Professional Dissertations DMin

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Doctor of Ministry DMin

First Advisor

Maury D. Jackson

Second Advisor

Eric Freking

Third Advisor

Ronald Rojas

Abstract

Problem

In this project, the problem centers around cross-denominational dialogue. The contemporary Christian theological landscape is highly complex and varied. Theologians engage with different theories of knowledge, authority sources, and theological methods, resulting in diverse perspectives that conflict with each other and with Adventist Christian convictions. The differing rational structures of these perspectives require committed effort to understand and communicate effectively. Best practice cross-denominational dialogue involving the theologically informed must account for these differences and provide a context that can facilitate faithful and charitable discourse. Such a context would not only ease the tensions among different Christian traditions but would provide a safe space for Adventist Christianity to share its own perspective as well.

Method

The method used to arrive at standards of best practice involved designing a project that assesses a tool that clarifies the dynamic of communication in an interdenominational small group context. A document entitled “Christian Epistemic Models and Sola Scriptura” (hereafter CEMSS) was shared with a sample number of participants. This document introduces a discourse methodology I call “Multiple Simultaneously-Valid Epistemic Models” or the “Multiple-Models Method” for short, which attempts to create a safe space for theological discovery where divergent theological perspectives can coexist without hostility toward each other. I then evaluate the Adventist Christian perspective as a Sola Scriptura Epistemic Model using this tool. A small number of participants were invited to read the CEMSS document and engage in an hour-long recorded video conversation. The video transcripts were then evaluated, and five rules and norms for interdenominational dialogue were extracted.

Results

The outcome of this project included eight individual participants who agreed to read the CEMSS document and to meet with me individually on a recorded video call. During the video conversation, participants expressed positive reactions to the tool: regarding its framing and clarifying nature. The interactions demonstrated that the tool offered a value-added approach to interdenominational discourse. Moreover, the conversations provided an opportunity to evaluate the discourses and generate rules and norms for best practices in interdenominational dialogue.

Conclusion

The conversations with the eight participants demonstrated the effectiveness of the tool. The participants understood and saw value in approaching the differences between Christian traditions from an epistemic perspective, of creating theoretical space for multiple models to coexist, and introducing a new Scripture-based approach within this context. However, each had specific concerns and recommendations according to their theological perspectives. The results showed sufficient promise to warrant further testing to determine the generalizability of the method. Expanding the sample size in a larger pilot program has the promise of better illuminating the dynamics of interdenominational dialogue. This pilot template can be used for dialogue among pastors and theologians of different confessions, for interdenominational minister’s associations that involve cross-denominational theological discussions, as well as for pastors and theologians who share a denominational confession but have internal theological disputes.

Subject Area

Interdenominational cooperation

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