Sarah Lemke

To be a Christian: What it Means to Have an Identity in Christ

Identity is an important topic of conversation for everyone, including Christians. A Christian’s core identity should be in Christ, and I will be explaining what this identity is. I will explore the created self which is made in the image of God, the crooked self which is our sinful nature, the resurrected self which is the new self we have in Christ, and the transfigured self which is who we are becoming through our faith.

BTM 499, Senior Capstone

Agam Iheanyi-Igwe

P103

10:30 – 11 AM

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Kalani Miller

In God We Trust: Religious Trauma in the American Evangelical Church

I will begin by discussing what religious trauma is and what Conservative American Evangelical Christianity is. I will then look at causes of religious trauma in Conservative American Evangelical Christianity as seen through a literature review and personally conducted research. Then, it will be concluded with looking at how the Bible addresses the aforementioned causes, and discussing what this means for today.

BTM 499, Honors: Senior Thesis

Agam Iheanyi-Igwe

L203 (click here to view the live stream)

1:30 – 2:30 PM

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Kaleea Washington

Encountering Wonder, Informing Creation

This presentation is about the biblical theme of “wonder” as it relates to the created world. This brief capstone will research both primary and secondary sources and will explore the concept of wonder as has been defined continuously as the act of “marvel” or “amaze” in the Greek and Hebrew translations found in Strong’s concordance. The following work will explore in particular the complexities pertaining to the experience of encountering wonder in creation. These complexities are more often than not measured by the qualitative and intimate experiences of modern authors and those who partook in the establishment of Holy Scripture. Moreover, this exploration of wonder will seek to beg the question—how does wonder impact us? To that end, I will utilize and describe the concept of “informing creation” as a way of speaking to our responsibility to care for God’s creation which includes all God has created, his all-encompassing workmanship, the animal kingdom, humanity, and Earth. 

Keywords: Scripture, Wonder, Creation, Experience, Decay

BTM 499, Senior Capstone

A. J. Swoboda

L204

2 – 2:30 PM

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Elliott Rinehart

A biblical analysis of the nature of sin

An investigation of sin in the Bible. The aim of the Christian life is righteousness contrasted by the sinful nature of humans. A Christian understanding of sin is seen through language and the Bible. Sin may be understood better through the words used for sin in the Bible. There are many different types of sin, and aspects to sin. Examining the sins shown in the book of Genesis provides an overview of how sin is represented in Christianity. Temptation may be categorized as sin part of the time. A proper understanding of sin in the Bible should ease the hearts and minds of Christians as well as provide a more accurate understanding of how to live a Christian life.

BTM 499, Capstone

AJ Swoboda

1:30 – 2 PM

Join the Zoom discussion afterward. The presenter and faculty advisor both have the password.

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Kelly Willyard

The Psalmist Use of the Word Soul” in Psalm 42 and 43
This project explores the number of meanings and uses the word soul has in Hebrew. The Hebrew word for soul is nephesh. I focus on how the psalmist specifically uses nephesh in Pslam 42. I conclude with a practical application of nephesh in the Christian faith.
BTM 499, Capstone
Agametochukwu D. Iheanyi-Igwe
P103
10 – 10:30 AM
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Nathan Sutherland

Todah as Communion

Communion is likely one of the most important things that many churches in the world today simply view as a quick practice that is more of an afterthought than something that is central to the life of the believer and the church. However, recapturing the authentic vision that Jesus had for the Eucharist is vital in understanding more fully the life that he wants us to participate in with him. In the church today, it is difficult to pin down exactly what communion is. While most people would agree that communion is the partaking of bread and the drinking of wine to remember what Jesus has done for us on the cross, the practical way that is played out in churches across the world looks drastically different everywhere.

How can we recapture the authentic vision for communion that Jesus undoubtedly had in mind when he instituted it as a practice in the upper room with the disciples in Matthew 26? In order to answer this question, we must look at three aspects of communion. First, we must look at the history of communion, not only in the church, but also in what Hebrew traditions Jesus implemented communion around. Secondly, we must look to the theology of what happened in the upper room when Jesus instituted communion to understand what Jesus intended for communion to look like in practice for his followers. Thirdly, we must take what we learned from the history and theology of communion to know how to successfully integrate it into the practice of church today.

BTM 499, Capstone

Dennis Lindsay

2:30 – 3 PM

P114

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