About MacSphere

MacSphere is McMaster University's Institutional Repository. MacSphere brings together the institution's scholarly works under one umbrella to preserve and provide ongoing open access to them. MacSphere works have been selected and deposited by members of the McMaster community as part of our collective committment to sharing our knowledge with the world.

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Recent Submissions

Phenomenology of Low Liturgy: A Liturgical Theology of Information Worship Practices
(2026) Hill, Jesse D.; Porter, Wendy J.
Phenomenology of Low Liturgy: A Liturgical Theology of Informal Worship Practices Jesse D. Hill McMaster Divinity College Hamilton, Ontario Doctor of Philosophy (Christian Theology), 2026 This dissertation brings together liturgical theology, phenomenology, and low liturgy to argue that low liturgy is a form of worship with a profound depth of meaning for the individual and for the worshipping community in its experiential enactment of an embodied, intersubjective, and revelatory theology of encounter with God. Across a wide range of denominations, many North American congregations choose to use contemporary music, informal language, and unscripted rites in their worship services. For many congregants, this way of worshipping holds a deep theological meaning, expressing the depth of their faith before God and before the church. Despite this depth of meaning, academic theology has generally struggled to make sense of this kind of low liturgy, due in part to its personal, subjective tendencies, its resistance to prescriptive rubrics, and its preference for pragmatism over tradition. To address this oversight, this dissertation makes as case for low liturgy as a theological tradition and as a subjective experience. The first part of this dissertation deals with the historical development of low liturgy in relation to the historical development of the Liturgical Movement and liturgical theology, arguing that liturgical theology and low-liturgical practice are not as distant as they might seem. On the contrary, liturgical theology can help us to understand the meaning of low liturgy, and low liturgy can make new contributions to liturgical theology. The second part of the dissertation relates phenomenology to the study of low liturgy, arguing that the experience of low liturgy is itself meaningful. This involves developing methodological insights and perspectives from a range of notable phenomenologists and applying them to elements of low liturgy. This phenomenological analysis suggests that worship is a deeply personal and communal experience in which the worshipper is positioned as one among the congregation in the presence of God. This dissertation makes three original contributions to the field of liturgical theology. The first is in the use of low liturgy as the topic of liturgical theological research. The second contribution is in the development of a phenomenological, experiential method for the study of liturgy. The third contribution is in the theology of liturgical encounter that results from this method when it is applied to low liturgy.
A Deep Reading of Narrative: Towards a Practical Theology of Hope
(2025) Simmonds, Tamara L.; Zylla, Phil C.; Boda, Mark J.
“A Deep Reading of Narrative: Towards A Practical Theology of Hope” Tamara L. Simmonds McMaster Divinity College Hamilton, Ontario Doctor of Philosophy, 2026 This dissertation explores the complexities of human experiences of suffering in order to plumb the depths of those experiences in ways that inform and shape the moral vision of Christian communities of compassion. Specifically, attention is given to particular women’s experiences of desolation. The human predicament of desolation is concretized in contemporary published narratives authored by women who realize and interpret desolation and hope from their own experience and orientation as women. The narratives of personal reflection occasion the key question, “How could a deeper reading of biblical narratives generate insight into experiences of desolation and thereby expand core motifs of hope and compassion in practical theology?” The dissertation’s intentional focus on experiences of desolation both opens up questions for practical theological exploration, and reveals aspects of shared human experience that deepen and mature the resulting theological reflection. The retelling and interpreting of biblical narratives implements a deep reading of biblical narrative—an innovative, literary approach to reading Scripture that coalesces with practical theology. The dissertation seeks to demonstrate how a deep reading of biblical narrative might generate insight into experiences of desolation and thereby expand core practical theological motifs of hope and compassion. Imaging a new way forward towards a practical theology of hope, the thesis of the dissertation is that hope cannot be supported or sustained within the Christian community without a realistic assessment of the depth dimension of the situation that consists in both the reality and complexity of human suffering, and the reality and vastness of the compassion of God made known in Christ by the Spirit. A deep reading of biblical narrative offers potential for access to this depth dimension for practical theology.
Moralism and Divine Agency in Korean Protestant Preaching: A Heidelberg Sermon Analysis of Sermons on the Prodigal Son
(2026) Choi, Chanyoung; Dvorak, James D.; Thomson, Ambrose
“Moralism and Divine Agency in Korean Protestant Preaching: A Heidelberg Sermon Analysis of Sermons on the Prodigal Son” Chanyoung Choi McMaster Divinity College Hamilton, Ontario Master of Arts (Christian Studies), 2026 This thesis investigates moralistic tendencies in contemporary Korean Protestant preaching, arguing that they are significantly shaped by Confucian ethical frameworks, particularly filial piety. Focusing on sermons based on the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), the study examines how cultural assumptions influence the balance between human agency and divine agency in preaching. Using the Heidelberg Sermon Analysis method, supplemented by rhetorical analysis informed by Appraisal Theory, selected sermons are analyzed to identify how grace, repentance, and moral obligation are articulated. The findings indicate that moralistic sermons often frame repentance and obedience as prerequisites for divine favour, reflecting Confucian hierarchical and transactional patterns. By contrast, sermons that foreground divine agency present repentance as a response to God’s prior grace. This study argues that moralistic preaching risks obscuring the gospel’s emphasis on God’s unmerited initiative.
Finding a Power Greater Than Ourselves: Reflections on the Role of Spiritual Practices in the Recovery Stories of Alcoholics
(2026) Baisi, Bonnie-Ann L.; Mutter, Kelvin F.; Dvorak, James D.
Bonnie-Ann L. Baisi McMaster Divinity College Hamilton, Ontario Doctor of Practical Theology, 2026 This dissertation explores how spiritual practices support recovery from alcohol use disorder and help people rebuild lives marked by meaning, integrity, and hope. Using qualitative narrative inquiry, the study draws on the stories of thirty-two individuals who shared their experiences of addiction, recovery, and healing. Their narratives offer insight into how recovery unfolds over time and how spiritual practices support sustained sobriety in everyday life. Several core themes emerged from the participants’ stories. Many described recovery as a gradual rediscovery of meaning, direction, and a renewed sense of identity. Forgiveness was repeatedly named as essential to healing and moving forward. Participants also emphasized the importance of community, identifying supportive relationships as a source of accountability, belonging, and encouragement. Helping others, whether through sponsorship, service, or simple acts of care, consistently strengthened participants’ own sobriety and affirmed their sense of worth. Across the narratives, daily spiritual practices played a central role in sustaining recovery. Practices such as prayer, meditation, Scripture reflection, gratitude, and mindful awareness provided structure and stability, especially during moments of stress or uncertainty. These practices helped participants remain grounded, respond more thoughtfully to challenges, and resist returning to alcohol. Many described a quiet but steady awareness of God, or the sacred, accompanying them through daily life. The narratives are analyzed using a biopsychosocial-spiritual framework that attends to the whole person. Recovery is understood as a process that reshapes the body, mind, relationships, and moral vision over time. Functional, ontological, and epistemological dimensions of spirituality are woven throughout participants’ experiences, revealing recovery as both a practical and deeply formative journey.
Spiritual Formation in Secular Spaces: A Dialogue of Spiritual Journeys in Hospital Chaplaincy
(2026) Giacchetta, Lori; Westfall, Cynthia; Zylla, Phil C.
“Spiritual Formation in Secular Places: A Dialogue of Spiritual Journeys in Hospital Chaplaincy” Lori Giacchetta McMaster Divinity College Hamilton, Ontario Doctor of Practical Theology, 2026 This study focused on how a chaplain can influence the praxis of individuals in the physical and spiritual spheres outside of a church setting. Spiritual formation is largely facilitated within church settings, and often, the established Christian believer funnels new believers into a church where formation takes place using scriptures, fellowship, and teaching. However, individuals who are without a church often seek the care of a chaplain while in the hospital. This dissertation demonstrates how spiritual formation can effectively occur inside healthcare settings and that chaplains working in healthcare settings can facilitate spiritual formation with individuals. The chaplains can thereby offer those who do not attend church a trajectory on which their spirituality and relationship with God can grow. Furthermore, the dissertation proposes effective tools and processes to facilitate spiritual growth in non-church individuals. Spiritual formation can occur in the healthcare setting with the use of narratives as a tool. Narratives can effectively facilitate the chaplaincy intervention and provide a road map for the chaplain; narratives can also provide a framework for the chaplain to conduct the intervention and inform the chaplain about how to proceed with the intervention. Through narratives, the chaplain may also investigate what is helpful and detrimental to an individual’s spiritual formation when it occurs in healthcare settings. This research project focused on the use of narratives to facilitate spiritual formation for the unchurched—that is, those not currently part of a Christian church community—who request a chaplain for help navigating issues presented during a health crisis. This project also produced a road map for chaplains as they minister and facilitate spiritual formation in individuals in healthcare settings.

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