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Individuals with OCD are found to be more likely to act to prevent harm than individuals without OCD only in scenarios relevant to their obsessional concerns. Conversely, recent moral-reasoning literature suggests that individuals with OCD are less likely than individuals without OCD to act to prevent harm when that action causes other, lesser, harm. However, this research has been criticised owing to the high-risk, nomothetic content of scenarios used. Therefore, this study asked individuals with and without OCD to consider hypothetical everyday scenarios typical of OCD concerns to address three aims. The first aim was to verify previous findings that when scenarios are described such that acting prevents harm, individuals with OCD were more likely than individuals without OCD to act to prevent harm, only in scenarios idiosyncratically rated as most-disturbing to that individual. The findings supported this hypothesis. Secondly, and of primary interest to this study, the research aimed to explore whether individuals with and without OCD differed in likelihood of acting to prevent harm when scenarios were described such that acting to prevent harm, resulted in other, lesser, harm. It was found that, when risks of acting were presented, individuals with OCD were again more likely than individuals without OCD to act to prevent harm, only in their most-disturbing scenarios. A final aim was to explore factors that contributed to decisions. General responsibility beliefs and decision-specific feelings of immorality mediated decision differences, only in scenarios where risks of acting were not presented; when risks of acting were presented, no factor explored within this study contributed to decision differences. Findings are discussed in the context of previous research into decision-making and moral reasoning in OCD. Limitations are considered and areas for future research are suggested.

Within decades of receiving the Great Commission the early church shared the gospel message throughout the entire region. Since that time the passion of transforming lives through discipleship has given way to quick decisions through evangelism. Thus, Christian influence in the world has dwindled drastically. The lack of Christian presence in the world has predicated a spiraling moral decline in America as seen in high divorce rates, teen pregnancies, abortions, pornography, drug abuse, and increases in violent crime. The separation of evangelism and discipleship has also had disastrous consequences in the ministry of the church. Low baptism rates, declining church membership and participation, and Christian compromise can be seen as evidence of declining effectiveness in the church's efforts to spread the gospel. This project seeks to determine if the Great Commission can truly be accomplished. Can the church refocus and reshape its ministry to be in total obedience with this command of Jesus Christ? Are there methods of evangelistic ministry that would train new believers to live the Christian life teaching them to take their place alongside other witnesses in taking the good news of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. In order to develop a ministry of relational evangelism, a small research group was formed to study the essential elements of evangelism and discipleship. The goal was to develop a ministry that would pair a mature Christian with a new believer in an attempt to carry out the Great Commission. The study involved a ten-week seminar designed to teach believers the process of disciplemaking. The study focused on engaging unbelievers, evangelizing unbelievers, and encouraging new believers. This study established: (1) the prominence of prayer in evangelism, (2) the importance of the pastor's involvement in developing and sustaining a ministry of evangelism, and (3) the impact of relationships in accomplishing the Great Commission. This study could be carried further to determine objective measures to gauge the spiritual growth of Christians. It could also lead to the development of a process for discipling children. A further study would seek to discover the warning signs of spiritual decline in order to develop a proactive discipleship ministry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first phase of this thesis is concerned with some of the key exegetical issues of 1 Thess 4:1-8. For πορνειας (4:3) we prefer a general rendering of sexual immorality rather than a narrow one. For σκευος κτασθαι (4:4) we believe that the available evidence supports the rendering “control your bodies” (that is, sexual desires) rather than “acquire a wife” or “live with your wife in a sexually active way.” Our position makes sense in light of the textual and social backgrounds of the letter and the f city. And εν τω πραγματι(4:6) we take as a continuation of the discussion on the subject of sexual immorality only rather than either a new discussion about business matter or sexual immorality and business. The second phase is concerned with showing that a comparison of 1 Thess 4:1-8 and selected texts in Ephesians and Colossians shows a similarity in (1) genre—paraenesis, (2) content—verbal and conceptual, and (3) background—Old Testament moral traditions. In light of this, we contend that these issues have a bearing on the authorship of the so-called deutero-pauline epistles. Thus besides the usual areas of argumentation pro and con—(1) language and style, (2) theology, and (3) literary relationship between Ephesians and Colossians—we would add (4) paraenesis. And by taking the arguments cumulatively, we believe that the traditional view that Paul in fact wrote Ephesians and Colossians still stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a dissertation titled "Pastoral Immorality: Grounds For Permanent Disqualification," by James Boyd Newton submitted to the Temple Baptist Seminary. Scope of the problem; Procedure for the study of pastoral disqualification; Sources of evidence.

Kant denies that evil qua evil can be an incentive to human beings. Is this a fact about what sorts of reasons human beings find interesting? Or, is it rooted entirely in Kant’s notion of human freedom? I focus on key facets of Kant’s system: human freedom, immorality and incentives. With an understanding of these concepts based in Christine Korsgaard’s reading of Kant’s moral theory, I argue that the impossibility of acting solely from evil qua evil is not rooted in human incentives and that if we were able to represent an unconditioned principle of immorality, we would have as powerful an incentive to act in accordance with it as we do to act in accordance with the categorical imperative. Finally, I argue that the impossibility of human beings’ having evil qua evil as an incentive is grounded in the limited nature of our positive conception of freedom.