Fuller Theological Seminary Doctor of Ministry Program
(rev 9/00)
Sample Dissertation Proposal
This sample proposal represents the recommended format for Dissertation proposals. The
arrangement of content is an example.
Synopsis
Revisioning the American Evangelical Church and
Pastoral Leadership for the Twenty-first Century
Arlene R. Inouye
Doctor of Ministry1999
School of Theology, Fuller Theological SeminaryThesis: The purpose of this dissertation is to present an ecclesiology which offers a visionof what God might be calling the Twenty First Century church and its pastors to become in lightof the Church’s social dislocation in a changing American cultural context.Over the past fifty to seventy years, America has been experiencing a number ofsignificant changes, including greater ethnic and cultural diversity; the breakdown of the family;and, increased secularism and technological innovation. A transition from a modern to apostmodern worldview has also brought relativism in truth and morality, and increased pessimismand pragmatism. All these things have affected the evangelical Church and contributed to itschanged status in society.
Many believe that mainline Protestant and Evangelical churches today are in the throes ofan identity crisis. Hunsberger and Van Gelder state that “the crisis, most simply put, is that thesocial function the churches once fulfilled in American life is gone.” Author, Douglas hall speaks ofit in terms of the “effective disestablishment of the Christian religion in the Western world bysecular, political and alternative religious forces.” In order to respond biblically, theologically andpractically to such a changed status in American life, it is necessary to revisit the nature andmission of the Church through the lens of Scripture and against the backdrop of the culturallandscape in which the Church finds itself.
2This paper will be divided into three sections. The first section will focus on describingthe American cultural context and the evangelical Church within it. It will highlight selecteddemographic statistics; generationl characteristics; changing worldviews; and, socio-politicalfactors which have shaped both American culture and the Church. Also covered will be a review
http://www.ttc-switch.com/Thesis_Tips/Proposal/of the historical relationship between church and culture and the Church’s response to its now
marginalized position in society.
The second section will focus on the biblical and theological foundations of the Church inan effort to derive a clear understanding of its nature and mission. It will draw from Scripture,
Christian tradition and a consideration of God’s plan of salvation. This section will also presentan understanding of the Church as both the apostolic community of the Spirit and the generationof God’s beloved.#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
In the third section, the focus will be on providing a clear vision of the church as God’sbeloved and the characteristics, lifestyle, values and relationships which marks such ascommunity. It will also address the kind of pastoral leadership necessary to develop and multiplysimilar churches throughout our culture and society.
The goal of this paper is to present a biblically-grounded, theologically sound and Godinspiredecclesiology and vision of the Church which rethinks the Church and pastoral leadershipin light of American culture and significant social and philosophical changes it is undergoing. Thework is done in an effort to help the Church become what God intends, able to fulfill more fullyand effectively its life and purpose until Christ returns.Dissertation Mentor: Greg OgdenWords: 491
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Outline
Introduction (10 pages)
Part One: A Profile of Contemporary American Culture and Church
1. Our Contemporary Cultural Context (20 pages)
1.1 Selected demographic characteristics
1.2 Generational characteristics
1.3 Socio-political factors
1.4 The transition from modernity to postmodernity
This chapter will examine the cultural context in which the American evangelical Church finds
itself. It will explore the forces that have influenced the form and function of the Church in our
society.
2. The Contemporary American Evangelical Church (20 pages)
2.1 Current statistics on denominations, numbers of evangelical Christians, new churches
2.2 The historical relationship between Church and culture
2.3 The Church and liminality
2.4 The response of the Church to its changed status
This chapter will describe the current state of the Church in America and use Roxburgh’s concept
of liminality to explain its social location in the new cultural context. It will also present several
responses churches are making in an attempt to address the changes they are experiencing.
Part Two: Toward a Theology of the Church
3. Biblical and Theological Foundations (20 pages)
3.1 The Church in Scripture
3.2 The Church in Christian tradition
3.3 The Church in God’s plan of salvation
Any attempt to “revision” the Church requires firsthand examination of Scripture and a review of
Christian tradition as it relates to ecclesiology. It also necessitates an understanding of where the
Church fits in God’s overall plan of salvation. These three areas will be considered in this chapter
as a means to gain deeper insight into the nature and mission of the Church.
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4. Revisioning the Church for Today (20 pages)
4.1 Eschatological preference over historical precedence
4.2 The Church as the community of the Spirit and generation of God’s Beloved
4.3 The relationship between the Church and the kingdom of God
This chapter will seek to articulate in more detail a theology of the church based on the work of the#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
previous chapter and in light of key concepts such as eschatology, community, generation and
Kingdom of God. While Americans tend to gain a sense of identity from culturally defined
generational characteristics (i.e., Boomers, Busters, etc.), the people of God can be identified as the
“generation of God’s beloved.” This is based on Romans 9:25: “I will call those who were no my
people, ‘My people.’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”
Part Three: Life and Leadership in the Generation of God’s Beloved
5. Life as the Generation of God’s Beloved (25 pages)
5.1 The Church as culture and culture-former
5.2 Description of shared relationships, values, language and purpose
5.3 Revisiting the meaning of sacraments
5.4 The community of God’s beloved in contemporary American culture
This chapter will describe the Church in terms of being the generation of God’s beloved, examining
what life in the kingdom community of God looks like. It will be argued that revisioning the
Church in terms of community and generation results in positioning it in society in a way that can
lead to more effective mission, evangelism and discipleship.
6. Revisioning Pastoral Leadership (25 pages)
6.1 Current models, changed reality
6.2 Changing identity, changing role, changing “triangle” (Roxburgh)
6.3 The feminine paradigm and team leadership
6.4 The challenge
Developing and multiplying churches which are communities of God’s beloved will require a
different kind of leadership than is typically found in more traditional evangelical churches of the
Twentieth Century. This chapter will examine the qualities and characteristics needed specifically
of pastors if the church is to become and do all that God intends for it in the years ahead.
http://www.ttc-switch.com/Thesis_Tips/Proposal/Summary and Conclusions (15 pages)
Appendices
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Bibliography
(Note: This is not a complete bibliography-your
bibliography should be at least 40 titles)
Anderson, Leith. A Church for the Twenty-First Century: Bringing Change to Your Church
to Meet the Challenges of a Changing Society. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers,
1992.
Anderson, Ray. Minding God’s Business. Pasadena, CA: Fuller Seminary Press, 1986.
____________. Ministry on the Fireline: A Practical Theology for an Empowered Church.
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
____________. Theological Foundations for Ministry. Grand Rapids: William B.
Eerdmans, 1979.
Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics: The Doctrine of Reconciliation, Book IV. Edinburgh:
T. & T. Clark, 1967.
Beckham, William. The Second Reformation: Reshaping the Church for the Twenty-First Century.
Houston: Touch Publications, 1995.#p#分頁(yè)標(biāo)題#e#
Bellah, Robert N., Richard Madsen, William M. Sullivan, Ann Swidler, and Steven M. Tipton.
Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life. New York: Harper
& Row, 1985.
Braaten, Carl E. The Apostolic Imperative: Nature and Aim of the Church’s Mission and Ministry.
Minneapolis: Augsberg Publishing House, 1985.
Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translated by Henry Beveridge. Grand Rapids:
Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1995.
http://www.ttc-switch.com/Thesis_Tips/Proposal/Clapp, Rodney. A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture in a Post-Christian Society. Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
Coenen, L. “Church.” New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, ed. Colin
Brown. Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 1986), Vol. 1.