Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Holistic And Holy: An Inward Journey Toward Healing And Wholeness, Chad Mcswain

Doctor of Leadership

There are two ubiquitous challenges to the modern church in North America: declining church attendance and the mental health crisis. This is an opportunity for the modern church to take up the missional imperative by providing access to mental health resources to meet the mental and spiritual needs of those they serve, while creating a positive connection to those who do not currently attend church.

This doctoral project seeks to address both challenges by providing a podcast called, Holistic and Holy, Listener Guide, and website that creates conversations at the intersection of mental health and spirituality. This approach uses traditional …

Befriending Doubt: Finding Freedom And Belonging In The Face Of Uncertainty, Jana Koh

Doctor of Ministry

The NPO for this project is as follows: American Millennials (adults aged 25-45) experience a lack of safety and welcome in their communities of faith during a season of spiritual doubt, causing them to disengage from their communities of faith and falling into risk of negative outcomes.

Throughout history, from Galileo to the American Colonies to present day, the church has not handled those who experience doubt in their faith with care, leaving the doubter feeling unsafe or unwelcome in their community of faith. However, a close reading of Scripture reveals that God is not intimidated or deterred by doubt; …

Impressions And Arrows: Forming Faithful Preteen Hearts, Wes Gallagher

Doctor of Ministry

This project seeks to address the following NPO: Christian parents in today’s culture need resources and training to face the challenge and have conversations with their pre-teen children about matters of God and faith. Today's Christian parents often struggle to share their faith and values with their children. Parents feel that their own relationship with God is too shallow, that their calendar is too full, and that their relationship with their children is inadequate. Several reassurances surfaced from this research. First, parents and extended families really do have an impact on the faith of their children. Of course, involvement in …

Crossing The Jordan Together: Recoding The Language Of Discipleship Used Among The Tribes Of Jesus Followers, Brian D. Russell

Doctor of Ministry

This Project Portfolio addresses the following NPO: The post-pandemic era leaves many Christians and seekers unmotivated to re-engage with the church. Reconnection is possible by recoding discipleship as thriving, holistic devotional living. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, all churches, regardless of size and vitality prior to the pandemic, were dealing with the same challenges of re-engaging people in the church, especially within their hospitality teams. Therefore, an opportunity arose to bring churches together to find fresh ways to re-engage their faith community where no one is the perceived expert. I am currently an adjunct professor teaching undergraduate ministry …

Becoming All Flame Orthodox Spiritual Formation Curriculum And Lenten Meditation Based On The Liturgical And Monastic Tradition, Melaku Terefe

Doctor of Ministry

The monastic and liturgical tradition and literature of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is underutilized to address the need for spiritual formation and direction ministry. This poses a challenge to Ethiopian Orthodox youth and the laity in general who are struggling to identify their spiritual needs and necessary spiritual disciplines. The goal is to provide practical solutions for addressing these needs and to make the Church's liturgical and monastic traditions more accessible to the broader Orthodox community, thus allowing the congregation to align with the precepts of spiritual formation that have been passed down in the church from generation to …

The Loft: Where Gen Z Goes To Build Relationships And Discover Spiritual Truths, Jeremy S. Deweerdt

Doctor of Ministry

It is an alarming but indisputable fact that the vast majority of Generation Z, specifically those between ages 18 and 25, are not attending and/or not interested in the faith or beliefs of the American Protestant Church today. Studies show that the Western Christian church is losing touch with an entire generation and that reality is the driving force behind this research project. We know from research conducted for this Doctoral Project, as well as from multiple academic and sociological studies that members of Generation Z are often interested in spirituality but are either ignorant or highly skeptical of organized …

Bridging The Gap: A Guided Journey Engaging The Christian Faith Across Generations, Chad Ibach

Doctor of Ministry

The need that is addressed through this project portfolio is the recognition that there is a lack of space for intergenerational relationships and conversations around spirituality and the Christian faith to occur between older generations and Generation Z specifically. As we look at the church today, we are seeing many different gaps occurring between generations, these two in particular. The focus of this project portfolio is to address this problem of the generational gaps within the church in hopes of creating long-lasting intergenerational relationships. The problem is addressed by gathering individuals from different generations and taking them through a sixmonth …

The Invitation Of Desire For God Opened By The Stories Of Christian Mystics, Kathi Gatlin

Doctor of Ministry

As people are seeking to understand and find answers in the midst of making meaning of their life experiences, many are drawn to a deeper relationship with God. This dissertation proposes that the writings of Christian mystics, an ancient tradition of Christian spirituality, offer an invitation to a deeper understanding and relationship with God.

In this work, mysticism is defined as: Christian mysticism, at God’s invitation, is a journey of experientially knowing the God defined as Love. This journey leads to a knowing that is underneath the surface of rational thought and includes and transforms the whole self: body, mind, …

Experiences Of Grace As Told By The Lgbtq Community, Nicholas A. Schollars

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Positive psychology has yielded rich insights about the nature of forgiveness and gratitude, but it is just beginning to broach the topic of grace. Theoretical evidence suggests grace is a crucial therapeutic factor in helping patients overcome shame, but empirical evidence is wanting. Because of the central role grace plays in Christianity, a qualitative exploration was conducted with a sample of participants identifying as either lesbian, gay, or bisexual, as well as Christian. Transcripts from 26 semi-structured interviews were coded and analyzed. Participants reported that their experiences of Divine Grace were related to their views about God’s nature. They reported …

God Likes Sex: Conversations Integrating Spirituality And Sexuality, Jennie Armstrong

Doctor of Ministry

Throughout Christian history, the Church has provided inconsistent messages about the spiritual foundation for healthy sexuality. With avoidant messages of silence and shame around sexual topics from the Church, many emergent women separate their spirituality from their sexual lives, never considering scripture as a guideline for healthy sexuality. Emergent adult women, specifically those without strong spiritual foundations, are more likely to engage in unhealthy sexual behaviors which often leave them feeling alone and separate from God and spiritual community. Because popular culture does not support marriage as a moral requirement for a sexual relationship, present cultural messages advocate that these …

Becoming Stuck In Complicated Grief: Turning Loss Into Resilience, Hope, And Healing, Elizabeth (Pam) Strachan-Proudfit

Doctor of Ministry

Grief is a natural and normal experience reaching back to the narrative of creation. Research has revealed that about 80 to 90 percent of grievers experience normal or uncomplicated grief while a small percentage ranging from 10 to 20 percent struggled with complicated grief responses. This small percentage is the focus of this dissertation. Those who experience complicated grief are observed to become stuck and unable to move through the grieving process independently. Grievers who are stuck appear to have on-going difficulty in their spiritual, emotional, cognitive, and even physical health. The uniqueness of grief is not only real with …

Soul Journey: Rediscovering The Sacred Paths For Body, Heart, And Mind, Christopher Fillingham

Doctor of Ministry

The spiritually thirsty are leaving the church in the West. They do not find the church to be a place of spiritual wisdom and nourishment. This dissertation follows various ancient guides within Christianity to recover a life-giving spirituality for the Western Church in the twenty-first century. Chapter 1 draws on the desert monastics as it explores the lack of a transformational spirituality in the modern Church. It defines spirituality in terms of eros, clarifies the aim of spirituality as union, and explores the common reductions that have led the Church astray. Chapter 2 connects the three spiritual paths outlined in …

The Relationship Of Spirituality, Religiosity And Attitudes Toward Lesbians And Gay Men Among Students At A Faith-Based Institution, Megan C. Cormier Castaneda

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Research indicates heterosexual students at faith-based universities often hold negative attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women. The factors that can influence these attitudes are complex. This study examines the relationship between attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women, religiosity and spirituality in students who are enrolled in a faith-based institution. A correlation was run to examine the relationship between these variables along with further statistical analyses to gather more information. There is a small positive relationship between higher levels of spirituality and positive attitudes toward gay men and lesbians. There is a medium positive relationship between high levels of …

Student Perceptions Of How People, Practices, And Culture Within A Christian Secondary School Contribute To Or Detract From Their Spiritual Development, N. Matthews Beimers

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This is a phenomenological study of five Grade 12 students and their perceptions of the factors in their Christian school that have contributed to their spiritual development. Through interviews with each of the students, the details of the students’ perceptions revealed how and why specific people, practices, and elements of school culture affected their spirituality. All of these students provided keen insights through honest and vulnerable reflection. The major thematic categories that emerged were teachers, peers, spiritual practices, and the positive school community and ethos. The major recommendations for practice is to consider how the school can find avenues for …

Learning To Listen: Leadership Lessons From North American Indigenous Voices, William P. Dobrenen

Doctor of Ministry

What difference does it make that Indigenous peoples were destroyed by Western colonial hoards, often in the name of God? What can be learned from the voices of Native Americans who understand traditional values and pre-colonial leadership practices? How can these voices be lifted up into twenty-first century conversations concerning cultural and leadership issues in a post-modern world? Are these voices worth listening to? What are they saying? This paper proposes a call to pay attention to traditional ways of thinking that need to be renewed today, particularly for individuals and organizations that are weary of faddish leadership rhetoric that …

Effects Of An Electronically Guided Prayer Intervention, Brian Lee Goetsch

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Abstract Hope has been identified as an important factor in a variety of positive outcomes in psychotherapy, medicine, academic success, and for general levels of functioning. However, until now most studies on hope have been correlational in nature, and researchers have rarely sought to understand how hope can be facilitated. The present study considered the effect of prayer on experiences of hope in a national sample of Christian college students. An intervention group completed a guided prayer exercise once a day for 2 weeks. Pre and post-test levels of hope were assessed and compared to a control group, and a …

Emerging Young Adult Spiritual Formation: A Developmental Approach For An Intergenerational Church, Frederick R. Fay

Doctor of Ministry

There is a growing disconnect between young adults and the church. Research into this specific and recent phase of life shows how cultural trends have shaped the spiritual lives of emerging adults. This dissertation claims that the loss of relevancy of the church for young adults is rooted in how the church has either capitulated or ignored these trends. Section 1 addresses the current immature faith that is endemic in many contemporary churches. The church’s history and the culture within which it is embedded are examined. Section 2 describes other approaches to spiritual formation of young adults. Section 3 asserts …

Spiritual/Religious Issues In Therapy At A Community Mental Health Clinic, Courtney Elizabeth Mcconnell

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Abstract The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the growing area of spirituality and religion in counseling. The American public values religion; and the American Psychological Association (APA) acknowledges religion/spirituality as a vital area of diversity. With APA calling for specialized training in religious diversity, it is important to consider what religious/spiritual issues arise in a community counseling setting. This study was designed to determine whether clients or therapists raise religious issues, and whether clients who self-identify as religiously affiliated spend more time discussing religious/spiritual topics in session. In addition, researchers hoped to learn about what religious content was …

Describing A Pentecostal Spirituality And Eploring These Expressions Within A Spiritual Formation Model, Jeremy Daniel Sims

Doctor of Ministry

Richard Foster states, “The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.”1 But how do we understand what it means to be a “deep person?” We need a description of what a deep relationship looks like and a model of the spiritual growth process that makes that possible. A spiritual formation model is a tool designed to identify the organic process of growth for the believer in Christ and describe how that believer might tunnel into the depths of maturity by partnering with the Holy Spirit. As a Pentecostal, …

Realms And Redescription In Ricoeur: Discovering Fresh Metaphoric Networks For Spiritual Formation In A Postmodern Consumer Culture, Anderson Campbell

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Direction As Preventative Clergy Care: Presented In A Wesleyan Quadrilateral Paradigm, Terry L. Clees

Doctor of Ministry

No abstract provided.