delineates important implications for spiritual praxis, namely: the human subject (locus); human yearning (focus); the human search (journey); dynamics of human transformation and spiritual maturation (process); aspects of life-integration and union with God (purpose); and becoming a living sacrament in the world (epiphany). With its experiential-existential approach, The Canticle of Spiritual Direction serves as an interdisciplinary and intercultural resource on the Song of Songs, Christian spiritual direction, and Christian mysticism.
Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology
M. Th. (Christian Spirituality)

Text in English
The aim of this research was to explore the contribution spiritual intelligence has made to leadership in the public sector; in an effort to encourage further debates about the legitimacy of spiritual intelligence in the workplace. The research design followed in this study is qualitative. The target population of this study were the leaders of the Free State Department of Education who have had self-acknowledged spiritual intelligence experience in their leadership context. The construct `spiritual intelligence` is a relatively complex phenomenon; hence the participants were recruited through a snowball sampling technique. The findings of this study revealed that spiritual intelligence contributes to leadership in the public sector. This study revealed that there is an association between leadership and spirituality and spiritual intelligence according to the subjective views of the participants. This suggests that researchers need to recognise the core component of internal development of leaders. The research attempted to bring about this type of awareness into the corporate world, and hopefully a valuable contribution will be made to future leadership attitudes, leadership styles, and working environment.
Psychology
D. Litt. et Phil. (Consulting Psychology)

This dissertation explores the relationship between Christian spirituality and the general wellbeing of the individual. To this end a literature review is conducted, as well as qualitative interviews with eleven individuals in the Cape Town area (South Africa). Snowball sampling was used to gain access to these eleven research participants who fitted the criteria of adults exhibiting a particular Christian lifestyle. The literature review revealed that nurturing, non-punitive religion has been associated with mental and physical health and that active participation in church activities that enhance a person’s social support system is beneficial. The qualitative interviews yielded the finding that those interviewees who had positive experiences with Christian spirituality during their childhood regard it as a significant contributor to meaning, hope and happiness in their lives.
Christian Spirituality Church History and Missiology
M. Th. (Christian Spirituality)

Due to the nature of war, persons are killed with various types of weapons. Throughout the history of humanity, weapons were used in this regard and these weapons left injuries on the victims that are distinguishable. The type of force conveyed by the ancient weapons effected injuries that enable modern-day bioarchaeologists to extrapolate which weapons caused which injuries. The Assyrians depicted their wars and battles on reliefs. An analysis of these depictions, with an extrapolation of the lesions expected in skeletal remains, could contribute to better understanding of the strategies of war in ancient times. This dissertation will discuss how the evaluation of human remains in comparison to Assyrian reliefs may contribute to the chronological knowledge of war and warfare in the Iron Age Ancient Near East – especially at Lachish. A discourse of the approaches available to researchers regarding access to data in the forensic bioarchaeological field will be presented.
Biblical and Ancient Studies
M.A. (Biblical Archaeology)

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 292-313) : illustrations
This thesis examines the Experience of God in the Fourth Gospel (in this research, it is also called the Johannine Experience of God) by perceiving it from the perspective of the metaphoric Familia Dei, found in this Gospel. This examination is done in a three-step process: The first step consists of a literary review and a presentation of the methodology and approach employed in this research. It intends to set the thesis within the Johannine studies. The second step involves the articulation of essential considerations on Religious Experience, the Johannine Community, and the Fourth Gospel. This articulation has two aims: First, to acquire a deeper understanding of the background of the Johannine Experience of God, and second, to point out the functionality of this Gospel’s narrative in constituting this experience. The third step comprises the following suggestion and the elaboration on its constituents: - The Johannine Experience of God consists of two components: the first one is the initiative of God the Father conveyed by Jesus Christ, perpetuated by the Holy Spirit, and as it is recorded in the Fourth Gospel. And the second one is the response of the believers (John’s readers) to this initiative by accepting the Son and journeying spiritually under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. - The Johannine Experience of God can be perceived from the perspective of the Familia Dei metaphoric found in the Fourth Gospel. - The narrative of the Fourth Gospel has the ability to constitute an experience of God and accordingly creates spirituality, once it is read or heard. This thesis aims to generate a deeper understanding of the spirituality of the Fourth Gospel at one level, and to offer an acceptable general insight about the Johannine Spirituality at another, hoping that its findings become an inspiration for future studies.
Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
D. Th. (Christian spirituality)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English
Text in Afrikaans
Die indikatiewe (inisiele) aspek van die heiliging word genadiglik deur God aan die gelowiges geskenk tydens hul regverdiging en wedergeboorte sodat die imperatiewe (voortgaande) aspek daaruit kan voortspruit. God ken in eersgenoemde aspek aan die gelowiges die nuwe status van heiliges as gawe toe, en rig hulle op Homself deur hulle met Christus te verenig in mede-sterwe vir die sonde, en in mede-opstanding in sy nuwe lewe. In kontinui'teit hiermee leef die gelowiges die implikasies van hul ontvangde status uit deur in die Militia Christiana die sonde(s) toenemend af te le, en hulle toenemend met Christus te beklee, en in sy krag deur die Gees vir God te lewe. So groei hulle in laasgenoemde aspek. Die Gereformeerde leer, waarvolgens geglo word dat 'n tweede genadewerk of 'n latere Geesdoop onnodig is vir effektiewe groei, laat die beste reg geskied aan die kontinui'teit tussen die twee aspekte.
The indicative (initial) aspect of sanctification is graciously given to the believers by God when they are justified and regenerated, so that the imperative (ongoing) aspect can flow therefrom. In the first-mentioned aspect God confers upon the believers the new status of saints, and focuses them on Himself by uniting them with Christ in co-crucifixion for sin, and in co-resurrection with Him in his new life. In continuation thereof, the believers live out the implications of their received status in the Militia Christiana by putting away sin, and by putting on Christ in an ever-increasing measure, and in living for God in Christ's power by the Spirit, thus growing in the latter aspect. The Reformed teaching, according to which it is believed that a second work of grace or a subsequent baptism with the Spirit is unnecessary for effectual growth, is most in accordance with the continuation between the two aspects.
Philosophy, Practical & Systematic Theology
M. Th. (Systematic Theology)

The study commenced by identifying a theological problem relating to the lack of understanding regarding grass-roots African Pentecostal healing praxis. The empirical-theological approach of Van der Ven was utilised, therefore, to study the healing praxis of an African Pentecostal body, called: The Group‘ Assemblies of God, in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Van der Ven‘s original framework was developed by drawing on the hermeneutic and methodological work of Cartledge. A case study was undertaken on a Group‘ Assembly in rural KwaZulu-Natal. The use of social scientific techniques produced a wide range of results that point to the church‘s ministry of healing as a process, rooted in the Trinity, that can occur through varied channels. These pathways ended in a broad understanding of healing. A dialogue between the qualitative results and the healing literature was used to develop a more precise theological question. Case study categories were conceptualised and then operationalised as a questionnaire. A survey was performed on all Assemblies affiliated to The Group‘ Assemblies of God in KwaZulu-Natal. A significant number of people participated in the survey which produced a wide range of data. It is found that worldview and charismatic experience form an important hermeneutic axis that influences attitudes towards the healing ministry. Conservative biblical belief, ethnicity, education and gender influence attitudes towards healing. A distinct divide exists between positive attitudes towards physical, spiritual, inner healing and deliverance and more negative attitudes towards social and environmental healing. The reflection on these results focuses on the perceived influence of American dispensational fundamentalism. The eschatology formed from these beliefs has a narrowing effect on holistic healing ministry. Moltmann‘s transformational eschatology is suggested, therefore, as a suitable alternative. The methodological evaluation finds that several problems exist with regard to research in a rural African location. The cycle concludes by offering a range of suggestions for further study.
Practical Theology
D. Th. (Practical Theology)