A Consideration of YHWH's Modus Operandi within Cultic Covenantal Renewal for the Establishment, Sustainability, and Fulfillment of Divine Purpose
Subsequent Statement of Responsibility
Embry, Bradley
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Regent University
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
2019
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
100
DISSERTATION (THESIS) NOTE
Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree
M.Div.
Body granting the degree
Regent University
Text preceding or following the note
2019
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
The Church, characterized as the bride of Christ, suffers from an unhealthy deficiency regarding procreation corroborated by the dwindling number of participants and the loss of generational succession. A reflection on barrenness in ancient Israel, as a rite of passage in the lives of five matriarchs, provides the prototype for the post-modern Church vis-à-vis human and Divine agencies. Enumerations of barren women yearning for children personified ancient Israel's characterization of Zion as a barren woman. Interestingly, Ancient Near Eastern literature portrays barrenness as the absence of a viable relationship between a woman and her deity. Furthermore, midrashic traditions emphasize a resolution found through the effectiveness of prayer and the stipulation of faith in God. Therefore, the Church is well-served through a reflection of five barren matriarchs negotiating the greatest misfortune in a family's life: confronting the curse of Eve, overcoming original sin, recovering the Edenic covenant, and fulfilling Missio Dei.