Graduate Research

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Browsing Graduate Research by Author "Blowers, Paul"

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    Incorporating Art and Creativity in the Life of New Hope Christian Church
    (2019-05-08) Sichting, John; Blowers, Paul
    Artistic endeavor and creative expression in the life of the New Hope congregation in Columbus, Indiana was encouraged by conducting a ten-week “season of church life” titled “Maker: Celebrating Creation.” The series included sermons exploring biblical themes related to the topic, presentations of personal creative work shared by church members, and eighteen special activities including attending a ballet, architectural tours, culinary opportunities, a blues concert based on the story of the Prodigal Son and visits to an Orthodox church. Evaluation of the project included surveys and Appreciative Inquiry Interviews. Findings of the project led to the conclusion that “New Hope must continue to find ways to honor the gifts and talents of our artists and crafts persons with built in times that allow people to share what they like to make. Likewise, we have to continue finding ways to enjoy art together, whether that be by going to performances, visiting churches or museums, or talking together about a book. We need to remember that the Creator built us to create.
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    One God, the Creator, Maker, and Nourisher of this Universe: Irenaeus Against the Valentinians
    (2022-05) Elliott, Alyssa; Blowers, Paul
    The purpose of this thesis is to explore the conflict between Irenaeus and his Valentinian opponents. In it I argue that Irenaeus turns to the doctrine of creation in his opposition to the Valentinians as a means to reveal the foundational error of their teaching. The doctrine of creation covers a broad spectrum of ideas, from discussions surrounding creation ex nihilo to the status which the non-human creation is given. It is a significant theological theme in early Christianity, which accounts for its complexity and prevalence. In this thesis, I am focusing specifically on the conflict between Irenaeus and the Valentinians regarding the creative activity of God—that is, God as Creator. This is typically an unstated starting point for the early Christian discourse surrounding the other elements included in the doctrine of creation. With respect to this specific second-century conflict, however, the identity of the creator God is not a shared presupposition. It is, in fact, one of the central points, or as Irenaeus says, “heads,’ of the Valentinian teachings he refutes.