Date of Award
Spring 1997
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Theology
First Advisor
Hughson, D. T.
Second Advisor
Hinze, Bradford E.
Third Advisor
Firer Hinze, Shristine
Abstract
Christians today face a world in crisis. The majority of the world's population today lives in desperate and inhuman poverty. We are witnessing an escalation of violence and disrespect for human life on city streets. Neglect and abuse of the environment have brought us to impending environmental disaster. For example, if the continued rate of increase in use of petroleum supplies is not changed they will be depleted perhaps within the lifetime of a child born today. Yet this may be over-shadowed by the harm to the atmosphere caused by the carbon dioxide produced by the combustion of fossil fuels in the Northern hemisphere. Consumerism is becoming the dominant ideology of the world but the planet cannot sustain the vision of human fulfillment and economic progress it promotes. A growing population strains economies, forces mass migration and threatens vital forests. Moreover, racism, genocide and war continue to plague the twentieth century. While it is increasingly obvious that new means of conflict-resolution must be employed to skillfully intervene before blood shed, nations continually increase their destructive power. Military budgets grow while social programs decrease. Those most marginalized are women and children. They represent the "face of poverty" as the most devalued, impoverished and, in some countries, enslaved members of the world's population. Although this century has been marked by tremendous technological development the world as a whole has grown poorer. We move into the twenty-first century with more than a billion people in poverty...