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Dissertation Notices

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

Foye, P. B. (2023). Exploring perspectives of African American Pentecostal clergy Scripture teachings regarding mental illness. DPsy, Walden University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 28772830.

Hayles, R. A., Jr. (2021). The relationship between emotional intelligence and Christian virtues in organizational leadership: An analysis of nonprofit leaders. PhD, Regent University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 28323567.

Hodges, J. W. (2022). Fumbling with love: The first step toward cultivating a beloved community: A Bible study addressing four psychological barriers to racial reconciliation. DMin, Duke University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 29160909.

Holmes, M. (2022). Racial reconciliation in the church: A resource for pastors and leaders. DMin, Ashland Theological …

How Spirituality Intensifies Sustainability: A Case Study Of Ananda Valley In Northern Portugal, Mia Handler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The religious affiliations of citizens in the West are currently shifting away from the fundamentalist, traditional structures of the past towards more alternative spiritualities. Furthermore, as a result of the climate crisis, ecovillages are becoming increasingly popular. Ecovillages are intentional, “sustainable” communities that seek to reduce consumption, live in harmony with nature, and create strong social bonds. They are characterized by varying levels of spiritual involvement (Greenberg, 2014, p. 274). As such, the objective of this paper is to study the relationship between spirituality and environmentally-friendly practices and attitudes, using the ecovillage Ananda Valley – an Ananda Marga Master Unit …

Experiences Of Egyptian Youth Participating In Discipleship And Mentoring Groups After Attending An Evangelical Youth Camp In Egypt, Jo E. Hawkins

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Spiritual development plays a vital role in young people’s psychological health and wellness, and spiritual awareness is beneficial in developing morals and coping strategies when dealing with real-life situations (Lee et al., 2020). A lack of scholarly literature addressing the spiritual growth of Egyptian youth involved in evangelical camps and now living for Christ in a predominately Muslim society prompted this study. This qualitative narrative study was based on the theoretical framework of social constructivism pioneered by Vygotsky. The research participants were four Egyptian youth who had attended a Christian camp, made the life-changing decision to follow Christ, and were …

Engaging And Mobilizing Baby Boomers For Effective Ministry, Paul D. Russell

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

In the 21st-century church in America, can Baby Boomers, who presently range from 57 to 76 years of age, be envisioned and commissioned to make a difference through effective and meaningful ministry? The intent of the research was to discover relevant information and present considerations to help those entering the last third of life make an informed contribution to the church and community. Evidence will be presented to show that Boomers need the church and that the church needs the presence and resourceful productivity of the Boomer cohort. This reality does not circumvent the essential mission of reaching other generations …

Church-Based Research: Using Theories, Concepts, And Operationalizations, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

Church-based research requires working with abstract concepts ranging from sin to sanctification. Theories, concepts, and operationalizations allow us to work with these abstractions. Theories are sets of statements describing how specific concepts relate to each other. Concepts are broad ideas that exist in our thinking that can be used to describe phenomena, both within and exterior to the church. If we measure the concepts in our theories among multiple people, we can determine to what degree the relationships in our theories are true or discover under what conditions they are true. Sometimes concepts can be measured directly; other times they …

Applying Paul’S Areopagus Model To Generation Z, Tanita Maddox

Great Commission Research Journal

The members of Generation Z are today’s adolescents and young professionals, bringing with them their own culture. This culture requires other generations to use a cross-cultural approach to evangelism, as modeled by Paul in Athens (Acts 17:16-34). Paul observed the Athenian culture, built rapport, used common language with his audience, found common ground as a cultural doorway for his message, and redefined the audience’s understanding of the relationship between God and humans. The same steps can be applied to gospel proclamation to Generation Z for effective and relevant evangelism.

Forming Saints In A Digital Context, Mark R. Teasdale

Great Commission Research Journal

Biblical and scholarly sources agree on the importance of forming Christians to seek after holy living to make them more effective evangelists, such that the ministries of evangelism and spiritual formation are intertwined. They also agree that one of the primary roles of the church is to provide for this formation. However, the practices for doing this have been complicated by the heavy move toward digital ministry because of COVID-19. Congregations can continue this formational work even in highly digital contexts by helping Christians tell their story through lifelogging, providing rituals and disciplines to sanctify time and physical spaces, and …

About The Great Commission Research Network Fall 2022, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Same Purpose, New Approach: A Case Study Of The North Dakota Bismarck Mission Using Social Media During Covid-19, Scott L. Howell

Faculty Publications

This is the story of how one mission in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church) adapted its approach, but not its purpose, to invite all to come unto Jesus Christ during the first 16 months of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to July 2021). The North Dakota Bismarck Mission (NDBM hereafter) covers all or parts of the states of North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Nebraska, and, like the other 404 missions¹ throughout the world, traditional approaches to missionary work were significantly disrupted by the effects of COVID-19. No longer were missionaries able to find and …

Approaches To Faith Integration: A Case Study Of Andrews University Employees, Duane Covrig, Glynis M. Bradfield, Steven Injety, Duduetsang Kakhu

Faculty Publications

For centuries, Christians have cultivated faith in themselves and others by engaging in prayer, evangelism, discipleship, and education, with Christian tertiary institutions playing a vital role in this nurturing of faith. However, previous studies have shown that Christian educators have also been complicit in depleting faith in others. This erosion of faith has been well documented in American "Christian" universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, primarily due to modernity and secularization. For faith to thrive, it has to be backed with intention, and this is especially of paramount importance in American higher education today. As the oldest Seventh-day Adventist University, …

Nightmare Alley, Emily Jane Pascoe

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Nightmare Alley (2021), directed by Guillermo del Toro.

Biblical Boogeymen, Holy Ghosts, And The New Demonology: A Review Of Three Recent Books On Religion And Horror, Brian Collins

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a book review essay on three books: Brandon R. Grafius, Reading the Bible with Horror (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019); Brandon R. Grafius and John Morehead, eds., Theology and Horror: Explorations of the Dark Religious Imagination (Fortress Academic/Lexington, 2021); and Steve A. Wiggins, Nightmares with the Bible: The Good Book and Cinematic Demons (Fortress Academic/Lexington, 2020).

Digitalizing Religion In The Age Of Covid-19: A Uses And Gratifications Perspective, Abdulaziz Altawil

Dissertations - ALL

The current COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people’s religious behavior around the world. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, most in-person religious services have shifted to virtual platforms. The online religious transition amidst the outbreak has alleviated many issues for worshippers as it provided them with a sanctuary space to connect with their faith and community. According to a 2020 Pew Research analysis, the pandemic has made many Americans change their religious habits by watching religious content online instead of physically engaging with their local religious institution. This dissertation provides a preliminary examination of this phenomenon by exploring the role of digital …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Scholars Focus Conference On Third Nephi

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The Laura F. Willes Center for Book of Mormon Studies hosted a two-day conference on 3 Nephi at the end of September 2008. Entitled “Third Nephi: New Perspectives on an Incomparable Scripture,” the conference consisted of a plenary session with an introductory address by John W. Welch, subsequent presentations by 21 distinguished scholars covering six themes, and a concluding session featuring a panel discussion.

How Servant Leaders Navigate Conflict: An Analysis Of Acts 15:36–41, Joshua D. Henson, Justin R. Craun

Selected Faculty Publications

Greenleaf’s foundational work on servant leadership has evolved considerably over the past 50 years. Servant leadership has been found to have positive outcomes on group and organisational effectiveness. While servant leadership characteristics and outcomes have been measured, is a need to be better understand how servant leaders navigate when they disagree. Using a social and cultural analysis, the conflict between Paul and Barnabas is explored. Social and cultural analysis allows interpreters to understand what the characters in the narrative ‘see and hear.’ The analysis of Acts 15:36–41 yielded three emerging themes related to how these servant leaders navigated conflict: (1) …

Pastoral Pitfalls: Solutions To Navigating The Stresses Of Twenty-First Century Ministry, Chris Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

American church clergy and their families are suffering from the effects of Twenty-First Century ministry and the stresses of the local church, according to research from the Fuller Institute, Barna Group, and Pastoral Care Inc. Much of the research in this area and its effects on the clergy and churches occurred more than a decade ago. Through updated research and surveys of current Southern Baptist ministers in the Baptist General Convention of Texas, this thesis will offer solutions to how these dangers can be lessened or alleviated. Through the presentation of updated statistics, the seriousness of this problem for the …

Experienced Pastoral Burnout And The Self-Reported Role Of Emotional Intelligence On Leadership Effectiveness During Burnout, Craig Wesley Folds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Emotional intelligence (EI), employee burnout, and effective leadership traits are constructs that have been researched from a traditional, organizational perspective since the 1970s. Over the past 15 years, pastoral leaders and clergy have been identified as leaders working in the same capacity as public safety officials, medical professionals, mental health specialists, and other helping professions. Research suggests that leaders working in helping professions are often exposed to situations that may induce burnout, create emotional dissonance, and may have adverse implications on effective leadership behaviors during experienced burnout. The significance of this study lies in its identification of a gap in …

A Phenomenological Study Of Clergy Job-Related Stress And Stress-Coping During Covid-19, Peter Michael Foxwell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of stress and stress-coping of five Michigan pastors who led their Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) congregations through the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic. Stress is generally defined as the psychophysiological response to a perceived threat or stressor, and stress-coping is generally defined as intentional behaviors designed to manage stress. The theoretical background of this study is the transactional theory of stress and coping (TTSC) (Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) as it relates to pastors’ lived experience of ministry-related stress and coping in crisis conditions. The rationales for …

Chaplaincy Upholds The West’S Value Of Tolerance Not Acceptance, Monique Decandido

Masters Theses

Throughout history, the differences between humanity led mankind to experience many hardships, even wars. These differences include religion or beliefs, tribal differences, racial differences, and geographical differences. Over time, and after much bloodshed and despondency of life, critical thinking men began to develop a strategy for humanity to get along together despite their differences. The question and the challenge of how mankind can get along together without engaging in conflicts about their differences became the chief thinking cap throughout the West. Humanity realized that the answer to their question and challenge was tolerance. Now forwarding into the 21st century, the …

Stewarding Nfts: Yes, No, Maybe So?, Jesse L. Veenstra

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"God’s kingdom extends to all corners of the universe, including the digital realm."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the responsible use of non-fungible tokens from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/stewarding-nfts-yes-no-maybe-so/

Positioning Theory In Islamic Sermons: Online Messages To Parents, Cipto Wardoyo, Sheena Gardner, Benet Vincent

Sermon Studies

Positioning theory offers a theoretical and analytical framework to explore how individuals position themselves or are positioned by others through discourse. Positioning theory provides ways to interpret how the positioning is achieved through the mutual effects of storylines, speech acts, and positions (Van Langenhove & Harré 2003). We examine how male and female preachers position themselves when they advise parents about Islamic values in raising children. The sermon data is from a corpus of twenty online Islamic sermons on YouTube that engage with the theme of family. The sermons were delivered in different settings, such as in Friday services in …

Committing To The Common Good: Reframing Student Success Using Catholic Social Teaching, Zachary Lewis

Roesch Library Faculty Publications

This case study examines how the role of Student Success Librarian (SSL) at University of Dayton’s (UD) Roesch Library incorporates Catholic Social Teaching in order to achieve the mission of this faith-based institution. Students at UD are asked to sign a Commitment to Community, a list of pledges which share similar values to the themes of Catholic Social Teaching. By focusing on the intersection of the Commitment to Community, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), and Catholic Social Teaching themes, the SSL at UD’s Roesch Library is able to incorporate Catholic Social Teaching in its programming, services, and partnerships.

Factors Influencing Australian Muslims’ Attitudes Toward Christian-Muslim Dialogue: The Case Of Sunni Muslims Of Adelaide And Uniting Church Christians, Gregory Macdonald, Mohamad Abdalla, Nahid Afrose Kabir

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Since the implementation of a multicultural policy in the 1970s, religious diversity in Australia has increased. Research has demonstrated that intergroup contact is essential for managing diverse multicultural societies. This is because, given the right conditions, intergroup contact will reduce prejudice and build trust between groups. Given the importance of intergroup contact, policy makers and researchers have identified interfaith dialogue’s importance to the success of multicultural societies. However, there is very limited research that explores interfaith dialogue from the perspectives of adherents, in this case Christians and Muslims in the Australian context. This paper focuses on interfaith dialogue between Christians …

Taming The Wandering Mind: Where Buddhism & Polyvagal Theory Meet, Tamara Embrey

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The ability to tame the wandering mind is at the heart of the insights emerging from the places where Buddhism and the Polyvagal Theory (Porges, 2001, 2011) meet. A polyvagal understanding of how our nervous system functions opens the door to developing skills that can strengthen our ability to regulate ourselves and others during times of challenge. The Buddha’s meditation instructions, laid out in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, the Establishment of Mindfulness Discourse offers a type of attentional training that allows us to become aware of our current neural state so that we can make intentional choices to tame our wandering …

Religious Syncretism In Spanish Latin America: Survival, Power, And Resistance, Ian Mcguckin

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

This paper explores the theory of religious syncretism and its application within early modern Latin America. It proposes a new model for understanding religious syncretism in order to eliminate the previous bias in the scholarship and misconceptions inherent in the term and seeks to discover why cultures chose specific religious elements over their counterparts in syncretic scenarios. Reviewing primary and secondary sources analyzing the religious characteristics and atmosphere of this period revealed that there was a pattern to syncretism and religious selection in Spanish Latin America. Europeans, Indigenous Peoples, and Africans in the New World selected religious elements based on …

Worldviews Transformed: How God And His People Can Change Worldview, S. Joseph Kidder, Katelyn Campbell Weakley

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Storytelling Cure: Medicine And Narrative From Galen To Shahrazad And Rousseau, Ryan A. Milov-Cordoba

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Are stories healing? This dissertation introduces and explores an idea that I call “the storytelling cure.” With this term I capture a set of related notions about the healing power of stories that span literary studies, intellectual history, philosophy, and medical practice. Through a comparative study I make the case for “the storytelling cure” as a cross-cultural, multiconfessional, and multilingual phenomenon of great age, complexity, and power, worthy of the most sustained attention by the contemporary field of Comparative Literature. Concretely, this dissertation presents three extended case studies of “storytelling cures” from three different kinds of texts (case history, frame …

Lived Religion In A Digital Age: Technology, Affect And The Pervasive Space-Times Of “New” Religious Praxis, Quan Gao, Orlando Woods, Lily Kong, Siew Ying Shee

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper explores how Christian practices of prayer are being reconfigured through digital media in Singapore. Although digital technologies are an area of burgeoning interest amongst social and cultural geographers, the ways in which these technologies reconfigure the space-times of religious praxis and engender new affective relations or subjectivities of religion have not yet been embraced. This paper fills the lacuna by bringing existing studies on religion, technology and affect into constructive conversation with each other. By elaborating on digital prayer as an affective assemblage of religious practice, we show how digital technologies blur institutional boundaries and create new affordances …

Christian Education: Can We Afford It?, Calvin Vandermeyden

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.