The Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary (MBBS) is a graduate school with a mandate to serve the Church. Seminary students are thus part of a churchly community, but also members of a scholarly community. A thesis provides a unique opportunity to make a contribution to both groups. While a thesis should make a significant contribution to the student’s primary academic field (i.e., counseling, theology, or biblical studies), the ability to gather information from many resources, to integrate this data into a cohesive whole, and to draw out its implications is equally useful in every phase of ministry.

What is a Thesis?

A thesis is a project that lays out the results of original research. It is an opportunity to integrate one’s learning by focusing intensely on a single topic or theme. A thesis should involve substantial research, demonstrate a mastery of research techniques, and effectively communicate the knowledge gained to a larger community of learning. It should make a contribution by producing new information, organizing information in a new way or by drawing important conclusions from existing knowledge. While a thesis may build on previous work, students are expected to develop new ideas. The thesis should not duplicate previous work done by the student. Those who contemplate further graduate studies will find the completion of a thesis especially valuable.

The following are the most common types of theses undertaken at MBBS:

Demonstrative Thesis

The student begins with a problem or question and develops a thesis statement that aims to show a way forward through the particular problem or question. The goal of the thesis project is to demonstrate the validity of the thesis statement. For example, consider this thesis statement: “Hartshorne’s process theology, which conceives of God’s power not as a monopoly but as an ideal form of give and take, more genuinely recognizes human freedom and fosters responsibility” (L. Kantymir, 2001). The success of a demonstrative thesis project is measured by the persuasiveness of the argument that the student marshals in the project.

Constructive Thesis

The student begins with a problem or question and develops a thesis statement that both explores some aspect of how the problem is experienced, as well as how the problem might be resolved. The thesis project constructs a new model or explanation for addressing the problem or question that emerges from the analysis and interpretation of data collected for the project. For example, consider this thesis statement: “This thesis explores atonement in the Canadian context. It aims to construct a contextual understanding of the saving significance of the cross for Canadian culture that connects deeply with Canadians and challenges them towards faithful living, while at the same time standing as a prophetic witness against those aspects of the culture that oppose the significance of the cross” (D. Eagle, 2002). The success of a constructive thesis project is measured by the persuasiveness of the student’s analysis and by the viability of the model or explanation proposed.

Quantitative Research

Theses produced for the M.F.C.C. department will normally use quantitative methods that include the collection and analysis of hard data. (Students completing other degrees may also use quantitative methods for their theses when appropriate.) The student begins with a research question and develops a project that collects and analyses pertinent data. The success of a thesis based on quantitative research is measured by its design, validity and the reliability of the instruments used to gather the data, as well as its analysis and the implications drawn from the research. Students conducting quantitative research must demonstrate through appropriate course work that they have the competency to collect and analyze data. Completion of the Research Methods course is a prerequisite to all quantitative research. Students undertaking research with human subjects must follow the guidelines outlined in Appendix A: Guidelines for Research with Human Subjects.

Thesis Requirements When Completing Concurrent M.A. Degrees at MBBS.

In the case where a student is completing two programs concurrently, a student may opt to do two theses, one for each degree program. It is also permissible to do one thesis addressing the disciplines of both M.A. degrees. If this latter option is chosen, the Adviser arrangement is modified as follows:

Instead of having a primary Adviser and a Second Reader, the student is assigned two primary Advisers, one from each M.A. discipline. In such a case, both Advisers are involved in working with the development of the thesis, in the defense, in determining the grade for the thesis, and both Advisers must sign the thesis.