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Bible as literature.

The twentieth century has seen a rise in recognizing the Bible not only as historical or theological work but also as a piece of literature, and the natural progression of this idea is to apply the same methods used for literary texts to the biblical text. However, many movements in literary studies seem antithetical to evangelical ideas of interpretation, as the goal of evangelical interpretation is always to find God’s intended meaning for the text. This thesis will explore the features of one literary theory, New Historicism, as presented in Practicing New Historicism, and ask if this theory can be made compatible with evangelical presuppositions, or even offer any unique insights for biblical interpretation.

Great Commission (Bible), Discipling (Christianity), Evangelistic work., and Leadership.

The Great Commission is the call of Jesus to his people to go out into the world and make disciples. The universal leadership model presents an opportunity for disciples/leaders to step up and fulfill the Great Commission. The church should be involved in discipleship training, outreaches and supporting the issues that are aligned with Christian ideology and important to people in the communities they serve. An effective universal leadership model should include diversity, training, desired change, accountability and effectiveness of change. In so doing, the church can then find parishioners within the church who may be transformed into disciples/leaders and communities will become stronger because of the immersion of disciples into our communities. The researcher utilized a 50-question anonymous survey taken by 161 participants. The questionnaire was presented electronically to Christians and non-Christians over the age of 18. The data gathered should encourage leaders to lead from the top, re-evaluate disciple/leadership training programs and to develop leaders with a heart for fulfilling the Great Commission.

Homosexuality Religious aspects Christianity., Bible and homosexuality., African American churches., African American churches., Bible and homosexuality., and Homosexuality Religious aspects Christianity.

Although the Bible records over eight passages which directly condemns homosexuality, many African-American churches are silent on this controversial issue. The purpose of this thesis is to present information that suggests that the African-American church compromises on this Biblical principle, by embracing homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle, both outside and within the church. The church leadership has chosen to either overlook or accept this lifestyle. Based on statistical surveys and interviews, this project will offer practical and Biblical solutions and advice to all churches and ethnic groups, assisting them in dealing with the issue of homosexuality and gay marriage. The focus would also minister to those individuals and families of those who are “enslaved” by this non-Biblical lifestyle.

Women in the Bible. and Women in the Bible.

The ancient Genesis creation myth is traditionally read as establishing a hierarchy between the genders, in which the masculine is dominant and the feminine is submissive. Jacques Lacan's self-identification theory establishes a similar hierarchy, despite being conceived far more recently in the twentieth century. In Lacan's conception, the male child must escape from the feminine influence of his mother in order to fully become himself. There is no space for the female in his theory, even a female child. Using each work, as well as John Milton's Paradise Lost and William Blake's Milton: a poem, this project traces the traditional interpretation of gender hierarchy through retellings of the biblical creation myth. The focus is on the two principle female characters who have emerged from Genesis and its retellings: Eve, the first woman of the biblical creation myth, Adam's wife and eventual mother of all; and Sin, Milton's creation, Satan's daughter and lover. Both traditional, misogynistic readings and feminist readings were consulted. The traditional interpretations established the subordinate feminine and were also concerned with the threat of feminine sexuality and the damaging, sometimes fatal influence the feminine has over the masculine. The feminist interpretations undermined these findings, instead reading representations of a feminine who is close to, if not equal to, the masculine. The results reveal a path that both challenges and reinforces traditional gender hierarchy. Finally, Genesis is revisited, this time through an application of Lacan's self-identification theory. Instead of Adam, however, Eve is found to occupy the space of the male child, negating the need to gender the space at all.