Divinity School

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10161/410

Duke migrated to an electronic-only system for theses and dissertations between 2006 and 2010. As such, theses and dissertations completed between 2006 and 2010 may not be part of this system, and those completed before 2006 are not hosted here except for a small number that have been digitized.

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In the Storm, HE Is Here: The Evocative Work of the Beloved Community to Initiate Transformative Change in Small Town Communities of North Carolina
(2026) Gray, Debra Luciana
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the significance, relevance, and importance of Beloved Community and its function in small communities in North Carolina. The original term was a cry against individualism in the mid-1800's. It was re-imagined during the Civil Rights Movement by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who framed the core of its meaning from the Imago Dei. In the introduction, I offer a reflection of the holy Trinity being the first example of the beloved community and conclude the introduction with scriptural examples from Old and New Testament passages that give validity to the existence of this type of community. In the first chapter, I provide a historical overview of the African American experience in the United States. Close attention is paid to the Civil Rights Movement, as I focus on the efforts of the non-violent protesters and the obstacles they faced. Also woven into this chapter is King’s theological interpretation of the Imago Dei and its correlation to the Beloved Community. The second chapter addresses the scholarship of Charles Marsh, John Perkins, John Bell, and two clerics that I interviewed who have a firsthand knowledge of being a part of a beloved community, Rev. Dr. Matt Riggsbee and a woman minister (whom I refer to as Lynelle for the benefit of her anonymity in this project). Each of these five intellectuals shares relevant insights into the discussion of what a beloved community is. The third chapter examines four beloved communities in North Carolina – BeLoved Asheville, Beloved Community Center, The Trees, and the Fellowship of Churches. The four groups are distinctly different from each other as they offer beloved community into their ministerial contexts. In the final segment of this thesis, I offer a summative look at the examples and scholarship of the beloved community with the characteristics that I believe are paramount to its sustainability, effectiveness, and potential to be a viable initiative for change in small communities.
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The Lives Inside: Howard Thurman, Strange Freedoms, and The Inner Life of Carceral Contemplation
(2026) Hines, Craig Dushay Glover
Howard Thurman (1899-1981) is a spiritual pillar in the African American theological tradition. Although Thurman is still unknown to many, his life, ministry, personal witness, and role in the civil rights movement proved to be invaluable and has continued to influence generations. Contemporary studies of Thurman’s life and work has cultivated a rich terrain for scholarship and practical Christian ministry around ideas of spirituality, community, and freedom. By examining Thurman’s notion of “A Strange Freedom,” this thesis pushes beyond the traditional applications of his thought and argues that situating Howard Thurman in the carceral context alongside the prisoner is not only a prophetic way to read his work but also casts new light on the meaning of freedom. My methodology includes (1) examining the inner life in Thurman’s thought, (2) applying his notion of “A Strange Freedom” to the context of incarceration, (3) introducing the notion of what I call “Carceral Contemplation” which explores the relationship between the carceral and the contemplative, (4) taking seriously the role of exercise and sport in prison as an expression of freedom, and (5) highlighting a different dimension in the search for common ground which includes the children of the incarcerated along with the inner child within incarcerated men and women. My findings suggest that situating Howard Thurman in the context of incarceration provides a new way to help answer his famous question of “what does the religion of Jesus have to say to those whose backs are against the wall?” By spending time with and listening closer to those whose backs are against carceral crosses, we learn not only what the religion of Jesus has to say to those in prison but also to all of us in the quest for freedom.
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A Journey Towards Reconciliation, Community-Building, and Self-Discovery: Womanist Spiritual Formation, Re/Membering, and Healing in a Racialized Christian Context
(2026) Smith, Shontea Lannette
This project examines how histories of racial trauma shape the spiritual imagination of communities, particularly Black congregations. I focus on the impact repeated experiences with racialized trauma have on expectations of the Holy Spirit. Grounded in pastoral ministry at Mount Sinai African Methodist Episcopal Church in Pittsboro, North Carolina, and community organizing with Community Organizing for Racial Equity (CORE) in Chatham County, I demonstrate how repeated experiences with racialized injustice produce communities formed to prioritize endurance over transformation. I name the resulting formation survival pneumatology — a theological posture that trusts the Spirit for sustenance while limiting the imagination of the Spirit as an agent of justice and communal change. I draw on womanist practical theology, pastoral autoethnography, and formation theory to introduce trap-ology as a framework for naming how systems shape belief and constrain imagination. I then propose re/membering as a Spirit-led, communal practice that restores dignity, heals memory, and renews theological imagination. I invite communities to move from survival-oriented faith toward Spirit-empowered witness and communal transformation through storytelling, lament, and justice-oriented action.
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The Power of Place and Making Change Happen: How Hamilton Park United Methodist Church Can Interpret Acts 1-5 for the Transformation of the Hamilton Park Community in Dallas, Texas
(2026) Phelps, Bryant Xavier
The Hamilton Park Community in Dallas, Texas, was created as a haven for racially terrorized Black people in 1954. Hamilton Park Methodist Church, now Hamilton Park United Methodist Church, was founded in 1957 to provide a Wesleyan Christian expression to the community. Today, the Hamilton Park Community is threatened by predatory development that has created economic strain for many of its residents, including some original homeowners. The effects of which are continued racial terror as displacement, divestment, and disillusionment. Since 1990, Hamilton Park United Methodist Church has been the only church in the community. Transformation is its theological task, found in Acts 1-5. The Book of Acts, a book of history, tells the story of the formation of the church following Jesus’ ascension and how, through discipleship, leadership, and partnership, it inspired the transformation of marginalized communities despite Roman imperialistic terror. As the only church in the Hamilton Park Community, a church in the tradition of the historic Black church, Hamilton Park United Methodist Church is the most powerful entity to transform the community. This project seeks to define place theologically, analyze the community’s place and the church’s place historically, and situate Hamilton Park United Methodist Church in that place as the only meaningful, powerful tool for social transformation. From the historical, theo-political, and social exploration of place, the church is exhumed as the most powerful place capable of making change happen for the community, because it is the continuation of a movement that began in Acts 1-5. This project helps Hamilton Park United Methodist Church establish and accomplish change through an interpretation of Acts1-5 as a theological imperative. Hamilton Park United Methodist Church is the place that can make change happen and inspire the transformation of the Hamilton Park Community in Dallas, Texas, because it has the power of place; it is the church for Hamilton Park.
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How Firm a Foundation: Bishop Henry Lee Fisher and the Institutional Development of the United Holy Church of America, Inc., 1905-1947
(2026) Taylor, Angela Marguerite Smith
This thesis examines the life, leadership, and lasting influence of Bishop Henry Lee Fisher and his role in shaping the United Holy Church of America, Inc. (UHCA). Although not present at the church’s founding in 1886, Fisher became its most influential leader, guiding its growth from a small network of congregations into an organized denomination with a national and international reach. Using Fisher’s personal journals (1919–1936) as primary sources, this study explores how his faith, daily practices, and leadership decisions contributed to the development of the church.Focusing on organization and institutional development, this project highlights how Fisher’s commitment to holiness, evangelism, missions, and education shaped both his ministry and the UHCA's structure. His life reflects an “ethic of character,” in which belief and action are closely connected. Through his preaching, writing, travel, and administration, he built systems that sustained the church while also responding to the social and racial challenges faced by Black religious leaders in the segregated South. This study also emphasizes the role of community in Fisher’s work, including the support of his family, his congregation, and especially the many women who labored alongside him in ministry. By examining these relationships, the thesis challenges the idea of solitary leadership and instead presents Fisher’s success as deeply connected to a broader network of support. Ultimately, this project presents Fisher as more than a preacher or spiritual figure; it positions him as a strategic and effective institutional builder. His leadership demonstrates how deeply held spiritual convictions can translate into lasting organizational impact. By reassessing his life through a biographical and theological lens, this thesis contributes to the study of Black Holiness traditions and offers insight into how faith, discipline, and vision can shape enduring religious institutions.
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Warrior-Healer: The Church as a Catalyst to Restore Justice, Combat Violence, and Heal Trauma in the City of Medicine
(2026) Horton Sr., Derrick Winston
AbstractThis thesis argues that the Church in Durham, North Carolina, can respond to racialized violence, trauma, and mass incarceration by reclaiming a warrior-healer vocation rooted in Black Evangelicalism within the historic Black Church. Using an interdisciplinary practical-theological method, the study places Black religious thought, restorative justice theory, trauma studies, history, sociology, and ministry experience in sustained conversation. Chapter 1 diagnoses the criminalization of Blackness, gun violence, mass incarceration, poverty, and embodied trauma as interlocking forms of harm shaping the lives of Black, Latine, and Indigenous children and communities. Chapter 2 traces restorative justice to African communal and Indigenous traditions while clarifying the race-conscious developments required for contemporary practice. Chapter 3 examines Common Justice, Community Passageways, and Restorative Justice Durham as case studies in community-based repair. Chapters 4 and 5 develop a theological account of the Church as warrior-healer and propose a church-led restorative justice center, Restore Jericho Impact, together with practices of congregational listening, survivor-centered accountability, youth formation, and neighborhood partnership. The thesis concludes that the gospel does not permit a separation between salvation and justice and that congregations become credible witnesses when they embody truth-telling, healing, presence, and restorative accountability in places most marked by violence.
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Preaching Revolution: A Cleageian Homiletic
(2026) Robbins, Joseph Robert
This dissertation brings Rev. Albert B. Cleage, Jr. into conversation with the field of homiletics. Cleage published a book of sermons in 1968 titled The Black Messiah. The sermons in The Black Messiah were offered as a guide to help Black people rediscover Jesus as a revolutionary Black Messiah. Additionally, these sermons were presented as a model for other preachers who frequently preached to Black people. The Black Messiah was an infrastructure for Cleage’s Black theological project, presented in homiletical form. The problem that this dissertation addresses is that there has been no substantive attention given to Cleage in the field of homiletics. The methodologies employed in this study are phenomenological analysis and biographical criticism. Phenomenological analysis allows Cleage’s preaching, theology, and praxis to be examined as its own religious phenomenon. Biographical criticism highlights the importance of the life experiences, religious, and social contexts that resulted in the formation of Albert B. Cleage, Jr. This study has shown that Cleage fills a lacuna in the field of homiletics. Serious critical engagement with Cleage’s preaching, theology, and praxis points the field of homiletics, as well as Black theology and Black church studies, towards generative possibilities.
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Wellness & Restoration: An Exploratory Study of One Church Ministry
(2026) Liles, Robin Guill
In 2023, First United Methodist Church (FUMC) in Asheboro, North Carolina introduced a new clinical mental health counseling ministry, Wellness & Restoration. This ministry is a collaborative effort between FUMC and Robin Liles Consulting PLLC (RLC). Aligning with the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, and drawing from Christian traditions of hospitality and care, as well as from the ideal of “preferential option for the poor,” the purpose of Wellness & Restoration is to encourage the flourishing of FUMC congregants and other people in the community by providing at-no-cost clinical mental health services. This thesis aims to describe Wellness & Restoration, including the rationale for its formation, its undergirding theology, its operations as a clinical mental health counseling ministry, and its efficacy in expanding FUMC local missional work. The overarching questions for this exploratory study asked how integrating a clinical mental health counseling ministry into a church setting shapes the church’s mission to “connect with, serve, and affirm all creation.” To answer this question, I employed a case study design in which Wellness & Restoration functioned as the main unit of analysis. To imagine the contours of the case study, I engaged with a theology of healing in the Way of Jesus. As well, a hermeneutic of discipleship and a context of local church missions undergirded the study’s design development and implementation. To these concepts, I landed upon the dimension of history and information to forward the process of thematic analysis and narrative interpretation. This exploratory study generated two types of information: descriptive and narrative. I used descriptive information to define the participant group, and I collected narrative information (primary) from semi-structured interviews and focus groups. From this study, I deduced two themes. First, through love, care, and help, God calls us to minister to one another, especially those among us who are poor and broken. Second, as God’s house, the church is and should be a place where people can go to find community, relationship and help.
Access status: Open Access ,
She Preached Like a Man: The Journey and Resilience of Black Women in Pastoral and Ministerial Leadership
(2026) Richardson, Sheila Ann
This project examines the intersection of gender and religious leadership through the lens of a Black woman pastor whose theological understanding and ministerial practice are profoundly shaped by my lived experiences and historical context. Anchored in a pivotal moment—being told I “preached like a man” after delivering a revival sermon—the study interrogates the gendered expectations embedded in preaching and pastoral authority. This phrase, while complimentary, reveals implicit biases that equate power and effectiveness in the pulpit with masculinity. It exposes the broader tension Black women face as they navigate systemic sexism within ecclesial spaces that often marginalize our voices and contributions.This project engages the lived experiences of Black women clergy through qualitative interviews and an analytical framework grounded in Womanist theology. It considers the barriers identified by Smarr, Disbennett-Lee, and Hakim (2018), such as discrimination, patriarchal tradition, and financial inequity, while tracing how the challenges posed by these barriers are met with resilience, spiritual conviction, and communal support. Central to this examination are the works of pioneering leaders such as Bishop Vashti McKenzie, theologian Renita J. Weems, and ethicist Angela D. Sims, whose scholarship and witness offer both critique and vision for reimagining church leadership beyond patriarchal norms. This study calls on the Church to confront its complicity in perpetuating gender inequality and adopt a transformative ministry model that values the wisdom, authority, and theological insights of Black women. By amplifying their voices and examining the theological voids left by male-dominated liberation narratives—including those of the Civil Rights era—this dissertation seeks to equip the Church with resources to disrupt inherited biases and nurture a future in which female leadership is not exceptional but the norm.
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Experiencing Living Water: Growing in Faith by Fulfilling our Baptismal Covenant
(2026) Charville, Adam Edward
This thesis is submitted for the Doctor of Ministry degree at Duke Divinity School. It explores the role of experiential education as a formational and transformative approach to Christian discipleship within the local church. Grounded in personal narrative, educational theory, and biblical theology, the study argues that meaningful faith formation occurs most effectively through lived experience, intentional reflection, and faithful response rather than through the transmission of information alone. Research highlights how experiential learning, particularly in high-stakes environments, can lead to deep, lasting transformation. The study further contends that experiential education is deeply aligned with the biblical narrative. Through analysis of both Old and New Testament texts, it shows that God consistently forms individuals and communities through encounter, participation, and reflection. From Moses’ calling and Samuel’s discernment to the ministry of Jesus and the practices of the early church, discipleship emerges as an inherently experiential process. Additionally, the thesis explores contemporary applications of experiential education within modern Christian settings, highlighting practices such as worship, service-learning, storytelling, and communal engagement. Ultimately, this research argues that when intentionally integrated, experiential education provides a dynamic and adaptable framework for cultivating mature disciples of Jesus Christ. By engaging the whole person and fostering ongoing transformation, the church is better equipped to fulfill its mission, strengthen community, and embody the gospel in a complex and changing worlds.
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Chiaroscuro in Re-Creation and Transformation: The Artistry of Prophetic Leadership
(2026) Wang, Silvia
The title of my thesis—Chiaroscuro in Re-Creation and Transformation: The Artistry of Prophetic Leadership—reflects God calling us to serve as prophets with courageous tenacity, in and through the light, shadows, and dynamism of ministry and vocation. A subtitle of my thesis is My Voice, My Story—Strengthened in the Crucible of Ministry: Reflections of an Asian American, Immigrant, Woman Pastor Serving as a Prophet, which reflects the lens of a lived faith experience. Knowing who we are impacts how we lead. Our spiritual autobiography and narrative of how God leads us in life, work, vocation, and ministry strengthen understanding of the prophetic call of God in our individual stories in connection to the ongoing transformative story of the world through God in Jesus Christ. I explore the intersectionality of identities and culture, power and access, voice and decision-making, and restoration of and through communities. Reflections in this thesis involve our considering whose voices we are not hearing and why; and who is not represented in the biblical and modern narrative, space, and context and why. The thesis reflects on our voices, agency, identities, and action in prophetic service on behalf of God in truth, compassion, and love. Engaging with Asian American women leadership resources, along with leadership expertise of various people groups, in the church, ministry, theology, and business, I explore the commonalities and differences within Asian and Asian American experiences in relation with dominant leadership, cultural, and social experiences in the United States.With a selection of biblical scriptures, scholarship by theologians, wisdom from thought leaders, and interdisciplinary resources, I examine the voice, identity, and authority of biblical prophets: namely, Deborah (voice and action), Elijah (exercising power and resting), Jeremiah (perseverance through trials), Esther (quiet strength and courage), and Jesus (a prophet and more than a prophet). I discuss prophetic leadership styles, strategies, and methods in relation to change and context. I provide narratives of identifying with the biblical prophets, explore pain and trauma, and reflect on ways of traveling through dissonance, conflict, and forgiveness while reclaiming our voice and agency, and experiencing renewal through God and community. The last chapter of the thesis focuses on the relationships of God, pastor, and local church through the imagery of the Vine and the Branches from the Gospel of John, chapter 15 and the theological doctrine of Imago Dei, image of God. The appendices include study materials on justice, spiritual genealogy, covenant, formation through conflict, encounters as holy moments, and rooted fluidity of prophetic leadership. The appendices reference the Old Testament books of Genesis and Ruth and New Testament books of Matthew and Luke.In conclusion, the thesis affirms our stories and our lives: we are who we are as God has created, restored, and re-created. God has made us unique and diverse in the imago Dei. We embrace our identities to engage in collaborative social action and evangelical witness with respect and wonder. We join God to work toward transformative equity, love, and peace with our neighbors and creation in the world.
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Liturgy On Fire
(2026) Herron, Matthew William
Contemporary evangelical churches face a crisis of spiritual formation. Many Christians know gospel facts but are not deeply formed by them. This thesis argues that one of the primary sources of this failure stems from the church’s shallow understanding of the story of the gospel. In a culture dominated by expressive individualism, believers will default to cultural narratives if churches fail to creatively, consistently rehearse the gospel.This project proposes an approach called "Liturgy on Fire"—the union of deep gospel content and rich liturgical framework. The four-chapter gospel narrative (Creation, Fall, Redemption, New Creation) provides the flame: the true story of reality that answers humanity's deepest questions and offers identity rooted in God's scandalous grace. Historic Christian liturgy provides the frame: rhythms and forms through which the gospel story is repeatedly rehearsed and embodied. Without gospel content, liturgy becomes empty ritual; without liturgical practice, the gospel remains primarily intellectual and fails to reshape affections and habits. This thesis demonstrates how one mid-sized evangelical church in Northern Michigan’s recovery of the gospel has been sustained and strengthened by adopting the liturgical calendar and restructuring worship around the gospel narrative. The results include deeper love for Christ and his gospel, increased fruit of the Spirit, and a congregation growing in hospitality across diverse backgrounds. This work aims to offer a compelling theological basis and some practical guidance for churches seeking to make disciples who are genuinely shaped by the gospel.
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Costly Following: A Study on Christological Formation Guided by Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Poetry
(2026) Robbins, Brian
This project explores how Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s poetry can serve as a useful resource for contesting modern escapism, offering my Christian community a renewed vision for lived theology. While there are many approaches to addressing this prevalent concern within the church, my own method is grounded in the poetic voice of this faithful witness, helping to name four distinct Christological stations that address the prevailing sanctification gap between one’s initial conversion and ultimate journey to heaven. My research provides a comprehensive analysis of Bonhoeffer’s poem, “Stations on the Road to Freedom.” Specifically, the four stanzas—discipline, action, suffering, and death—are placed in conversation with Christ’s mandate to follow in Mark 8:34-35. A Christian education curriculum is developed by examining the way each stanza illustrates how to live out this imperative command of Christ. Accordingly, my thesis argues that Bonhoeffer’s poetry offers my community a revitalized incarnational pattern for lived theology.
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Before the Bombs Drop: A Psychological and Theological Approach to Enmity and Reconciliation
(2026) Chestnut, Bradley Webster
Enmity manifests in both personal interactions and large-scale group or international conflicts, making it an essential subject for interdisciplinary inquiry. As both a psychological and theological concept, enmity touches on emotional, cognitive, and spiritual realms, requiring a nuanced understanding that draws from multiple fields of study. This dissertation explores enmity through two distinct but complementary lenses: psychology and biblical theology. By synthesizing these perspectives, this work aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of enmity, its origins, and potential pathways toward its resolution.In psychological discourse, enmity is primarily analyzed as a product of cognitive, emotional, and social mechanisms that drive hostility. Psychological theories on enmity are grounded in the understanding that hostile emotions often arise from perceived threats, injustices, or conflicting interests. A variety of psychological frameworks offer valuable insights into how enmity develops. Social Identity Theory, for example, emphasizes how group membership and intergroup dynamics contribute to the creation of “us versus them” mentalities that foster hostility. Similarly, the Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis posits that frustration due to unmet needs or blocked goals frequently leads to aggression, which can escalate into enmity. Cognitive Dissonance theory explains how conflicting beliefs or attitudes can lead to the justification of antagonistic behavior toward others to reduce psychological discomfort. These models suggest that enmity is not simply a reaction to personal grievances, but a broader cognitive and social phenomenon deeply embedded in human group dynamics. Furthermore, psychological research has demonstrated that enmity is not merely a transient emotional state, but it can have lasting consequences for both individuals and society. Hostile emotions, when unresolved, may lead to chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and physical health problems. From a social perspective, enmity can undermine trust, hinder cooperation, and exacerbate conflicts, perpetuating cycles of aggression and violence. These psychological consequences underscore the need for effective interventions aimed at addressing enmity, such as conflict resolution strategies, empathy training, and forgiveness interventions.In contrast, the biblical perspective on enmity is rooted in theological and moral concepts that frame hostility as not just a psychological phenomenon but a spiritual one. Biblical theology situates enmity within the context of human sin and estrangement from God. The Bible’s portrayal of enmity is both horizontal—between individuals and groups—and vertical—between humanity and God. As theologians such as Miroslav Volf, James Alison, Jürgen Moltmann, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer (as well as many others) have argued, the human condition is marked by alienation, and enmity is symptomatic of this estrangement from the divine.While psychological approaches to enmity provide insights into its cognitive and emotional bases, the biblical narrative frames enmity as part of a broader spiritual and moral problem. Reconciliation, therefore, is not just a psychological process but a theological imperative that is only fully realized through divine intervention. In this dissertation, I contend that an integrated approach, which synthesizes psychological and biblical perspectives, offers a more comprehensive understanding of enmity. The psychological framework highlights the mechanisms by which enmity arises and is sustained, while the biblical framework provides the moral and theological resources for its resolution. By bringing these two perspectives into dialogue, this study aims to contribute to both academic scholarship and practical efforts to heal enmity in interpersonal and societal contexts.
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Uniquely Christlike: The Improvisational Dimensions of Imitatio Christi
(2026) Nieves-Rosario, Rafael Antonio
A commitment to historic, orthodox Christology constrains us to affirm the particularity (and thus, unrepeatability) of Christ both in terms of his historical contingency and in terms of theological significance. Yet the Bible calls us to imitate Christ (e.g., 1 Cor. 11:1; Eph. 5:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:21, etc.). How can the Bible command us to do something, quite literally, impossible? The problem, of course, lies with our definitions and assumptions, for we generally take “imitation” to mean the mimicry and/or reduplication of another. By contrast, this dissertation goes beyond the boundaries imposed by static conceptions of imitation by combining Theology and the Arts with Spirit Christology.Central to the aims of this project is the desire to contribute to a nascent field of theological inquiry within Theology and the Arts: a theology of improvisation. The dissertation, then, looks specifically at jazz improvisation, persuaded that it is particularly helpful for articulating the generative momentum underlying imitatio Christi. Christlikeness, however, is and remains a work of the Spirit, and as such, any conformity to Christ by imitation needs to consider the Spirit’s superintending sanctifying work. Biblical scholarship, of course, will ground my theological assumptions and provide a footing for my arguments, but this dissertation does not aim to be anything other than a theological work in systematic, dogmatic, and/or constructive character. Further, though the work of theology should endeavor to make interdisciplinary connections, any musicological or sociological concerns relevant to the project will serve, rather than supplant, its theological impulse.The interplay between a theology of improvisation and Spirit Christology, in relation to imitatio Christi, allows us to draw several conclusions. Firstly, the dynamic of improvisation as practiced in jazz, here defined as a spontaneous praxis of virtue in response to the other, is profoundly generative for theology. Secondly, the process of “transcription, transposition, and transformation” through which jazz musicians learn to improvise can be applied to Christological concerns, allowing us to conceive of Jesus as improvising upon both the Old Testament and Second Temple Judaism, following the inexhaustibly creative Spirit with whom he was baptized. Therefore, thirdly, if Christ can be thought of as improvising in the Spirit, then by virtue of Christians being baptized with the same Spirit, imitating Christ means the extension, rather than the retention, of his pattern. As such, the intersection between Spirit Christology and a jazz-informed theology of improvisation allows us to rethink imitation as a long process of conformity to Christ’s habitus through the practices and habits of worship in which the Spirit meets us. To be Christlike, then, means to participate in Christ’s mind – something made possible only by being baptized with Christ’s Spirit (Gal. 4:6).If indeed the process of “transcription, transposition, and transformation” allows many musicians to be shaped by the musical imagination of one improviser, and yet come to different expressions of the same, then the musicians will have achieved unique expressions of that one model. Something similar happens in the process of Christlikeness: each of us becomes Christlike in our own unique way as we listen attentively to the transcription of Jesus’s performance (Scripture), engaging it devotionally in the practices and habits of worship. There, the Spirit transposes Christ’s habitus into ours, thus enabling us to transform his pattern to meet our moment in creative yet faithful ways. Thus, a theology of improvisation can be summed up as follows: it is participation by the Spirit in the Son’s spontaneous praxis of virtue in response to the Father’s call.
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Crisis Communication in the Church: A New Model for the 2020s and Beyond
(2026) MacDonald, Luke
Since the church is a supernatural enterprise led by sinful people, moments of crisis are inevitable. From the moral failures of biblical leaders to the public scandals of modern mega-institutions, the people of God have repeatedly faced moments when trust fractures and credibility is tested. What has changed in recent decades is not the presence of crisis, but its visibility. Failures that once unfolded quietly within local communities now play out on digital stages where narratives form quickly and judgments can travel faster than facts. In this environment, how a church communicates during crisis often matters as much as the details of the crisis itself. Too often, churches respond too slowly and vaguely, ultimately offering clarity only after substantial pressure. The results are predictable: congregants grow angry, victims feel abandoned, and public trust atrophies. A crisis requiring communication is a destabilizing event, internal or external, that disrupts the ordinary life of a church and compels a clear and timely response to preserve trust. Crises are not only about events themselves but about how those events are perceived. A leadership failure is not confined to the moral failing of a single individual; it becomes a crisis the moment it is known or suspected by others, raising questions of who knew, when they knew, and how the institution will respond. When an organization is perceived as holding the highest moral standard and is then caught in an immoral act, public reaction can be more severe and forgiveness more difficult. Despite general agreement that churches face an additional layer of challenge, few crisis-communication resources are tailored to faith communities. Secular frameworks are helpful but inadequate; lawyer-driven strategies often protect institutions while weakening care for victims; digital communication accelerates negativity; and heightened awareness of predatory behavior increases both current and historical accusations. At the same time, biblical commitments to redemption and restoration require careful speech about wrongdoing and offenders. This project argues for a principled approach to church crisis communication summarized in five commitments: say the truth, say it now, say it clearly, say it compassionately, and say it carefully. Such integrity does not guarantee a painless outcome, but it makes repentance possible, healing conceivable, and trust recoverable.
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Welcoming the Wilderness: Toward a Paradigm of Faith Formation in the African American Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition
(2026) Murphy, Brenton
This thesis argues that within the African American Holiness-Pentecostaltradition, faith formation has been shaped primarily through experience, a mode emerging from the historical realities of sharecroppers, formerly enslaved persons, and communities denied access to formal theological education in the post-Reconstruction era. Within this context, experience became the primary means of knowing God and was often treated as a destination rather than an ongoing process of formation. By the early twentieth century, a figure such as James Baldwin, formed within the sanctified church of Harlem, reveals, through his narrative, the limitations inherent in an experience-centered mode of faith formation. Baldwin’s witness anticipates the present moment, in which Millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha increasingly disengage from the tradition in search of communities where questions, doubt, and uncertainty may be expressed without fear of being labeled unfaithful. This thesis contends that for the tradition to remain faithful to its theological identity while engaging emerging generations, it must expand its formative imagination beyond moments of spiritual intensity. Faith cannot be measured solely by mountaintop experience but must also be cultivated within the wilderness of lived human struggle. In response, this project proposes Welcoming the Wilderness, a constructive paradigm that affirms the tradition’s experiential ethos while integrating the formative significance of wilderness existence. Rather than rejecting experience, this paradigm reframes it by holding together the revelatory power of spiritual encounter and the ongoing work of formation within conditions of uncertainty, limitation, and dependence upon God. Methodologically, the project employs an interdisciplinary methodological framework integrating historical analysis, biblical exegesis with particular attention to the Exodus narrative, ethnographic sensitivity, and constructive theological reflection. Drawing upon Pentecostal scholarship, including Black Pentecostal voices such as Cheryl Sanders and Anthea Butler, as well as Christian education and faith formation scholars such as Ann Streaty Wimberly and Robert Mulholland, and engaging the literary corpus of James Baldwin alongside the broader biblical witness, this thesis demonstrates that embracing the wilderness as a site of divine encounter offers a more holistic, theologically robust, and sustainable model of faith formation for emerging generations within the African American Holiness-Pentecostal tradition.
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“Be the Shepherd, Not Their Pet Lamb”: The Ongoing Challenge for Women in Senior Leadership in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
(2026) Rhodes, Rachel Achtemeier
This thesis explores the gap between what the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) says about women’s ordination and what many women actually experience while serving in senior leadership. The PC(USA) has ordained women since 1956 and publicly affirms its commitment to equality, shared authority, and justice. Yet denominational research and the testimonies of clergywomen reveal that discrimination, harassment, and a persistent lack of trust continue to shape women’s leadership in both subtle and systemic ways. The central question guiding this project is not whether women can be ordained, but whether, once ordained, they are truly able to lead with the authority, safety, and credibility the office is supposed to grant them.This project combines theological reflection, denominational policy analysis, and qualitative research. It engages the Constitution of the PC(USA)—including the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity and the Rules of Discipline—alongside denominational sexual misconduct and ethical conduct policies and published research on gender and leadership. The heart of this work comes from in-depth interviews with eight women serving in senior leadership across diverse congregational contexts. Within these conversations, recurring themes emerged: conditional authority, institutional response to harm, hiring bias, and the personal and professional cost of navigating systems not originally designed with them in mind. These contemporary experiences are then placed in conversation with biblical texts and Reformed theological sources in order to situate them within the broader story of the church.This study finds that the tension between policy and practice is not incidental but systemic. Although the PC(USA) has developed comprehensive constitutional and ethical frameworks, these structures often fail to protect clergywomen in everyday congregational life, particularly in situations of gendered harm that do not rise to formal disciplinary action. In such cases, the burden of discernment and risk is routinely shifted back onto the woman who names the harm, while institutional stability is quietly preserved. The issue, therefore, is not simply procedural but theological. It exposes a church that proclaims shared responsibility while practicing uneven accountability. If the PC(USA) is to live faithfully into its own commitments, it must move beyond celebrating women’s ordination in principle and begin reshaping the congregational and institutional cultures that condition women’s authority in practice. The integrity of the church’s witness depends on its willingness to embody what it proclaims.
Access status: Open Access ,
Holy Hell: A Wesleyan Soteriology Applied to Posttraumatic Meaning-Making
(2025) Lobdell, Stephanie Rachel Dyrness
This thesis examines the intersection of trauma, meaning-making, and Wesleyan theology, arguing that a Wesleyan soteriology offers vital resources for survivors of traumatic experiences in the work of posttraumatic meaning-making. The project begins with an analysis of the contributions and limitations of the biomedical approach to trauma care, with a focus on the neglect of spirituality and ultimate meaning. From there, the project engages scholars such as Ronnie Janoff-Bulman, Crystal Park, Carrie Doehring, and Kenneth Pargament to examine how traumatic experiences can destabilize assumptive worlds, global and situational beliefs, and spiritual orienting systems. In dialogue with Doerhing’s framework of life-giving and life-limiting spiritual orienting systems, I advance the claim that, for a Christian, the measure of any spiritual orienting system cannot be therapeutic efficacy alone. Rather, drawing from the work of Warren Kinghorn and John Swinton, I contend that the measure of spiritual orienting systems—and their accompanying theology—is its capacity to form persons in Christlikeness on the road to New Creation.Engaging with the work of Randy Maddox, Catherine La Cugna, Diane LeClerc, and David Wang, I contend that John Wesley’s soteriology—described by Maddox as therapeutic salvation—offers a framework for posttraumatic meaning-making that engages the transcendent through participation in the Triune love of God, provides a telos oriented toward New Creation, and enables transformation at the level of affections and tempers. Through the power of prevenient grace at work in human lives, along with graced communities and graced practices—the means of grace, I maintain that Wesley’s therapeutic soteriology addresses both the wounds of the sin we have committed and the wounds inflicted by the sins of others, and thus creates a pathway for survivors of trauma to reclaim their identity as God’s children and incorporated into the Body of Christ.
Access status: Embargo ,
The Call is the Brand: Exploring the Theological Implications of Celebrity on Black Pastoral Leaders in a Digital Age
(2025) Chaney, Wayne
ABSTRACTThis project explores the impact of celebrity culture on Christian ministry and pastoral identity in the digital age. It examines social media’s democratization of celebrity and the challenges that have intensified with such accessibility, including: post-pandemic pastoral turnover; theological uncertainty about the relationship between faithful ministry, ethical leadership, and public recognition; and celebrity culture dynamics that weaken moral leadership by muting prophetic voices that speak truthfully across ideological divides. Appreciating that contemporary pastors need theological frameworks for understanding how celebrity dynamics interact with biblical models of ministry leadership, this work probes two critical questions: (1) How should pastors approach public recognition theologically within their ministry calling? (2) What practical resources can support Black pastors specifically in maintaining a healthy ministry identity amid social media pressures? By addressing a critical moment in American Christianity when digital celebrity culture threatens to fundamentally reshape pastoral ministry in ways that contradict biblical models of leadership, this project provides essential guidance for navigating faithful ministry and digital engagement, offering theoretical frameworks, nuanced reflection, and practical wisdom for pastors and denominational leaders.

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