Date

5-16-2024

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Chair

Richard A. Fuhr

Keywords

mindset, mindsets, mind, renewing, interpretation, application, evangelism, mind of Christ, hermeneutics, canonical, anthropology, metanarrative, cognitive environment, cognitive terms, Holy Spirit, Pauline, φρήν, Φρονέω, Φρόνημα, Φρόνησις, Φρόνιμος, Romans 8:5–14, 1 Corinthians 2:10–16, Kingdom Mindset, mind-body problem, language, heart, καρδία, πνεύμα, νοῦς, ψυχή, σάρκικός, πνευματικός, σῶμα, διάνοια, ἔννοια, κόσμος, לֵב, נֶפשׁ, רוּחַ בָּשָׂר, כִּלְיָה, εξωτερικός άνθρωπος, εσώτερος άνθρωπος, things of God, things of man, Jeremiah 31:33, Jeremiah 36:26–27, Genesis 1:27, culture, Isaiah 40:13, Philippians 2:5–8, 1 Peter 4:1

Disciplines

Practical Theology | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

The term mindset is common in today’s vernacular, but its significance in the canon has scarcely been explored. Cultures throughout time have viewed mindsets as something that human volition alone can affect. Yet the inability to maintain the mindset God requires of his people has prevented them from faithfully keeping the covenant and rightly interpreting Scripture. Mindsets are habitual or innate mental attitudes that determine how one will interpret life situations and the Word of God, impacting relationships with others and one’s ability to love God and walk in obedience to His Word. Paul’s extensive use of φρονέω echoes back to its use in the LXX along with a host of other key terms pertaining to one’s mindset, revealing that the restoration of mindsets has been an objective of God since the beginning. This dissertation seeks to demonstrate that all of Scripture points to mind renewal through the Holy Spirit and the revelation of the mind of Christ, revealing the significant role that mindsets play in a believer’s understanding of the canon, which has implications for biblical interpretation, application, and evangelism. Through utilizing the historical-grammatical method, including exegetical and lexical-syntactical analysis of a constellation of mindset terminology and key passages pertaining to mindset employed canonically, as well as an analysis of the mindsets inherent within the biblical characters and their respective cultural backgrounds, the significance of mindsets φρονέω (phroneō) is demonstrated, and the intentions of God are laid bare.

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