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Edited Final Freitas-Dissertation-8-15-2012

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Edited Final Freitas-Dissertation-8-15-2012 ABSTRACT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VISUAL IMAGES: PREACHING IN POSTMODERN AND POST-CHRISTIAN MINISTRY CONTEXT by Eneyas Da Silva Freitas People immersed in postmodern culture are visually driven in the twenty-first century in the United States. Connection Point Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the most part, attracted a postmodern, ethnically diverse, and de-churched population. As a glimpse of the postmodern and post-Christian culture, Connection Point became an assortment of people, ranging from those who know almost nothing about the Bible and are disconnected from the church to people who had been in a church their entire lives. One of the major challenges faced by a missional church such as Connection Point was to find out how effective the biblical messages that utilize visual images (e.g., pictures and video clips) are to such a diverse audience. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of visual images to a postmodern, ethnically and biblically diverse audience in regard to their affective response, understanding, and application of a series of sermons preached over the period of six weeks at Connection Point Church during the primary worship experience. Based on the data collected through an online survey, focus groups, and pre- and post-questionnaires, the major findings of this study included the following: Biblical facts and stories, theological and doctrinal points—The key factors generating knowledge and moving worship attendees to apply the message were biblical facts and stories and theological and doctrinal points applied during the message. Visual images and knowledge—For most worship attendees who chose to participate in this survey, visual images did not seem to generate knowledge or move them to apply the message to their lives. Visual images and real-life stories—Visual images were most helpful in generating affective responses and knowledge and in moving the participants into application of the message when real-life stories were involved. Biblical characters and real-life stories—When biblical characters’ stories were told as real-life stories, they caused affective responses, generated knowledge, and moved the participants of this study to apply the message to their lives. Music—Music seemed to help the participants to be emotionally available to the message and make connections with biblical characters, passages, and the main point of the message. DISSERTATION APPROVAL This is to certify that the dissertation entitled THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VISUAL IMAGES: PREACHING IN POSTMODERN AND POST-CHRISTIAN MINISTRY CONTEXT presented by Eneyas Da Silva Freitas has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for the DOCTOR OF MINISTRY degree at Asbury Theological Seminary May 2, 2012 Mentor Date May 2, 2012 Internal Reader Date May 2, 2012 Representative, Doctor of Ministry Program Date May 2, 2012 Dean of the Beeson Center Date THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VISUAL IMAGES: PREACHING IN POSTMODERN AND POST-CHRISTIAN MINISTRY CONTEXT A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Asbury Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Ministry by Eneyas Da Silva Freitas May 2012 © 2012 Eneyas Da Silva Freitas ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ ix LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... xiv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. xv CHAPTER 1 PROBLEM ................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 Purpose .................................................................................................................... 7 Research Questions ................................................................................................. 7 Research Question #1 ................................................................................. 8 Research Question #2 ................................................................................. 8 Research Question #3 ................................................................................. 8 Research Question #4 ................................................................................. 8 Definition of Terms ................................................................................................. 8 Postmodern ................................................................................................. 8 Ethnically Diverse ....................................................................................... 8 Biblically Diverse ....................................................................................... 9 Affective Response ................................................................................... 10 Emerging ................................................................................................... 10 De-Churched ............................................................................................ 11 Missional ................................................................................................... 11 Visual Images ............................................................................................ 12 Ministry Intervention ............................................................................................ 12 iii Context .................................................................................................................. 13 The Use of Visual Images at Connection Point Church ...................................... 14 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 19 Participants ................................................................................................ 19 Instrumentation ......................................................................................... 20 Variables ................................................................................................... 21 Data Collection ......................................................................................... 22 Data Analysis ............................................................................................ 23 Generalizability ......................................................................................... 24 Theological Foundation ........................................................................................ 25 Overview ............................................................................................................... 27 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE ............................................................................................ 28 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 28 Theological Framework ........................................................................................ 28 Images of God in the Old Testament ....................................................... 29 Images of God in the New Testament ....................................................... 38 Historical Framework ........................................................................................... 49 Pre-Modernity ........................................................................................... 49 Modernity ................................................................................................. 51 Postmodernity .......................................................................................... 62 The Use of Visual Images in Church Context ......................................... 65 Postmodernity and the Use of Visual Images ........................................... 68 Social Science Framework .................................................................................... 72 iv Research Design .................................................................................................... 80 Summary ............................................................................................................... 81 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................... 87 Problem and Purpose ............................................................................................ 87 Research Questions ............................................................................................... 87 Research Question #1 ............................................................................... 87 Research Question #2 ............................................................................... 88 Research Question #3 ............................................................................... 89 Research Question #4 ............................................................................... 90 Population and Participants ................................................................................... 91 Design of the Study ............................................................................................... 92 Instrumentation ......................................................................................... 93 Pilot Test ..................................................................................................
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