Lancaster Theological Seminary

Larry D. Covin

The conditions of jails and prisons in the United States are more often than not deplorable and hidden from public view. The inhumane treatment of prisoners and their appalling living conditions are untenable and require justice.

This project will explore the ways in which John Rawl's theory of justice may be used to construct a corrections ethic in the context of jail and prison culture for correctional facilities in the United States. It considers the varied and complex challenges faced while attempting the humane treatment of those incarcerated. The tradition of social contract theory espoused in the writings of such political philosophers as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and more recently amplified in the work of the late Harvard political philosopher John Rawls will be explored and interpreted. This project creates a foundation for the creation of a corrections ethic grounded in social contract theory.

Jason T. Link

The purpose of this project was twofold: 1) to research how the church community can be a place of healing in people's lives, and 2) to suggest practices that when enacted would help a church to be a place of healing. Church life was differentiated into three levels: Pastorally, Relationally, and Congregationally. A group of people were interviewed who had received some type of healing and their lives and were asked to share how the church community helped in the healing process. Based off of the information gathered in the interviews, practices were suggested for the church at each of the three levels of church life.

Kim Louise Blocher

This project explores the ways in which we teach, preach, and think about the resurrection within a church setting. The resurrection is the foundational doctrine of our faith, and yet many pastors struggle with imparting his or her belief. A pastor's beliefs surrounding the resurrection may be at odds with the primary belief systems of the people in the pews. Or perhaps a pastor does not know what he or she believes. A vacuum is formed that gets filled with popular theology from books promoting a dispensational worldview, television or movies. Sermons often promote the notion of heaven without confronting what we really mean when we say, "I believe in the resurrection of the body."

The study presents the point of view that our understanding of resurrection can be opened up through attending to the gap between belief and practice. In other words, what does it mean in our lives today when we say we are a people of the resurrection? Can we think of ourselves as rehearsing resurrection right now? Toward that end a curriculum was developed for an adult study on resurrection, based on the shared praxis model of Thomas Groome.

The curriculum was found to be a tiny, first step in a re-shaping of the way a congregation apprehends the resurrection. Other necessary pieces are pastoral study and reflection, developing a theology of practices within the congregation, the importance of the funeral sermon in teaching about resurrection, theological imagination, and a willingness of the pastor to be forthcoming about his or her own beliefs.

Rodney E. Miller

The project uses a narrative method to explore the nature of gentleness with its biblical and theological roots. It reflects on the way the harsh history of the anthracite area has shaped the attitudes and actions of members of the United Methodist Churches in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. In this respect special reference is made to the coal mines, the Molly Maguires, institutional violence, ethnic diversity, poverty, the railroads, economic depression, and local church history. Using a case study method, the project reflects upon the practice of a gentle style of ministry in various pastoral settings and its contribution toward overcoming obstacles to health and healing in these congregations. These settings include situations of resistance, distrust, and abuse of power. Boundary-setting and encounters with the demonic are also discussed.

The main thesis of the project is gentleness creates a supportive, gracious and sacred space in which individuals as well as congregations can feel free and safe enough to let down their protective defenses and receive the healing and health which God offers. In the sacred space created by gentleness, God is at work to heal and to enable individuals and congregations to discern their power to overcome abuse in non-abusive ways. Gentleness, as gracious respect, enables people to change their attitudes and behavior to one another, God, and the community. This gentle leadership style has the potential to heal not only church congregations but also communities and nations.

Brian C. Hardee

Recent changes in Federal laws have created an increased awareness of the potential for violations of personal privacy in many different areas of community life, including the Prayers of the People as they are offered in many churches. By writing in the form of a pastoral essay, I examine the privacy issues that exist in common church practices. I then look specifically at the Prayers of the People as they have been developing in the Evangelical and Reformed tradition of the United Church of Christ to highlight the growing need to have worship leaders and planners examine their Prayers of the People to see if there are privacy issues present in their worship. I seek to highlight the very real possible damages that can be caused through the unauthorized giving out of personal information in many of these prayers, while also pointing out the possible qualities of that prayer time that can be lost in an attempt to completely safeguard the privacy rights of all who are involved. I then suggest steps that can be taken to preserve public sharing during the Prayers of the People while simultaneously attempting to respect people's right to privacy. Finally, I suggest an etiquette for the Prayers of the People for churches to use for their practice of the Prayers of the People when it includes the opportunity for public sharing of specific joys and concerns.

Richard L. Schenck

Approaching the subject of Christian Ethics by looking at "life" as a comprehensive whole, this dissertation presented three criteria for a Christian ethic of life: (a) A whole life mission embraces life as a comprehensive whole. This holistic mission is an adequate ethic for local church outreach to the whole person in society. (b) A whole life ethic of the local church embodies the compassion of Christ. (c) A whole life ethic is consistent, as a local church engages itself in sanctity of life as well as quality of life issues.

These criteria are the guiding principles of this project and are utilized in this assessment and development of an ethic of life for the local Wesleyan Church. This whole life ethic addresses issues along the whole spectrum of life from conception to death. That spectrum confronts such sanctity of life issues as abortion, capital punishment and modern warfare, as well as quality of life issues such as economic poverty and despair.

This project calls for an introduction and integration of a "consistent ethic-of-life mission" into the social outreach ministry of a local church. Integrating this mission into a local church means that the project was involved in an introductory attempt to insert a new social mission agenda into the present mission of that church. The strategy introduced an educational approach that would lead to the establishment of a social outreach ministry, through the use of a primer that was pilot-tested in three symposiums. The symposiums were conducted at three Wesleyan Churches in the Indiana Central District: Crawfordsville Sonlight Wesleyan Church, Indianapolis Shelby Street Wesleyan Church, and the Tipton Trinity Wesleyan Church.

Marie Olwell

The Catholic Church limits the participation of women both in its decision-making process and liturgical worship. This research explores how women in the Roman Catholic Church may be enabled to change their understanding and attitudes to claim a unique form of power within the Church's structure through education, discussion and small group interaction.

The method followed in this research took the design of a seminar. The methodology used involved a series of seven two-hour seminar sessions. Each seminar included education on topics related to women's issues in the Church: Women's culture and Spiritual Origins, Scripture and Spirituality, Power, Patriarchy and Sexism and Family of Origin. The format of the sessions included input, discussion, sharing,journaling, experiential activity and ritual. Reading assignments were taken from updated materials written by women researchers, theologians and scripture scholars. Eleven women from the ages of 32 to 65 from a white suburban local Catholic Church participated in the project. Their marital status, education, theology background and family of origin varied. At the initial session, each participant filled out three formulated questionnaires related to (a) Women's status within the Church, (b) self-esteem and (c) feelings regarding power. All these questionnaires were re-administered at the end of the course to evaluate whether any major changes took place. The most powerful instrument for women in this study occurred in the more intimate form of a personal interview where the opportunity of an in-depth sixty to ninety minute conversation with each participant took place three months following the seminar's termination. These interviews focused on seven questions relative to the seminar's objectives: (1) To what extent did the participants exhibit a heightened awareness and enthusiasm? (2) How have the participants' views of empowerment been affected by the seminar? (3) How has the group contributed to the overall process of the seminar?

Kathleen O'Donnell Tallent

The purpose and goals of this project are to describe the ways that women pastoral associates exercise their ministry through an indepth study of their experiences in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. This prominent diocese offers a unique base for the study of this significant position for women that has emerged in the Post-Vatican II Church. The project examines the well-being and morale of women pastoral associates, compares their progress from 1980-1991, and investigates their perception of the support they receive.

The methodology comprises: personal background and historical leadership role of Maryland: a theological foundation for women in ministry from the perspective of systemic grieving and transformation; an overview of the development of the ministry in the Baltimore diocese; a twofold appraisal of pastoral associates comparing the 1980 Simmons' survey and an updated 1991 questionnaire with corollary assessments and interviews with bishops, pastors, parishioners, and diocesan personnel.

The group surveyed were active members of the Pastoral Associates Association whose background, until recently, has been predominantly women religious. Survey results point toward changes in duties and responsibilities from earlier experiences of direct involvement in visiting parishioners to training parish ministers and more programmatic and pastoral leadership activities. Acceptance from parish and community groups have steadily increased while there have been varying degrees of support from bishops in the diocese. The work is viewed as satisfying and as an opportunity to use abilities creatively in a responsible position; yet, conversely, there is recognition of the position's flat career path. Although pastoral associates see their ministry from the perspective of Church as Servant, nevertheless, they desire equal partnership in ministry and a model of Church as Community of Disciples. They express interest and need for continuing education in collaboration with pastoral colleagues.

Donald E. Moyer

Over a million women each year experience a crisis pregnancy. This project's goal is to offer recommendations for local church ministry and insights for pastors as they attempt to minister to persons facing crisis pregnancy decisions and their consequences.

Through an interview process involving forty-six respondents, the project strives to identify the variety of factors perceived to have influenced decisions in response to crisis pregnancies, to describe the nature, and to assess the relative strength of such influences in the woman's experience. The project also formulated recommendations for ministries of support for such women.

Through the networking of community resources with limited church resources and people, a ministry of support is possible to allow women in crisis to choose alternatives to abortion.

Lisa K. Martin

Visual Art has a rich heritage in the Christian Church and provides an alternative epistemology to one that depends upon the written and spoken word. There exists a connection between attention to beauty and a commitment to justice, which both focus on God’s doxa. Yet for a variety of historical and practical reasons, visual art is sidelined in most Protestant congregations. Perhaps the solution to this lack of attention to visuality comes not from placing art in churches, but in creating art within congregations. Advocating for creating visual art in congregations requires asking whether or not visual, creative activity could meet the criteria that define and describe essential Christian practices. Using examples from seven congregations, including her own, the author explains that not only does creating visual art meet the criteria for a Christian practice, but that in the act of creating art together other Christian practices are revitalized.