Browsing Senior Theses by Issue Date
Now showing items 221-240 of 356
-
The Value of Linguistics for Exegesis: A Demonstration of Lexical Semantics and the Hebrew נחם
(2019)Linguistics, the study of how language works, is a field of study closely related to biblical scholarship and exegesis. Advances in linguistics have benefited WELS pastors and their exegesis, but in a largely indirect ... -
Maintaining Joy in Ministry: The Necessity of Vertical Fulfillment and Healthy Horizontal Awareness
(2019)Through his Word, God fills the human heart with a joy that is unlike anything this world has to offer. The pastor, in his calling, is immeasurably blessed to be able to spend the majority of his days reading God’s Word ... -
The Impassibly Passionate God: An Apology for an Emotional God; an Apologetic for Suffering and Evil
(2019)The Problem of Suffering and Evil causes believer and unbeliever alike to question whether God (if there even is a God) is all-loving. This theodicy prompts a twofold question pertaining to God’s ontology: can we properly ... -
Enduring by His Grace: An Updated History of the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church in Japan from 1957 Through 2019
(2020)In 1982 the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod along with the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church, the WELS’ sister synod in Japan, celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of mission work in Japan. A history of the ... -
From Spener to Stanley: Exploring Pietistic Themes in Modern American Evangelicalism
(2020)The Pietist movement that took place among German Lutherans in the 17th century was predicated on a turning inward. Pietists saw moral improvement as the goal of Christianity, and focused on Christ in us rather than ... -
StrengthsFinder and Its Use Within the WELS
(2020)WELS pastors have a multitude of thoughts about StrengthsFinder. They have a variety of responses along with different opinions on how it should or shouldn’t be used. This thesis explores StrengthsFinder as a whole. ... -
The Development of Lutheran Preaching: A Review of Select Sermons by Martin Luther, C.F.W. Walther, and Siegbert Becker
(2020)The phrase Sola Scriptura rings loudly in the minds of Lutheran ministers. Scripture alone is the means by which God brings his life saving message to all people. Pastors want to rightly handle the Word of God as they ... -
Upon the Lips of Another Christian: Private Confession and Absolution as Described by Lutheran Pastors Today
(2020)Confessional Lutherans know from Luther’s Small Catechism that private confession and absolution is good and scriptural, but is it feasible to implement into twenty-first century gospel ministry? We know our great ... -
Chosen By God: Teaching the Doctrine of Election to Encourage our People in Outreach
(2020)While it is considered by many as a difficult and tricky doctrine, Scripture shows us that election is nothing to be afraid of. It is the purpose of this thesis to explore the application of this doctrine to our gospel ... -
Occultic Movies and Videos: Affects on Confirmation Students
(2020)Movies portraying the occult are too numerous to count. Television shows and videos also fantasize about the supernatural world. The number of confirmation age children encountering such movies and videos has only ... -
Communicating the Importance of Doctrine in a Heterodox Ecumenical Context
(2020)In a country with a growing population of heterodox ecumenical Christians, a confessional Lutheran might struggle to communicate the importance of doctrine with a person who sees little to no need for it. This thesis ... -
Multi-Site Ministry: How This Model can Enhance the Ability of WELS Congregations to Adopt a Mission Mindset
(2020)Multi-site ministry has captivated the attention of congregations in recent decades by showing the potential for greater impact in surrounding communities. This thesis investigates the nuances of multi-site ministry ... -
A "Lay Seminary" Develops, Grows, and Endures: A Century of WELS Campus Ministry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
(2020)September 26, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of WELS campus ministry in the United States. Over this century, WELS campus ministry has developed into a substantial ministry that serves collegiates at numerous public ... -
Encouraging Called Workers to Remain Faithful in Evangelism
(2020)Evangelism is an important part of the church's work. Through evangelism, Christians bring the gospel to the world. This is especially true of called workers. Part of their duties is to do evangelism and train others ... -
Purpose-Filled Friendship: Exploring the Gospel's Effect on Friendship Itself and What it Truly Means to be a Friend
(2020)God said in the garden of Eden that is not good for man to be alone. He gave us the gift of human relationships so that we could encourage each other, guide each other, and show love to each other. This thesis seeks ... -
Cultural Immersion and Stress Points: How the Ministry of Mark Cares Typified a Shift in WELS Evangelism Philosophy
(2020)Cross-cultural evangelism opportunities present the Christian with unique challenges for carrying out the Great Commission. Various historical factors left the WELS employing a largely monocultural approach to evangelism ... -
Christ on Screen: The Benefits and Drawbacks of Christian-Based Visual Media in Evangelism and Entertainment
(2020)Christian-based media has tended to be a one-or-the-other kind of situation or scenario. Either a production will be doctrinally sound but have distractingly poor production values, or it will have a large budget but ... -
Proselytizing and Stealing Sheep: Historical Lutheranism's Perspective on Evangelizing the Heterodox
(2020)Is it acceptable to evangelize those who are already Christians? Such a question has likely come into the mind of many pastors who have looked to do evangelism but noticed that many of those around them are not unchurched. ... -
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod's Reaction to World War Two
(2020)Two great events marked the first half of the twentieth century: the First and Second World Wars. The common theme of these two catastrophic events is that Germany found itself on the wrong side of history in both ... -
Incurvatus in Se(lfie): Understanding How a World Framed by Social Media Promotes the Theology of Glory
(2020)Social media is a prevailing force in the world today. It shapes the way that people view the world. Consequently, social media affects the way that people think and act. In particular, social media caters to the natural ...