A collection of dissertations, theses, and doctoral projects by Southern Seminary students https://hdl.handle.net/10392/693 2026-03-08T10:18:56Z 2026-03-08T10:18:56Z Timmons, Jeffrey Keith https://hdl.handle.net/10392/7593 2026-01-21T01:22:35Z 2025-12-01T00:00:00Z

Microstructure and Macrostructure in Isaiah 28–35 Timmons, Jeffrey Keith This dissertation begins by briefly reviewing the history of research regarding poetic microstructure and macrostructure. The key takeaways are that although Robert Lowth articulated Hebrew poetry as consisting of meter and parallelism, a consensus now exists that Hebrew poetry is not metrical. Rather, Hebrew poetry consists of free verse. Parallelism also does not precisely capture the relationships between lines, nor does it explain the contours of a single line. Poetic macrostructure has also been an object of study, but little agreement exists as to how to discern the complete hierarchical organization of a poem. After explaining leading microstructural models according to syntax (Hebrew Verse Structure and The Revised and Extended HVS Model) and a perceptual approach (Unparalleled Poetry), eight chapters are spent explaining how these models lineate Isaiah 28–35. Emmylou Grosser’s perceptual model is also used to examine line-group relationships. The perceptual model was found to account for the greatest amount of textual detail and provide the greatest explanatory power for lineation and verse structure. After an exhaustive microstructural analysis, each chapter continues by examining poetic macrostructure according to the methods of Pieter van der Lugt and Ernst Wendland. These methods fruitfully captured repetitions and patterns spread across large poems and thereby brought clarity to poetic macrostructure. This dissertation argues that Isaiah 28–35 consists of seven poems made of six poetic levels each: line, verse/line-group, strophe, stanza, section, and whole-poem which are clearly indicated by perceptual principles and repetition.

2025-12-01T00:00:00Z Sutton, Benjamin David https://hdl.handle.net/10392/7592 2026-01-21T01:22:32Z 2025-12-01T00:00:00Z

Evangelism Approaches to Latter-Day Saints Evaluated in Light of Acts 17:16-34 Sutton, Benjamin David Soon after Joseph Smith Jr. founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church/LDS), evangelicals sought to defend evangelicalism from Latter-day Saint teachings. Likewise, evangelicals have provided many responses to LDS teachings in hopes of guiding Latter-day Saints out of the LDS Church. I examine two popular evangelical methodologies that engage the LDS Church: the counter-cult and relational methodologies. Specifically, I showcase various prominent counter-cult and relational methodologists’ practices of how each one engages the LDS Church. While each methodologist employs specific nuances, the counter-cult methodology typically attempts to undermine Latter-day Saints’ confidence in their religion, and the relational methodology typically desires to explore similarities between evangelicalism and Mormonism. At times, relational methodology can result in evangelicals and Latter-day Saints praying together, attending one another’s worship services, and working towards shared social goals. Often, relational methodology forfeits proselytization for the sake of finding common ground, striving to grow in mutual understanding and appreciation of one another. In Acts 17:16–34, Paul interacted with a pluralistic audience. Throughout his discourse, Paul contextualized his message about how someone can be saved. The audience had varied responses: some mocked him, some wanted to hear from him again, and others began believing in his salvific message. Thus, I survey a few evangelical works that incorporate Acts 17:16–34 to guide their methodology toward various religions. I then survey several evangelical and critical commentaries on Acts 17:16–34, specifically looking for Paul’s approach to his pluralistic audience. From my survey of Acts 17:16–34, I show how many people (both LDS and non-LDS) have attempted to demarcate official LDS doctrine. However, the LDS Church believes in continuing revelation, making it almost impossible to determine what is (and is not) official LDS belief. Therefore, I limit my focus to what the LDS Church’s missionary handbook, Preach My Gospel, instructs LDS missionaries to teach potential converts regarding salvation. Once I show what Preach My Gospel teaches on how someone can be saved, I then examine what the Bible instructs. Specifically, I analyze 1 Corinthians 15:1–6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Galatians 2:15–21, in order to determine how someone can be saved. Next, I show what evangelicals Greg Gilbert and Wayne Grudem teach about how someone can be saved; evangelical teaching is consistent with biblical teaching regarding how one can be saved. I conclude by stating both the benefits and detriments of the counter-cult and relational methodologies, proposing a new evangelical methodology that stems from an Acts 17:16–34 framework called the gospel-centric methodology. This new evangelical methodology contextualizes what 1 Corinthians 15:1–6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Galatians 2:15–21 teach about how someone can be saved in order to target the LDS Church’s beliefs on how to be saved.

2025-12-01T00:00:00Z Smith, Garnetta Sweeney https://hdl.handle.net/10392/7591 2026-01-21T01:22:30Z 2025-12-01T00:00:00Z

Applying a Cognitive Development Curriculum to Improve Academic Performance at Boyce College Smith, Garnetta Sweeney The purpose of this quantitative replication of Carol Brown’s 2016 doctoral thesis is to use the Equipping Minds Cognitive Development Curriculum to address underlying deficits in cognitive abilities to increase academic performance in Boyce College students. Chapter 1 discusses the need for, and the benefit of, a study focused on improving student academic performance. Chapter 2 provides a review of institutional efforts to improve student performance and explains why a study addressing student academic performance is needed. Chapter 3 describes the methodological design and components of the cognitive development curriculum employed for the study. Chapter 4 presents the findings and an evaluation of the research design. Chapter 5 offers an analysis of the study, provides recommendations for implementing the study protocol in other post-secondary settings, puts forward recommendations for future research, including a longitudinal study to determine if results of the post-study assessments change over time, and offers final conclusions.

2025-12-01T00:00:00Z Rothschild, Joshua Fleming https://hdl.handle.net/10392/7590 2026-01-21T01:22:29Z 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z

A Mixed Methods Multiple Case Study of Church-Based Multiethnic Leadership Development Programs Rothschild, Joshua Fleming The purpose of this study was to better understand how multiethnic churches develop leaders from within their congregations. The urgency for this study arises from two observations. First, the biblical-theological narrative points towards leadership teams reflecting the ethnic makeup of the environment in which they are situated. Second, leadership teams that match the diversity of their context have been demonstrated to better reach their cities and the next generation and more effectively lead diverse churches. These two convictions, in combination with demographic trends that point toward a diversifying United States, create a need to develop leaders who will faithfully and effectively lead the next generation of multiethnic American Christians. If we are to develop these leaders for tomorrow, then we must better understand how multiethnic churches are developing these leaders today. The research sought to identify two aspects of leader development within the multiethnic church context: (1) the desired outcomes for developing leaders and (2) the designed strategies for accomplishing those outcomes. A mixed-methods design was utilized by which a questionnaire established the desired outcomes and in-depth interviews uncovered the strategies. Chapter 1 outlines the theological and practical need to better understand leader development in a multiethnic church context. Chapter 2 presents the precedent literature in the field of leadership development. This chapter is organized from broad to narrow, starting with the historical development of leadership theory, followed by Christian leadership development literature. Finally, this chapter presents literature addressing leader development in a multiethnic church context. Chapter 3 overviews the mixed-methods multiple case study methodology utilized in this research study. Chapter 4 presents the findings from the research study. Specifically, the themes from the coded interview transcripts and an in-depth analysis of the leader outcomes questionnaire are provided. Chapter 5 summarizes the findings from chapter 4, relates them back to the precedent literature, lists possible implications for multiethnic churches, and suggests further areas of needed research. Appendix 6 contains a second round of research which examines possible reasons why the majority of the research participants in the main research project mentioned college-age ministry in their interviews. The second round of research demonstrated evidence that these leaders utilized college-age ministries to embrace the missional opportunities on their local college campuses. Furthermore, there is an indication that college ministries can contribute to advancing a church’s journey toward a multiethnic vision and culture.

2024-05-01T00:00:00Z