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Full-Text Articles in Christianity
A Lonely Faith: Lessons In Spiritual Resiliency Learned From The Isolated, Captive, And Rescued, Jeff Schlenz
A Lonely Faith: Lessons In Spiritual Resiliency Learned From The Isolated, Captive, And Rescued, Jeff Schlenz
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Americans have always traveled abroad whether as merchants, military service members, missionaries, reporters, or simply, "tourists." Most return safely, but some have been taken captive by foreign governments, terrorists and criminal organizations. Though many have studied their struggles, no wide-scale attempt has been made to understand the role religious faith played in enduring their captivities. If understood, such information could be used in training those who may be exposed to similar circumstances in the future, and may have devotional value for others enduring crises. In this study, one hundred seventy-eight international travelers are surveyed, assessing their expectations of and preparation …
Idealism & Reality: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Pastoral Expectations & Ministry Realities Experienced By Protestant Church Planting Pastors, Dwayne Bond
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
With the majority of literature focused on reducing clergy stressors, there is a need to explore how pastors respond when ministry idealism dissipates, while familial and congregational expectations increase. When idealized expectations fade, how do clergy experience resiliency? The purpose of this study was to explore how idealism affects clergy resiliency and their responses, coping, and longevity in ministry. Ten new church-planting Protestant pastors were selected using snowball sampling. Each pastor was interviewed. Data from the two-hour in-depth interviews was collected, organized and analyzed. The findings for each interview were compared and contrasted, and themes were identified - a) utilizing …