bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does Moral and Social Conventional Reasoning Predict British Young People's Judgments About the Rights of Asylum‐Seeker Youth?
Authors: Ruck Martin D. , Tenenbaum Harriet R.
Published: March 2014

Since the nearly universal ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (U.N. General Assembly,), children's rights have received increasing empirical attention. While there is an established body of research on how youth view their own rights, few studies have examined their views about the rights of out‐group members. Employing a social‐cognitive domain approach, the current study investigated British young people's (N = 260) views regarding the rights of asylum seekers. The data come from a secondary analysis of interviews on British young people's views about the religious and nonreligious rights of asylum seeker youth. Rather than being influenced by broader variables such as age, participants’ judgments, and reasoning took into account the features of the specific rights situation under consideration. Moreover, the use of moral justifications was related to endorsing the rights of asylum seekers while social conventional justifications pertained to rejecting asylum seeker's rights. The implications for theory, future research and social policy are discussed.
Validity and Reliability of the Arabic Version of the Female Genital Self-Image Scale
Authors: Mohammed Ghada Farouk Abd El-kaream , Hassan Haydy
Published: March 2014

Introduction

Female genital self-image is significantly related to female sexual function. It has been inadequately investigated in Egypt.

Aim

To translate the original English version of the Female Genital Self-Image Scale (FGSIS) into Arabic and validate the Arabic version (AVFGSIS).

Methods

Validation was carried out for the aspects of face, content, and criterion (concurrent) validity. Studies on test–retest reliability and internal consistency were conducted using Cronbach's alpha and Pearson correlation, respectively.

Main Outcome Measures

Main outcome measures were the validity and reliability of the AVFGSIS and its domains. Correlations between domain scores on the AVFGSIS and the Arabic version of the Female Sexual Function Index (AVFSFI) were assessed.

Results

A total of 244 married women aged 18–60 years participated in this study. There was a high test–retest correlation (r> 0.8). The AVFGSIS was found to have good face and content validity as a whole and for each domain. Significant positive correlations were observed with each domain of the AVFSFI: desire (r= 0.815), arousal (r= 0.861), lubrication (r= 0.855), orgasm (r= 0.820), satisfaction (r= 0.832), and pain (r= 0.884) (allP< 0.001).

Conclusions

The AVFGSIS is not only valid but also reliable, as much so as the original English version. In addition, female genital self-image was found to be significantly related to female sexual function.
Age and sex related changes in episodic memory function in middle aged and older adults
Authors: Lundervold Astri J. , Wollschläger Daniel , Wehling Eike
Published: March 2014

Age‐related change in episodic memory function is commonly reported in older adults. When detected on neuropsychological tests, it may still be difficult to distinguish normal from pathological changes. The present study investigates age‐and sex‐related changes in a group of healthy middle‐aged and older adults, participating in a three‐wave study on cognitive aging. The California Verbal Learning test (CVLT‐II) was used to assess their episodic memory function. A cross‐sectional analysis of results from the first wave showed higher performance in females than males, with a steeper age‐related decline in males. This was confirmed in a longitudinal analysis using a mixed effects regression model, but with a lower age‐related change and smaller difference between the sexes. Information about learning strategies and errors in the third wave turned out to contribute significantly to explain change in episodic memory function across the three waves. We argue that the results from the longitudinal analyses are generalizable to the population of healthy middle‐aged and older individuals, and that they could be useful in guiding clinicians when evaluating individuals with respect to cognitive change.
Maximum Power Estimation of Lithium-Ion Batteries Accounting for Thermal and Electrical Constraints
Authors: Kim Youngki , Mohan Shankar , Siegel Jason B. , Stefanopoulou Anna G.
Published: March 2014

Enforcement of constraints on the maximum deliverable power is essential to protect lithium-ion batteries from over-charge/discharge and overheating. This paper develops an algorithm to address the often overlooked temperature constraint in determining the power capability of battery systems. A prior knowledge of power capability provides dynamic constraints on currents and affords an additional control authority on the temperature of batteries. Power capability is estimated using a lumped electro-thermal model for cylindrical cells that has been validated over a wide range of operating conditions. The time scale separation between electrical and thermal systems is exploited in addressing the temperature constraint independent of voltage and state-of-charge (SOC) limits. Limiting currents and hence power capability are determined by a model-inversion technique, termed Algebraic Propagation (AP). Simulations are performed using realistic depleting currents to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY DENSITY-BASED AGGREGATION OPERATORS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS TO GROUP DECISION MAKING WITH INTUITIONISTIC PREFERENCE RELATIONS
Authors: ZHAO HUA , XU ZESHUI , YAO ZEQING
Published: March 2014

In fuzzy environments, some operators have been developed for aggregating intuitionistic fuzzy information which is expressed in pairs of the membership degrees and the non-membership degrees. However, the existing intuitionistic fuzzy aggregation operators cannot consider and reflect the density of intuitionistic fuzzy information distribution. To solve the issue, in this paper, we first develop some intuitionistic fuzzy density-based aggregation operators. Then by combining the developed operators with the existing intuitionistic fuzzy aggregation operators, we put forward some synthesized intuitionistic fuzzy aggregation operators. Furthermore, we utilize the synthesized intuitionistic fuzzy aggregation operators to develop an approach to group decision making based on intuitionistic preference relations, and illustrate our approach with a practical example of the evaluation of new medicines.
Lag structure in resting-state fMRI
Authors: Mitra A. , Snyder A. Z. , Hacker C. D. , Raichle M. E.
Published: March 2014

The discovery that spontaneous fluctuations in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals contain information about the functional organization of the brain has caused a paradigm shift in neuroimaging. It is now well established that intrinsic brain activity is organized into spatially segregated resting-state networks (RSNs). Less is known regarding how spatially segregated networks are integrated by the propagation of intrinsic activity over time. To explore this question, we examined the latency structure of spontaneous fluctuations in the fMRI BOLD signal. Our data reveal that intrinsic activity propagates through and across networks on a timescale of ∼1 s. Variations in the latency structure of this activity resulting from sensory state manipulation (eyes open vs. closed), antecedent motor task (button press) performance, and time of day (morning vs. evening) suggest that BOLD signal lags reflect neuronal processes rather than hemodynamic delay. Our results emphasize the importance of the temporal structure of the brain's spontaneous activity.
The effects of involuntary job loss on suicide and suicide attempts among young adults: Evidence from a matched case–control study
Authors: Milner Allison , Page Andrew , Morrell Stephen , Hobbs Coletta , Carter Greg , Dudley Michael , Duflou Johan , Taylor Richard
Published: March 2014

Objective:

To assess the influence of involuntary job loss on suicide and attempted suicide in young adults.

Method:

A population-based case–control study of young adults (18–34 years) was conducted in New South Wales, Australia. Cases included both suicides ( n=84) and attempts ( n=101). A structured interview was conducted with next of kin (for suicide cases) and suicide attempters admitted to hospital. Controls selected from the general population were matched to cases by age and sex. Job dismissal or redundancy (involuntary job loss) in the 12 months before suicide or attempt was the main study variable of interest. Suicide and attempts were modelled separately and in combination as outcomes using conditional logistic regression modelling. The analysis was also adjusted for marital status, socio-economic status and diagnosis of an affective or anxiety disorder.

Results:

Following adjustment for other variables, involuntary job loss was associated with an odds ratio of 1.82 for suicide and attempted suicide (combined) (95% CI 0.98 to 3.37; p=0.058). Low socio-economic status was associated with an odds ratio of 3.80 for suicide and attempted suicide (95% CI 2.16 to 6.67; p<0.001) compared to high socio-economic status (after adjustment). Diagnosis of a mental disorder was associated with a 7.87 (95% CI 5.16 to 12.01; p<0.001) odds ratio of suicide and attempted suicide compared to no diagnosis (after adjustment). Involuntary job loss was associated with increased odds of suicide and attempts when these were modelled separately, but results did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions:

Involuntary job loss was associated with increased odds of suicide and attempted suicide. The strength of this relationship was attenuated after adjustment for socio-economic status and mental disorders, which indicates that these may have a stronger influence on suicide than job loss.
The Poetics of Parent-Son Encounters Following Negative Parental Reactions to the Disclosure of Gay Identity
Authors: Machado Silvio
Published: March 2014

The disclosure of gay identity is considered an important step in the process of gay identity development. However, disclosure—especially to parents—is stressful for sexual minority individuals. Research suggests that most parents respond negatively to the news of their son’s gay identity, and that such negative reactions pose significant risks to that child’s well-being. In this article, the author presents selected findings from his dissertation research, a poetic inquiry into the lived experience of facing negative parental reactions to the disclosure of gay identity. The article begins with a review of the gay identity development, sexual minority stress, and family disclosure literature. Next, the author describes his selected method, poetic inquiry, as an approach to research that aligns with humanistic psychotherapy. In the results section, six poetic transcriptions detailing four participants’ narratives about postdisclosure interactions with parents provide an in-depth look at the challenge gay men face when negotiating negative parental reactions. Finally the article concludes with a brief summary and a discussion of the reasons that poetic inquiry was chosen for research on this topic.
Gender equality bargaining: Developing theory and practice
Authors: Williamson Sue , Baird Marian
Published: March 2014

It has long been recognised that collective bargaining is at the heart of industrial relations. Research on collective bargaining was largely gender blind; however, since the late 1980s, researchers have begun to examine how collective bargaining can progress gender equality in the workplace. The practice of negotiating for terms and conditions of employment to advance workplace gender equality is known as ‘gender equality bargaining’. This article provides an overview of the development and debates around gender equality bargaining over the last 25 years. It shows how definitions and concepts have broadened so that ‘gender equality bargaining’ is now effectively a subset of a wider ‘equality bargaining’ project being implemented by some unions. Just as the concept of equality bargaining has expanded, so too has the range of gender equality bargaining items, reflecting the gendered needs of both male and female employees. This prompts the authors to question whether gender equality bargaining is becoming mainstreamed within collective bargaining and to consider possible attendant implications. This article concludes by framing the following articles in this special edition, highlighting the diverse subject areas which are being negotiated, the multiple approaches being used and the theoretical interdisciplinary approaches being applied to advance both the practice and scholarship of gender equality bargaining.
Classroom Music Experiences of U.S. Elementary School Children
Authors: Miksza Peter , Gault Brent M.
Published: March 2014

The primary purpose of this study was to describe the music experiences elementary school children in the United States receive in the academic classroom setting. The data were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of the Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 (ECLS-K), a nationally representative study that followed kindergarteners through to their eighth-grade school year with the last data collection wave in 2006–2007. The variables pertaining to music experiences in the academic classroom that were available in the ECLS-K were (a) the frequency and duration with which children received music instruction, (b) the frequency that music was used to teach math, and (c) the percentage of children receiving formal music instruction outside of school. Each of these variables also was analyzed as a function of child urbanicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and race. Statistically significant ( p < .001) disparities among children based on urbanicity, SES, and race were found on each of the music experience variables. Overall, White suburban students of high levels of SES tended to receive significantly more music experiences than students of color from urban and rural settings and of low SES. The findings support the need to advocate for high-quality music programs for all students and particularly for those from traditionally underserved populations.
Romans 1–5 and the “Weak” and the “Strong”: Pauline Theology, Pastoral Rhetoric, and the Purpose of Romans
Authors: Gathercole Simon
Published: March 2014

This essay seeks to identify how Paul responds to the problems in the situation in the Roman churches, and in so doing, to identify aspects of the relation between Paul's theology and his pastoral method. First, the pastoral context of the conflict in the Roman church is identified. The parties are seen to divide broadly, though not strictly, along Jew-gentile lines. Paul's responses to the problems in Romans 14:1–15:6 are then examined, and here Paul is seen to contrast that which is simply part of the nuts and bolts of everyday living (eating, drinking, etc) with that which has implications for eschatological judgment (such as judging and despising). Then Romans 1–5 are examined for the way in which these chapters anticipate Paul's arguments in Romans 14–15, and it is seen that at every stage in the earlier chapters Paul has at least one eye on the problematic situation in Rome.
Romans 9–11: The Sovereignty of God and the Status of Israel
Authors: Wakefield Andrew H.
Published: March 2014

Romans 9–11 is of great importance for understanding Paul's letter to Rome. Here Paul tackles the problem of the lack of Jewish response to the gospel—a problem not just of personal anguish, but also of God's faithfulness: If God's chosen people are not participating in the gospel, how confident can Gentiles be in the hope which they have placed in God's promises? Paul's response occurs in stages: Election always implies that some are chosen, and some are not; God's sovereign election cannot be questioned; the Jewish people have stumbled in disbelief; God has retained a remnant of faithful Jews; God uses the disobedience of all people to bring all to faith; God's ways are beyond human understanding. In the process, Paul raises a number of troubling problems for modern readers: Predestination versus free will; the fairness of God; the role of the Law in salvation; and Paul's handling of scripture. This brief article sketches out the stages of Paul's argument and the problems it raises, and offers brief summaries of some possible solutions to those problems.
Christian Attitudes to Rome at the Time of Paul's Letter
Authors: Oakes Peter
Published: March 2014

In the late fifties, Christianity was a provincial religious movement rooted in Jewish beliefs, practice, and history. This gives to a model of Christian attitudes to Rome three natural dimensions: provincial, Jewish, and distinctively Christian. A provisional list of attitudes is constructed by considering issues that were significant for each group. The resulting list has six elements: awe at Rome's prestige, power and wealth; appreciation of Roman peace, economic prosperity, partial protection of Diaspora communities, and laws permitting Jewish practice; resentment at taxation, occupation of Israel, and poor governing of Judaea; contempt for Roman religious beliefs and certain aspects of morality; denial of ultimate authority; and expectation of overthrow. This combination could be used as a grid for interpreting the Roman dimension of Paul's letter.
The Future of Intentional Interim Ministry
Authors: Robinson B. Leslie
Published: March 2014

The interim period is a time of change, transition anad transformation. A new approach to interim ministry has been developed over the past 30 years, Intentional Interim Ministry. Intentional Interim Ministers are required to undergo training prior to being certified and evaluation after serving as an interim pastor. The future of Intentional Interim Ministry appears bright as more churches seek to be intentional during an interim, and as more Intentional Interim Pastors are trained and certified.
Interim or Intentional Interim©
Authors: Brown Ron
Published: March 2014

Should a church seek an Intentional Interim Minister? Brown suggests it should following a long term pastorate of over 7 years, a forced termination, church conflict, or a series of short term pastorates (2–3 years). How does a church find an Intentional Interim Minister? The church should contact its Director of Missions, the Church/Minister Relations office of its Baptist state convention, or the Interim Ministry Network. The church and Intentional Interim Minister should negotiate their mutual responsibilities and expectations.
Duty and Delight: Baptist Worship and Identity
Authors: Ellis Christopher J.
Published: March 2014

This essay takes Alexander Schmemann's liturgical theology as a guide and approaches questions of Baptist identity by examining Baptist worship. Worship is revelatory of the convictions at the heart of a faith community. The focus is chiefly upon British Baptist life. There is first a broad sketch of the patterns of Baptist worship from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries. Next, the principal characteristics of Baptist worship are delineated: attention to Scripture; devotion; community; and eschatology. In light of these, the “presiding conviction” of Baptist worship and life, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” is articulated and applied to worship. The essay concludes with a definition of worship drawn from the cumulative Baptist witness.
“Do This”: The Eucharist and Ecclesial Selfhood
Authors: Medley Mark S.
Published: March 2014

The human vocation is to see and act rightly by participating in the triune life of God. This is inseparable from participation in Christian community and practices. Personhood is formed, transformed and cultivated through the practices of the Christian community. How does this participation enable such living? This essay argues that sacramental and liturgical practices are the central means by which “the ecclesial self” is shaped. In worship, Christians “practice who they are becoming.” This essay engages and extends David Ford's thesis that salvation comes by participating in worship and living worshipfully before God with others. Ford argues that Christians are called to live eucharistically: remembering, hoping, and loving in Jesus Christ. Through worship, habits and character, the whole of life is formed.
Baptists: Modern or Postmodern?
Authors: Stiver Dan R.
Published: March 2014

Baptists were born with modernity in the early seventeenth century and in many ways fit almost hand-in-glove. Baptists have particularly flourished in the twentieth century, with Southern Baptists becoming the largest Protestant denomination in the United States and especially dominant in the Midwest and the South. The question before us is, what might the breakdown of the modern paradigm mean for Baptists who do not wish simply to hitch their theological wagon to modernity? After setting out the contours of a constructive postmodernism, I give an example, namely, the Baptist distinctive of freedom, of how Baptist thought and practice can be reconfigured in such a way that its deepest values are not lost but highlighted in new ways.
The Continuing Challenge of Mission to the World
Authors: Johnson Ronald W.
Published: March 2014

The challenge of being on mission in the 21st century can be informed by looking back to the wisdom of two Southern Seminary professors of mission, W.O. Carver and Hugo Culpepper. In two of their many articles Carver and Culpepper give a glimpse into the future we are now living. Carver's article, entitled, ““Foreign Missions”: The New Era and The New Method,” examined the role of the missionary in light of developing autonomy and indigenous Christianity developing across the world. He pointed to the successes of mission efforts and the natural course of events that lead to autonomy on the part of indigenous churches. He warned about the interference of boards and agency “statesmen” who often knew little of the work on the field and were often making policies for mission work that proved problematic to the missionaries on the field. He also spoke to the dangers of nationalism and how nationalism could threaten the very heart of the gospel itself. Hugo Culpepper wrote an article entitled, “The Christian Message Amid the eligions,” where he examined the growing reality of world religion and the need for understanding and dialogue. He examined the heart of each of the major world religions and sought to show how Christianity could enter into dialogue with each. Both articles are important for today's missionary in light of the tensions that missionaries from the U.S. face in a world that is rejecting perceived Western nationalism and from militant Islam. Carver's warning to agencies and boards is especially important in light of increasing pressure on missionaries from fundamenatlist sending agencies that make the work of the missionary more difficult on the field. Culpepper's article calls for more dialogue with world religions and understanding of their world view. This is especially important with Islam these days since so many missionaries are in countries where large populations of Muslims are present. Both articles can inform the missionary today. The articles seek to place the leadership for mission in the hands of the missionary and to empower the missionary to be more aware of the world in which they minister.
Scrolling through Jeremiah: Written Documents as a Reader's Guide to the Book of Jeremiah
Authors: Scalise Pamela J.
Published: March 2014

The book of Jeremiah uses metaphors and sign acts involving written documents, analogies between written collections of oracles and other authoritative texts, and the fulfillment of prophecy to make the case for its authoritative status in written form. References to significant written documents also mark the major subdivisions of the book of Jeremiah, and cue the reader to an appropriate understanding of and response to the content of the final form of the book.
Hebrews in Patristic Perspective
Authors: Harmon Steven R.
Published: March 2014

This article acquaints pastors and other ministers who may have occasion to preach and teach from Hebrews with the perspectives of the epistle's first interpreters. After reviewing the place of the epistle among the homilies and commentaries on Scripture written during the patristic period, the article summarizes the contributions of Hebrews to the development of patristic theology and provides an orientation to the resources that are available for consulting the fathers' interpretation of specific passages from Hebrews. While the fathers' readings of Hebrews cannot simply be reproduced by the contemporary interpreter, they do suggest the place the epistle might occupy in a canonical reading of Scripture and its relationship to the church's narration of the divine story.
A Retrospective: Edwin Friedman, His Life and Work
Authors: Beal Edward W.
Published: March 2014

This article introduces Edwin H. Freeman, a key shaper of Family Systems Theory, in the context of his personal and professional life. It focuses on four nodal events: the death of his father, the death of his mother, and the entrance to and exit from his first and second congregations. A concluding section describes Friedman's use of Bowen Family Systems Theory in the management of his own health and his leadership within the mental health and religious professions.
Metaphor, Mystery and the Salvation of Israel in Romans 9–11: Paul's Appeal to Humility and Doxology
Authors: Spencer F. Scott
Published: March 2014

In Romans 9–11, Paul develops metaphors of the foot race and olive tree in attempting to explain why some Israelites have been unfaithful to God and God's Messiah/Christ and to express his hope that “all Israel” will yet be saved. Through these images, Paul challenges Gentile Christians to humility and doxology—to acknowledge their indebtedness to God's foundational covenant with Israel and to affirm God's faithfulness to save all of God's people: Jew (first) and Gentile (also).
Genesis 2: “It is Not Good for the Human to Be Alone”
Authors: deClaissé-Walford Nancy L.
Published: March 2014

In the creation story in Genesis 2, the Lord God creates the first human and the habitation for that human. But the Lord God says, “It is not good for the human to be alone,” and with those words God and the first human embark on a search for a “partner” for the human than ends with the making of “woman.” What are the theological implications of God's statement? Why was it “not good for the human to be alone”? This article explores the story recorded in Genesis 2 and concludes that the basic meaning of the story is that humankind was created to live, not alone, but together in community. And God gives all of us many “partners” in life who teach us and inspire us to live in relationship with one another.
Missiological Thoughts Prompted by Genesis 10
Authors: Ballenger Isam
Published: March 2014

The table of nations, Genesis 10, represents the post-history of Noah and his family with the fulfillment of the command given to be fruitful and multiply and the prehistory of Abraham and his family who are to bless all peoples on earth. Fulfillment, rather than a culmination, appears to be preparatory for what is yet to come; history appears to be prologue, attesting to the sovereignty and love of God and claiming time as an integral factor for mission. The peoples of this chapter are not without a relationship to God, raising the question about the relationship of all non-chosen peoples to God. Assuming God initiates relationships, i.e., mission occurs first in God, relationship assumes new dimensions, becomes more inclusive, less individualistic, and thus more demanding of the disciple of Jesus Christ.
Christianity and the Religions in the New Christianity
Authors: Thangaraj M. Thomas
Published: March 2014

Christianity is experiencing tremendous changes as a result of demographic shifts. Its center of gravity is moving from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere and the process of globalization is transforming the formerly “Christian” West into religiously pluralistic societies. This is forcing Christians in this context to reconsider many of their assumptions about adherents of other religions. Among the challenges Christians face is: a widening circle of religious conversation, blurring of religious boundaries, changing confidence in missionary endeavors, and the emergence of a new theology of religions. Martin Luther King Jr.‘s “four basic steps” for nonviolent transformation of society can be a helpful heuristic tool for Christians struggling to find creative ways of practicing discipleship in the company of people of other religions. These steps include: collection of facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action. However, responding appropriately to the changing religious situation does not excuse Christians from responding to their call to mission. Rather, it compels them to re-examine their theology and practice of mission and construct a fresh and relevant form of it. If Christians fail to engage in mission, they will be foregoing their responsibility to love their neighbors as Christ commands.
Pastor and People: An Interfaith Pilgrimage
Authors: Peters Lanny L.
Published: March 2014

Not many issues are more pertinent in our day than the relationship of Christian congregations with people of other faiths. This article tells the story of an interfaith pilgrimage between a pastor and his people that transformed them all. It offers guidance and a model of how churches can be part of the solution, instead of the problem, in interfaith relations. It demonstrates how a congregation's involvement in interfaith relationships can deepen one's own Christian faith.
Becoming More Christian: Bearing Mutual Witness with Muslims
Authors: Laird Lance D.
Published: March 2014

Frederick Buechner observes that “all theology, like all fiction, is at its heart autobiography.” In this article, I reflect on my own experience as one Baptist whose adult journey in Christian discipleship has taken place in the frequent company of Muslims. I seek to make sense of how God has led me from ignorance and fear to understanding and collaboration with my Muslim neighbors. My experience is only one example of the “mutual witness” that is possible between Muslims and Christians as we attend together to the work of God in the world—in history, politics, culture, and in each other.
Preaching in Ordinary Time: The Extraordinary Subjects of Jesus' Realm
Authors: Bibb Wade
Published: March 2014

Ordinary Time comprises those days between Pentecost and Advent—six months of preaching without the special days celebrating the big themes of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, or Pentecost. Within this wide variety of lectionary readings, the Matthean Jesus lays out the demands placed upon those—ancient and modern—who would be subjects of his reign. Matthew's Gospel challenges both delivery and content for the preacher. Sermons based on these texts urge the congregation to deeper spiritual formation, authentic responses to God's calling to serve, a renewed commitment to mission(s), and an inclusive response to our increasingly pluralistic society. Sermons based on these texts will also challenge the preacher to wrestle creatively with texts often memorized, but rarely studied—texts that often leave us uncomfortable in the pulpit. This article presents: (1) a discussion on the importance of Ordinary Time in the preaching cycle; (2) helps for preaching from selected texts which serve as thematic interpretations for the larger preaching cycle; and (3) an emphasis on the Propers in Epiphany (texts from the Sermon on the Mount), which reappear during Ordinary Time.
A Fresh Reading of Jesus' Last Words: Matthew 28:16–20
Authors: Day Dan
Published: March 2014

Often cited as an answer to questions, the text commonly known as the Great Commission (Matt 28:16–20) actually raises important questions. How does it function as a conclusion to the Gospel of Matthew? Was it intended to be a missiological blueprint for doing evangelism in the twenty-first century? Who are “the nations” on whom the Eleven are to focus their disciple-making efforts? What is to be the character and intended outcome of this effort? A careful reading of these familiar verses is offered with attention directed toward many overlooked narrative details. The result of this exegetical precision, as opposed to the traditional “eisegetical” presumption, is a fresh hearing of Jesus' important words. Critical to a proper understanding of this text is the overarching call to “Go” in a Christ-like manner. Moreover, the call to teach suggests an evangelical pedagogy that is less polemical and more patient than many modern evangelistic strategies. The final promise of the Great Commission assures the disciples that
Praying from the Depths of the Deep: Remembering the Image of God as Midwife in Psalm 71
Authors: Claassens L. Juliana M.
Published: March 2014

How does one sing songs of liberation to the liberator God in those instances where liberation seems a remote possibility? At a time when the community of faith is recovering from the trauma of exile, and continuing to endure the trauma of submission to foreign empires, the psalmist looks to God for redemption. That redemption begins with the remembrance of God's past acts of deliverance, but memories of past liberations are not enough in the face of past and present pain. The key image in the psalm that transforms it into a redemptive hope is the image of God as midwife in verse 6. Like a midwife, God acts to bring forth life even in the midst of pain—even when the mother may suffer death. This image of God as midwife calls the community to compassion and comfort in the midst of shared trauma.
History, Faith and Muslim-Christian Dialogue, 2
Authors: Bodman Whitney
Published: March 2014

Muslim-Christian Dialogue in the U.S. is, thankfully, a growing enterprise, but at the same time it lacks depth. In both communities, but particularly in the Muslim community, there is some wariness about the motives and candor of the other. Muslims generally have realized the importance of explaining their tradition to fellow Americans. Their account of Islam, strong on its spirituality and morality, usually lacks acknowledgment of its history and diversity. Many Christians are committed to hospitality to Muslims and usually initiate the encounters. Many are regretful of past and present hostile treatments of Islam and Muslims, but often have difficulty presenting the core faith that unites all Christians beneath the quite evident divisions in the church. One possible path to a deeper understanding between Muslims and Christians is through an intensive and focused examination of our Scriptures.
Facing Trauma with Parishioners: Emotionally Intelligent Caring
Authors: Massey Denise
Published: March 2014

This article integrates insights from pastoral care with concepts from emotional intelligence to provide guidelines for ministry with persons facing trauma. The ABC method of pastoral crisis intervention, which includes achieving contact, boiling down the problem to its essentials, and coping, is used to guide ministers to care appropriately. Also addressed are implications for ministry from Daniel Goleman's five dimensions of emotional intelligence: Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Ministers are encouraged to integrate competencies of emotional intelligence, skills of crisis intervention, and spiritual resources to care effectively with persons facing trauma.
The Good, the Bad, and God: Genesis 1:1–5, 26–28, 31; 4:3–15; 6:5–8, 11–13
Authors: Spencer F. Scott
Published: March 2014

This sermon was preached at First Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia, on the Sunday morning immediately following the massacre of thirty-two Virginia Tech students in Blacksburg on April 16, 2007. This traumatic event—the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history—hit the church community hard. Many members are alumnae of Virginia Tech, had sons and daughters studying there now or in the past, and knew some of the victims and their families personally. The entire service focused on the tragedy. A particularly moving and meaningful segment featured a staff member's interview of a current Virginia Tech student who had come home. Whatever hope and comfort the sermon might have mediated owed in large measure to the sensitive and supportive congregation gathered for worship.
An Introduction to the Song of Songs
Authors: deClaissé-Walford Nancy L.
Published: March 2014

Scholars and faithful readers of the biblical text struggle to understand and appropriate the words of the Old Testament book called Song of Songs. The book is rich in imagery, abounding in difficult interpretational conundrums, and downright edgy in its content. This article explores the ancient Near Eastern background of the book and examines its literary features in an effort to understand its rhetorical message, that is, the ideas it conveys, to its ancient Israelite audience and to its audience of twenty-first-century readers.
Where Men are Men and Women are Women? The Song of Songs and Gender
Authors: Polaski Don
Published: March 2014

The Song of Songs imagines a world in which “men are men” and “women are women,” yet a world in which masculine and feminine relate in caring, often mutualistic, ways. This article examines the ways the Song constructs masculinity and femininity, especially the ways it attempts to restore clear boundaries between the genders when these boundaries become blurry. Christian theological readings have focused on the love between the two figures as in some way representing the divine love; reading the way the Song presents gender can offer a new perspective on love, both human and
Pay Attention: Every Bush is Burning! The Semiotics of Evangelism
Authors: Sweet Leonard
Published: March 2014

Signs, signs, everywhere signs…once a lyric from the 60s music scene but today a reality. We are bombarded with all kinds of signs that seek our attention. The problem is that most Christians don't pay attention to the culture. Sweet identifies this as a problem in evangelism. Since evangelism is the art and science of paying attention, he says, the best evangelists are not the attention-getters, but attention-givers.
Formidable Women—Extraordinary Outreach
Authors: Grisham Nancy
Published: March 2014

Nancy Grisham asks us to visualize the women in our churches as knowledgeable, determined, and powerful in reaching people for Christ. She especially points out the powerful role women have in families. That influence extends, however, into neighborhoods, work places and other places where women have a particular effectiveness in reaching others. Her article explores this influence and suggests ways it can be utilized more effectively in sharing the gospel.
Urban City Planning in the Eighth Century: A Case Study of Recent Excavations at Tel Gezer (Reading between the Lines: Uzziah's Expansion and Tel Gezer)
Authors: Ortiz Steven M.
Published: March 2014

This article presents a case study in how archaeological data assists in biblical interpretation. The author uses the recent excavations of Tel Gezer, along with recent archaeological research on the Shephelah in the eighth century BCE to reconstruct the political and historical period of Uzziah. The first part of the article reviews the current excavations of Beth Shemesh and Tel es-Safi along with recent articles on the eighth-century destructions in the Shephelah. An overview of city-planning in the eighth century is provided. The second part of the article is a presentation of the results of the recently renewed excavations of Gezer (2006–2009). The author proposes that Judah experienced greater city-planning and regional development under King Uzziah than the latter period of Hezekiah.
The Contribution of Archaeology to the Study of Women in Biblical Times: Two Case Studies
Authors: Ebeling Jennie R.
Published: March 2014

The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) provides limited information about women's lives in ancient Israel, but various other sources are available that can be used to reconstruct aspects of women's everyday activities and their roles in important lifecycle events. In this article I present two different case studies—brewing beer and childbirth—in order to show how much we can learn about Israelite women's lives using archaeology, iconography, ethnography, and ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian textual sources along with passages from the Hebrew Bible.
Interpreting Revelation with Roman Coins: A Test Case, Revelation 6:9–11
Authors: May David M.
Published: March 2014

The altar scene in Revelation 6:9–11 has been interpreted as a positive image of martyred saints being presence with God in heaven. This article, however, challenges this traditional assumption. Based on Roman imperial coinage, especially those coins with images of altars, it is likely that John portrayed the altar in his narrative as not representing the heavenly altar of God but the imperial altar of Rome. John takes well-known Roman images and challenges his readers to resist the temptation these altars represent as symbols of the false ideology espoused by Rome. He also illustrates how these altars, like the cross of Christ, may become the symbol for his readers' martyrdom. This article also suggests that architectural images of altars on Roman coins can provide a way to understand the strange position of the martyred ones who are “under the altar.”
Coins and the New Testament: From Ancient Palestine to the Modern Pulpit
Authors: McKinney Lawrence E.
Published: March 2014

Ancient coins are ubiquitous items used by archaeologists, along with several types of artifacts, for purposes of relative dating when excavating at ancient sites. Furthermore, coins play an important role in gaining a better understanding the cultural milieu of the first centuries of the Common Era, the period into which events and writing of the New Testament fit. Some archaeologists are also numismatists, that is, specialists in ancient coins. In writing this article the author has drawn upon his own years of work as a field archaeologist and numismatist in Israel. This survey introduces the reader to the subject of ancient Roman Imperial coins, Roman Provincial coins and coins minted in ancient Palestine specifically for use by the Jewish populace. Examples of the importance of the coins as both official, and unofficial, propaganda (as is the case with Jewish coins of the First Revolt of the Jews against Rome, 66–70 CE) are discussed. There is an analysis of the coins that circulated in Palestine and the eastern Roman provinces into which early Christianity spread. Special attention is given to those coins specifically mentioned in the New Testament. Ethical issues concerning the removal of coins from ancient sites and the collecting of them by individuals are also introduced. Finally, possibilities for presenting numismatic information via the pulpit and religious education are addressed. To this end the reader will find some resources for starting out in the field of ancient and Biblical numismatics, and creatively applying that information for the edification of others.
Listening to a Conversation: Divorce, the Torah, and Earliest Christianity
Authors: Polaski Don , Polaski Sandra Hack
Published: March 2014

The authors examine the interpretive processes underlying the positions on divorce advocated by Jesus, Ezra, Matthew and Paul. Their analysis reveals that, in each instance, the interpretations rely, not solely or even primarily on the explicit statement made by the only text on divorce in the Torah, Deut 24:1–4, but on connections with other Torah texts and traditions. Jesus, for example, used “order of creation” arguments, tantamount to interpretations of Deuteronomy through Genesis (i.e. divorce is unreal; the marital bond cannot be broken), and exegetical linkages that equate divorce and remarriage (neither of which has validity) with adultery (since the woman is actually still married to her husband). With converse results from a similar process, in Ezra's time, Shecaniah endorsed Ezra's decree enforcing divorce also presumably based on Deut 24:1–4. He seems to have assumed all foreign women to be “objectionable,” thus fulfilling the divorce requirement in Deut 24:1. In both cases, the process of interpreting assumes its results are part of the text and claims to have the authority of Moses. Matthew and Paul, both of whom allowed an exception to Jesus' apparently absolute opposition to divorce, seem, pursuing a similar interpretive strategy, to have equated Deuteronomy's allowance for divorce on grounds of something “objectionable” in a wife's behavior and the Torah's prohibition against adultery. The boundaries between text, tradition and interpretation were and are porous.
The Lord Delivers Us: An Examination of the Function of Psalm 34 in 1 Peter
Authors: Gréaux Eric James
Published: March 2014

First Peter, which contains one of the largest concentrations of citations and allusions to the Old Testament of any New Testament book other than Revelation, cites Psalm 34 twice, with the longest sustained reference in 1 Peter (3:10–12) from this song. This essay examines how the citation and allusion to this psalm serves to further the exhortation of Peter's epistle. In order to answer these questions, the author analyzes the citation of Ps 34:13–17 in 1 Pet 3:10–12. After a brief survey of the New Testament context of the quotation, he then considers the Old Testament context to see how it may inform the function of the citation and allusions to the psalm in 1 Peter. The examination of Peter's use of Psalm 34 suggests that he did so because it has the same theme as his letter, namely, suffering and deliverance. The citation suggests that Peter's exiled and righteous readers, like the exiled and righteous psalmist, may suffer affliction and tribulation but they can also rejoice that they will also experience the “good life” and taste the Lord's kindness in spite of suffering.
Exploring an Experiential Bible Study Model in the Baptist Context
Authors: Brock Timothy W.
Published: March 2014

The article proposes an approach to teaching the Bible that reflects the conviction, substantiated in the pioneering work of Findley Edge and others, of the need for an experiential approach to Christian education combined with the principles and concepts outlined in David Kolb's experiential theory of learning and development. The Experiential Bible Study model involves four successive movements: personal experience, biblical exegesis, critical reflection and hands-on application.
The Gospel of Mark: Baptist Voices in Biblical Scholarship
Authors: Jackson Dalen C.
Published: March 2014

As scholarship on the Gospel of Mark has developed over the years, Baptist scholars have entered into the conversation as they have sought to make the Gospel meaningful and “applicable” to the Christian life. In doing so, they have always negotiated a tension between their own traditions of interpretation and the methodological and theoretical claims of critical scholarship. An expository tradition of interpretation, dedicated to exploring the historical context and carefully analyzing each word of the text, has led to numerous studies and commentaries by Baptist scholars. Many of these evidence a conservative, evangelical frame of reference and ground their search for meaning in historical, theological, and moral teachings of the author of Mark to be retrieved from the text. Other Baptist scholars, while continuing to engage this expository tradition and find usefulness in its insights, have turned toward investigations of the Gospel which seek to find meaning also in the text itself (apart from the author's “original” intent) and in readers' experience of it. While the former approach focuses on the systematic, line-by-line “exegesis” of the text, the latter approach leads to a variety of analyses that ultimately serve more as a guide to reading the text than as an explanation of exactly what the text means. These varied approaches reflect a range of understandings of how God speaks through Scripture, but all of the Baptist scholars share out of their formation in Baptist communities a confidence that God is indeed revealed in the words of the Gospel.