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Full-Text Articles in Christianity

Examining Crime Among College-Aged Christians: Are Christian Religious Beliefs Associated With Low Levels Of Criminal Activity?, Paul Rickert Dec 2012

Examining Crime Among College-Aged Christians: Are Christian Religious Beliefs Associated With Low Levels Of Criminal Activity?, Paul Rickert

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study into crime among college-aged Christians in the United States is to determine if indicating higher levels of Christian spiritual growth is associated with lower levels of criminal behavior. A convenience sample of college aged Christians was given an online survey to measure self-reported criminality measured by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports Part I and Part II and self-reported religious convictions as measured by Bufford et al.'s Christ-like Spiritual Growth Scale. This quantitative study then analyzed data generated from 57 respondents and found that reporting higher rates of Christ-like …


A Resource For Pastors And Counselors: Ministering To Spiritual And Emotional Needs Of Those In Ministry, Shirley Craven Oct 2012

A Resource For Pastors And Counselors: Ministering To Spiritual And Emotional Needs Of Those In Ministry, Shirley Craven

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Some pastors are in need of pastoral care and counseling; unfortunately, many will never receive the care they need. Pastors often suffer in silence because they feel they cannot trust revealing their deep dark secrets with fellow clergy. The lack of confidentiality among pastors has caused leaders to struggle in silence with the very issues they preach against: adultery, fornication, pornography, drug, alcohol, etc. The fear of exposure has driven some pastors to seek help in other states where they can remain anonymous. Providing this type of resource will enable pastors to take control of their lives, and seek the …


Toward A Dialogical Hermeneutic Of A Hindu-Christian: A Socio-Scientific Study Of Nepali Immigrants In Toronto, Surya Prasad Acharya Sep 2012

Toward A Dialogical Hermeneutic Of A Hindu-Christian: A Socio-Scientific Study Of Nepali Immigrants In Toronto, Surya Prasad Acharya

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In search of a hermeneutic that is dialogical, transcending one’s own realm of understanding to give enough space to the other, the theory of dialogical self provides a framework which is not only able to engage mutually incompatible traditions but inculcates a whole new insight into considering that the other is not completely external to the self. One of the most significant features of theory of dialogical self is that it is devised in the conviction that insight into the workings of the human self requires cross-fertilization between different fields. The thesis therefore employs social-psychology, religious studies, inter-cultural studies, theology …


A Study Of Social Injustice And Forgiveness In The Case Of North Korean Refugees, Jin Uk Park Aug 2012

A Study Of Social Injustice And Forgiveness In The Case Of North Korean Refugees, Jin Uk Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current study evaluated the psychometric utility of Decisional Forgiveness Scale and Emotional Forgiveness Scale for the North Korean refugee population and explored the relationship among social adaptation, religious commitment, unforgiveness, forgiveness style and mental health variables (trauma symptoms and depression) among North Korean refugees. Confirmatory Factor Analyses were conducted to investigate the North Korean version of DFS and EFS with collected data from 269 North Korean refugees. The forgiveness instruments, when modified with appropriate item deletions, could be considered as useful for North Korean refugees. In the Multiple Regression Analysis, four of five predictors (social adaptation, hurt characteristics, forgiveness …


Ministry Of Memories: Keys To Pastoral Care Of Non-Cognitive Persons, Reginald Corfield May 2012

Ministry Of Memories: Keys To Pastoral Care Of Non-Cognitive Persons, Reginald Corfield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This work is intended to examine and study the theological and moral reasons to provide pastoral care to persons who have limited or no cognition. Dementia, Alzheimer's, certain other medical conditions and the aging process cause a loss of brain function that affects memory, thinking, behavior and judgment. Most Clergy wrestle with the fact as to whether there is any purpose in ministering to such persons especially when there is no verbal or non-verbal response. This paper involves surveys, research, collection of historical and biblical data and medical science to evaluate the disease process and explore ways in which to …


Diagnosing The Demonic, David W. Appleby Apr 2012

Diagnosing The Demonic, David W. Appleby

Faculty Publications and Presentations

One of the most difficult tasks for a therapist is to determine whether a client’s difficulty is psychologically based or spiritually based. Scripture shows us that virtually any physical, psychological, or social symptoms might be attributed to demonic spirits. The enemy attacks on all possible fronts, which complicates the whole process of diagnosis. The most accurate diagnoses come not from looking only at symptoms, but at predictive life experiences. If the individual has opened certain doors there is an increased probability that demonic involvement is present. These include (1) generational curses, oaths, and soul ties, (2) occult involvement, (3) trauma …


A Christian Perspective On Human Emotions, Clark D. Campbell, Rodger K. Bufford Mar 2012

A Christian Perspective On Human Emotions, Clark D. Campbell, Rodger K. Bufford

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.


Fruit Of Faith, Fruit Of The Spirit, Thomas G. Plante Jan 2012

Fruit Of Faith, Fruit Of The Spirit, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

As contemporary behavioral scientists living and working within an often secular, scientific, and empirically focused world as well as being affiliated with rigorous academic institutions and research programs, we wonder if the fruits of the spirit have any empirical and scientific basis. Does engagement with religion and spirituality make us better people or make us worse?


Spiritual Well-Being Scale: Mental And Physical Health Relationships (Chapter 48 Of Oxford Textbook Of Spirituality In Healthcare), Raymond F. Paloutzian, Rodger K. Bufford, Ashley J. Wildman Jan 2012

Spiritual Well-Being Scale: Mental And Physical Health Relationships (Chapter 48 Of Oxford Textbook Of Spirituality In Healthcare), Raymond F. Paloutzian, Rodger K. Bufford, Ashley J. Wildman

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The existence of this handbook documents the recent increase in research on and practical attention to the role of spirituality in healthcare. One essential companion to the concept of spirituality is spiritual well-being (SWB).[1] That is, although the degree and type of spirituality per se can no doubt play an important role in how well a person faces the dilemmas related to health issues,[2,3] the degree to which a person perceives or derives a sense of wellbeing from that spirituality may be equally or more important. In this connection, SWB is an outcome indicator, or barometer, of how well a …


An Integration Approach (Chapter 4 Of Counseling And Christianity, Five Approaches), Mark R. Mcminn Jan 2012

An Integration Approach (Chapter 4 Of Counseling And Christianity, Five Approaches), Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

I puzzle over the adage "to have yout cake and eat it too." If one has cake , why wouldn't they eat it?1 To have your cake and not eat it just seems silly. In the same way, if Christian counselors have the rich theoretical and scientific tradition of psychology to draw upon, why wouldn't they do so? And if the counselor has access to biblical revelation and the theological wisdom of the centuries, of course the counselor should rely on these resources also.


Counseling And Psychotherapy Within And Across Faith Traditions (Chapter 17 In The Oxford Handbook Of The Psychology Of Spirituality), Mark R. Mcminn Jan 2012

Counseling And Psychotherapy Within And Across Faith Traditions (Chapter 17 In The Oxford Handbook Of The Psychology Of Spirituality), Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

This chapter begins with general considerations for religiously and spiritually oriented psychotherapy, including the importance of seeing religion and spirituality as d.imensions of cultural diversity, considering clients' welfare and autonomy, and maintaining competence. Three types of religious and spiritual intervention approaches are then discussed: assimilative, accommodative, and collaborative. Assimilative approaches introduce spiritual interventions or considerations into a standard psychotherapy approach. Accommodative approaches involve adapting a standard psychotherapy regimen to include religious or spiritual matters. Collaborative approaches entail a mental health professional and religious leader working in tandem for the sake of clients' welfare. Next, specific issues related to counseling within …


Theism And Psychological Science: A Call For Rapprochement, Michael J. Vogel, Tyler A. Gerdin, Mark R. Mcminn Jan 2012

Theism And Psychological Science: A Call For Rapprochement, Michael J. Vogel, Tyler A. Gerdin, Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

The authors offer two arguments for the inclusion of theism in natural science. First, an argument against excluding theism is offered. Though early roots of science promoted a view that it is a way to accumulate knowledge that is untainted by presuppositions and traditions, postmodern critiques call this into question. Scientists have sometimes rejected religion as a context-dependent, tradition-based way of knowing, yet science itself is also context-dependent and tradition-based. Second, an argument for including theism in psychological is offered. Theistic beliefs are relevant insofar as they are part of human experience for many, they represent a form of human …


Growing Old (From Dirt And The Good Life), Mark R. Mcminn Jan 2012

Growing Old (From Dirt And The Good Life), Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Excerpt: "After a night interrupted a dozen times or so with a sharp sciatica pain, I felt pleased to see the old digital clock approaching 8:00 as I reached my final awakening-much later than our normal rising and only possible on a sabbatical year. Lisa got out of bed first, rustling the sheets on her side of the bed as I said, "Happy anniversary." Today is our thirty-second. Surprisingly, she didn't respond. She's never been the type to offer silence in response to my words-even when annoyed at me-and I couldn't think of any reason for her to be annoyed …