Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Arts and Humanities Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Religion

Education

Messiah University

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

For Such A Time And Place As This: Christian Higher Education For The Common Good, Cynthia Wells Jan 2018

For Such A Time And Place As This: Christian Higher Education For The Common Good, Cynthia Wells

Higher Education Faculty Scholarship

One might argue that this is not a wise time to raise queries of the common good for Christian higher education. Our in-boxes and newsfeeds provide persistent reminders of the crises facing higher education today, many of which uniquely impact Christian colleges and universities. A crisis of the humanities, as students turn away from areas of study traditionally associated with the liberal arts. A crisis of cost, as independent colleges wrestle with an unsustainable financial model and an increasingly skeptical constituency. An enrollment crisis amid declines in the number of high school graduates, especially in the northeast and midwest. Colleges …


“We Don't Talk About That Here": Teachers, Religion, Public Elementary Schools And The Embodiment Of Silence, A Binational United States And Israel Study, Tina Keller, Amy Camardese, Randa Abbas Jan 2017

“We Don't Talk About That Here": Teachers, Religion, Public Elementary Schools And The Embodiment Of Silence, A Binational United States And Israel Study, Tina Keller, Amy Camardese, Randa Abbas

Faculty Educator Scholarship

Globally religious diversity is on the rise yet the place of religion in public schools is often heatedly debated. This study examined the experiences of fifth graders in regards to religion in public schools in the United States and Israel. The juxtaposition of diverse countries and school settings opens the dialogue to examine how children and their teachers perceive the impact of religion while in school. The findings suggest that the impact of minority status, school curriculum, and the political and geographical contexts of schools impact the ways that religion is conceptualized in public elementary schools. In addition, the uniquenesses …


A Distinctive Vision For The Liberal Arts: General Education And The Flourishing Of Christian Higher Education, Cynthia Wells Jan 2016

A Distinctive Vision For The Liberal Arts: General Education And The Flourishing Of Christian Higher Education, Cynthia Wells

Higher Education Faculty Scholarship

This article argues that a coherent and inspired general education program, infused with a deliberate vision of the liberal arts, is crucial to the flourishing of Christian higher education. This article begins by describing the context and status of general education, emphasizing how this element of the educational program falls short in embodying a distinctive mission of Christian higher education. This article then contends that a vibrant vision of general education will be grounded in particular aspects of a liberal arts education that fulfill crucial outcomes of the Christian university, specifically cultivating the formal virtues and fostering meaning and purpose. …


Renewing Our Shared Purpose: Considering Ernest L. Boyer’S General Education Vision For Christian Colleges And Universities, Cynthia Wells Jan 2014

Renewing Our Shared Purpose: Considering Ernest L. Boyer’S General Education Vision For Christian Colleges And Universities, Cynthia Wells

Higher Education Faculty Scholarship

This article considers the significance of Boyer's work on general education for Christian colleges and universities. After beginning with a synthesis and analysis of Boyer's vast body of work on general education, this article then identifies the challenges facing those concerned with renewing the general education program in Christian colleges and universities. This piece concludes by illustrating how Boyer's ideals for general education relate to the educational aims of Christian colleges and universities and also provides concrete examples of how Boyer's ideals are evident in Christian higher education today. This article argues that Boyer's vision for general education is fully …