Regent
University
Your Title Goes Here and Should be in Bold Font and Unitalicized
according to Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers (9th edit.)
(The title is derived from your question, but is NOT the question)
A Dissertation Submitted to the
Faculty of the
School of Divinity in
Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of
Doctor of Ministry
by
John Doe
(name should be bolded)
Your City, State
May 2020
Biblical, Theological, and
Historical Overview
Now that you have completed your Summary of the Literature, you have a
greater understanding of the problem you are addressing, the context of your
question, and the solution(s) that have arisen from
the research you have
conducted. This section requires that you examine the same problem and
relating issues, the context, and subsequent solution(s) discovered through your research through the lens of the Bible, highlighting both theological and historical insights.
Biblical. Robust exegetical work is expected as you examine key biblical passages that pertain to your ministry project question. Scholarly commentaries should be consulted. The original language of critical words and phrases should also be used to derive meaning that impacts the selected passage’s original intent. This is your “deep dive” into scripture that supports the key elements distilled from the Literature Review.
Theological. You should also include citations from different theologians, both ancient and modern. Early Church Fathers can be researched as well as contemporary theologians who speak to your area of focus to provide a warrant for your approach to solving the problem. You may also include denominational doctrine within your church context if pertinent to your topic and context.
Historical. Include descriptions and examples of past ways people have tried to solve your problem of focus, mentioning both the strengths and the inadequacies of their solutions contrasted with your approach to solving the problem as a warrant for your work. You can also examine the history of your particular context. This may include your church (and denomination) or your ministry (para-church organization). Your context can then be compared and contrasted with other ministries in a similar context.
As you research and discover valuable information that you want to include directly into your paper (quotes, thoughts, statistics), organize your findings according to your outline. This will help you write your ministry project/dissertation and keep your research organized.
Developing a working bibliography as you encounter resources will save you from having to do it at the very end of writing the proposal. You are allowed to include resources in your working bibliography that are not used directly in your BTH Overview in your proposal but may be used in subsequent chapters. This will enable you to keep track of all the pertinent resources in which you come in contact. This will save you time down the road.
Always consult Turabian (9th ed.) for the correct formatting for your paper, footnotes, and bibliographic information. Personal pronouns are not allowed in academic writing. All quotes and thoughts, which come from another source, must be referenced. There should be at least 2 -3 citations per page. Please keep block quotes to a minimum.
Biblical, Theological, and Historical Overview Template
(The most important thing you can do for this section is to develop an outline with at least three significant points of research.)
Introduction — Your B, T, H Overview should begin with an introduction – two or three paragraphs. Even though this is only one section of your proposal, which will eventually become chapter one, you will write the B, T, H Overview as if it could stand alone. Remind the reader of the problem you are researching, explaining the important components of the problem. Then inform the reader where you are going with your research. This can simply be the summary of your outline.
Conclude with a transition sentence that introduces your first point.
There are several ways you can write this portion of the dissertation. Some students prefer to use the key points explored in the Literature Review Summary and examine them biblically, theologically, and historically. This is a way of supporting the findings derived from the LRS and bringing a sense of cohesiveness to your paper. This may be especially helpful if your topic has not been well established theologically or historically.
However, another way to write this section is to use the Biblical, Theological, and Historical headings as an outline and address the entire topic one at a time. If your topic has been well documented in each of these areas, this outline can be beneficial. See the descriptions below.
OPTION ONE
Key Element #1
Each point in your outline can be a sub-heading. End with a transition sentence that introduces the next point so that your paper flows and the reader always knows where you are going. This may seem like a redundancy, but it is not.
The key element will be examined biblically, theologically, and historically.
Key Element #2
Key Element #3
Conclusion
– After 8-10 pages of research, you will want to write a conclusion. Restate the key elements and what the research revealed in each point. Remember, everything points back to your question. Nothing should be included that does not support the problem you are trying to solve and the method you will employ to solve the problem.
OPTION TWO
Biblical Overview
This option allows you to examine the key biblical passages for your entire problem and possible solutions as a whole. The use of sub-headings is essential so that the reader understands precisely what is being addressed in each area.
Theological Overview
In this section, you look at both ancient and modern theologians and examine what has been said concerning your context, your problem, and possible solutions. Again, sub-headings will help the reader understand which part of your problem you are addressing.
Historical Overview
Looking at your context historically will allow you to compare and contrast your findings with other similar ministries in similar contexts. The use of subheadings can be beneficial.
Conclusion
Conclusion – After 8-10 pages of research, you will want to write a conclusion. Restate the key elements and what the research revealed in each point. Remember, everything points back to your question. Nothing should be included that does not support the problem you are trying to solve and the method you will employ to solve the problem.
Regent University
Your Title Goes Here and Should be in Bold Font and Unitalicized
according to Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers (9th edit.)
(The title is derived from your question, but is NOT the question)
A Dissertation Submitted to the
Faculty of the
School of Divinity in
Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of
Doctor of Ministry
by
John Doe
(name should be bolded)
Your City, State
May 2020
Biblical, Theological, and Historical Overview
Now that you have completed your Summary of the Literature, you have a
greater understanding of the problem you are addressing, the context of your
question, and the solution(s) that have arisen from
the research you have
conducted. This section requires that you examine the same problem and
Regent University
Your Title Goes Here and Should be in Bold Font and Unitalicized
according to Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers (9th edit.)
(The title is derived from your question, but is NOT the question)
A Dissertation Submitted to the
Faculty of the School of Divinity in
Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of
Doctor of Ministry
by
John Doe (name should be bolded)
Your City, State
May 2020
Biblical, Theological, and Historical Overview
Now that you have completed your Summary of the Literature, you have a
greater understanding of the problem you are addressing, the context of your
question, and the solution(s) that have arisen from the research you have
conducted. This section requires that you examine the same problem and
Biblical, Theological, Historical Foundations
PMIN 897
Dr. Cavallaro and Dr. Adams
BTH Foundations
As is consistent with biblical standards of leadership and ministry, it is expected that doctoral candidates establish a biblical, theological, and historical warrant for their research endeavor or problem. If the end result contributes to the enhancement of ministry, then the candidate should be able to ground the effort in sound biblical thinking. This involves an exegetical study of key passages that address the problem, a survey of theological writings, and an historical survey of the question or problem. This section demonstrates the candidate’s ability to reason and apply the biblical text to the situations and problems of ministerial service. In the case of some studies, historical, philosophical and socio-cultural implications may require the student to add categories. This section will be the basis for chapter 3 in the ministry project/dissertation.
BTH Foundations
The biblical, theological, and historical data you research should clearly present a good argument for the key elements distilled from the literature review as to why they should be included in your project design.
A possible outline for this section can be as follows:
Key Element #1 – Examined Biblically, Theologically, and Historically
Key Element #2 – Examined Biblically, Theologically, and Historically
Key Element #3 – Examined Biblically, Theologically, and Historically
Biblical Foundations – Hermeneutics
Context of the Passage, Author’s Intended Meaning, Genre Dependent
Biblical Foundations Exegesis
THE TEXT IS THE POINT
Inductive Reasoning → Facts → Propositions → Applications
Historical Context
Geographical
Political
Religious Climate
Cultural Context
Literary Context
Genre
Words/Phrases
Sentence Structure
Paragraph – what comes before and after text
Book
Broader Context
Theological Foundations
There should be detailed citations from different theologians, ideally ancient and modern, that have commented in your area of focus. This can include classical theologians (i.e. Augustine, other Church Fathers) as well as modern theologians (leaders in your area of focus) to provide a warrant for your approach to solving the problem. This can also include present leaders/theologians from within your own church (denominational) context.
Historical Foundations
There should be a description and examples of the past ways people have tried to solve your problem of focus and their inadequacy, contrasted with your approach to solving the problem, as a warrant for your work.
This is also the section where you can examine your context historically. This may include a brief history of your church, including your denomination. Your context can then be compared and contrasted with other churches in a similar context.