Digital Commons Network^™

Practicing Presence: How The Local Church Should Target Poverty Of Solidarity With Their Neighborhood’S Youth, Sarah Lowder

Theology Undergraduate Work

A high school student attends a youth group at a local church in his neglected neighborhood. He participates in Bible studies, youth group events, and experiences an altar-call moment to accept Christ into his heart. The church was there to help him live like Christ and grow spiritually. He gets to know God at an early age through the church; however, as he graduates high school, the connection with the church starts to dwindle. One day, he finds himself in jail, still struggling with his life's physical, mental, and social factors. This is the true story of Nick, a young …

Homemaking In And With Migrant Churches As Communities Of Care, Ma. Adeinev M. Reyes-Espiritu

Theology Department Faculty Publications

Research on migration and religion reports the significance of religion to migrants, particularly those who self-identify as religious. In particular, migrant churches have served as a sanctuary, a venue for social networking, and a community supportive of migrants’ wellbeing, to name a few things. However, migrant churches are also criticized for the possibility of becoming instruments of control over migrants. Heeding Boccagni and Hondagneu-Sotelo’s invitation to use the “homemaking optic” to inquire into the experience of integration of migrants, this paper analyzes how migrant churches foster migrants’ becoming at home in the receiving societies using Philippine migrant communities as a …

Discerning Culture With Herman Bavinck, John B. Thompson

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Bavinck does not intend that we simply adopt and casually integrate secular ideas into our Christian worldview. Instead, every idea must be brought into conformity with Christ."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­Christianity's influence in a hostile world 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/discerning-culture-with-herman-bavinck/

Pastoral Counseling: African American Attitudes Toward Mental Healthcare, William Oliver Hansford Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The perspectives of African Americans at the Highway to Heaven Ministry were evaluated using diverse theological concepts in this study. The findings of this study help in deciphering reasons why African Americans primarily choose traditional versus pastoral counseling. The results of the survey were based on the responses of 100 people, all of whom were members of the Highway to Heaven Ministry. Sixty-five women and 35 men, ranging in age from 18 to 88, were enrolled in the study. The data was collected using a well-prepared questionnaire to discover the participants' most heartfelt views regarding pastoral counseling and what motivates …

Renewing A Nation: The Impact Of The African Diaspora On The African American Family, Culture And The Black Church, Lolita R. Gilmore-Randall

Doctor of Ministry

Despite the notion the past can never be removed, disassembled or altered, variant versions of African American history continue to serve as a fluid document in time without accountability, acknowledgement, or consciousness of the liabilities associated with the African diaspora. Studies show an estimated 12.5 million African men, women, and children were forcibly transported as part of the transatlantic slave trade, an egregious act that remains impactful to this day. African Americans represent 12% of the American population, but constitute 2.3 million, or 34%, of the total 6.8 million in correctional facilities. Though African American children make up 14% of …

Internal Family Systems (Ifs) Therapy: Non-Pathologizing Healing For Inner Peace, Sylvia Hill

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a new approach to healing of the wounds and burdens caused by trauma, neglect and other relational injuries. The history of the development of IFS is outlined. The basic assumptions of IFS are shared. The roles parts take on in response to trauma are explained. The process of working with parts to bring about healing are described. Research on IFS is listed followed by a brief discussion of how IFS can fit within a Christian framework. Two case studies are provided to illustrate IFS being used in conjunction with Christian beliefs.

Diversity, Equity, & Exclusion: Examining Jewish Identity & Antisemitism As Missing Pieces Of Dei And Ethnic Studies Education, Katie Meitchik

Pitzer Senior Theses

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a theory and practice that focuses on systemic structures, inequities, and social change by examining concepts such as race, gender, class, sexuality, ethnicity, ability, and religion. Incorporating DEI initiatives into learning spaces can lead to a deeper sense of self, stronger coalition building, increased civic engagement, and a sense of healing, resistance, and belonging. Although a nationwide criteria for using DEI practices in education has not yet been implemented as a key component to public school teaching, there are programs emerging with the intent to utilize the theory. This has led to a movement …

Childhood Trauma And The Faith Maturity Of Seventh-Day Adventist Pastors And Seminarians, Pete A. Palmer

Dissertations

Problem

Unfortunately, Childhood Trauma is a fact of life. For instance, children lose parents/guardians through death or divorce. Children grow up in impoverished situations. Children have parents who suffer from mental illness and/or commit suicide. In addition, more unfortunately, some children are mistreated, neglected, and/or abused. The long-lasting impact of Childhood Trauma includes increased morbidity and mortality, and decreased opportunities for prosperity. This research sought to establish a statistical relationship between Childhood Trauma and Faith Maturity. Childhood Trauma has been demonstrated to affect attachment processes in children and, since religion is an attachment process and God is an attachment figure, …

An Examination Of The Impact Of Police Chaplain Programs And Spirituality On Police Officers’ Mental Health, Samuel Protel Maxwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spirituality has been a fundamental aspect of treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in many officers. PTSD affects a high percentage of officers and many of whom live a highly stressful and traumatic life even outside of work. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the impact of police chaplain programs and spirituality on police officers' mental health. The research question asked how a police chaplain program and spirituality impacted police officers. This study's theoretical framework was Pargament's theory. Qualitative research with a narrative analysis design was chosen to collect data from semi-structured interviews. The 10 participants, including six …

Immigrant Muslim Women’S Belief And Practice Of The Veil In Southern California, Fatimah Alsuhaibani

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The literature lacks a thorough examination of why a Muslim woman decides to veil or not. Thus, utilizing interviews and the theoretical frameworks developed by Tweed, Vasquez, and others, my study investigated the practice and beliefs of Sunni immigrant Muslim women in the Inland Empire in terms of the veil. Because of the global nature of Islam and the transnational Muslim community, their framework may be utilized to evaluate immigrant Muslim women in the United States, who exemplify principles of transnationalism and globalization. Furthermore, my research found that once Muslim women relocate to the Inland Empire and adjust to life …

Good News For Addicts : The Outreach Of The Gospel, Stacie Lee

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Challenges Nepali Women Face In Pastoral Roles : Strategies For Women Leaders To Flourish, Mina Moktan Thakali

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Relational Poverty: Healing Our Culture, Jenet Erickson

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

One of the most vexing challenges of our day is a profound hunger for connection, evidenced by an epidemic of loneliness, violence, relational poverty, and increasing mental health challenges. We are born to be in deep connection with others. As German analyst Frieda Fromm-Reichman wrote, “The longing for interpersonal intimacy stays with every human being from infancy through life, and there is no human being who is not threatened by its loss.” A radical cultural focus on autonomy with the associated ruptures in family stability, decreased religiosity and community engagement have increased loneliness in spite of the seeming “connectivity” of …

Preincarceration Collaborative Religious Coping Strategies Of Black Males With A History Of A Criminal Offense, Pearlette E. Springer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans are 56% of the incarcerated population in the United States. Black males spend an average of 13.4% of their working lives incarcerated and 82.6% of their working lives addressing the stigma and restrictions associated with incarceration. The purpose of this study was to address a gap in research by exploring the preincarceration collaborative religious coping strategy experiences of Black males with a history of criminal offenses. Pargament’s theory of collaborative religious coping strategy guided the research, interview questions, and data analysis. The qualitative narrative approach with purposeful and snowball sampling was used to recruit and collect data from …

An Examination Of The Impact Of Police Chaplain Programs And Spirituality On Police Officers’ Mental Health, Samuel Protel Maxwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spirituality has been a fundamental aspect of treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in many officers. PTSD affects a high percentage of officers and many of whom live a highly stressful and traumatic life even outside of work. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the impact of police chaplain programs and spirituality on police officers' mental health. The research question asked how a police chaplain program and spirituality impacted police officers. This study's theoretical framework was Pargament's theory. Qualitative research with a narrative analysis design was chosen to collect data from semi-structured interviews. The 10 participants, including six …

Divine Attachment: A Canonical Model For Discipleship And Religious Education, Kristina Marie Freed

Dissertations

Problem

Christianity is in decline in the United States and, with it, discipleship engagement. While several explanations and many remedies have been offered as solutions to the problem over the last half-century, demographic research shows that the decline continues. The problem addressed in this dissertation is the lack of a theological model to augment psychological models of religious attachment theory. The research sought to identify a canonical model of divine attachment which may contribute to the revitalization of personal discipleship and religious education by offering a new relational context. This model is based on an understanding of God as an …

Exploring The Status Of Transgender Students In Catholic High Schools, Dirk De Jong

Journal of Catholic Education

This paper reports on a recent survey of principals of Catholic high schools across the country regarding the existence of formal gender identity policies or informal practices with respect to the behavior and treatment of transgender students in their schools. The survey’s findings are discussed in the context of recent developments with respect to the science, clinical interventions, and legal accommodations surrounding gender variance. The paper also describes the political developments with respect to this issue and some of the pushback in communities of faith. It concludes by suggesting the need for receptivity to scientific findings as part of a …

Iron Curtain Of Fear: Theological Interpretations Of Data About Attitudes Of Christians Towards Refugees From Surveys In Central Europe, Michal Opatrný, Paul Michael Zulehner, Jozef Žuffa

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The study aims to combine the data from three different but mutually inspired surveys of theologians about attitudes and feelings of Christians towards the so-called refugee crisis in Europe in 2015. The study combines the data from surveys in German speaking countries and from Czechia and Slovakia and focuses on attitudes (defense, skepticism, welcome) and feelings (angry, worry, hope). Topics like authoritarianism or attending Sunday services show the connections between practicing of Christian faith and readiness to receive or reject refugees. In the second part the study offers an interpretation of the results from the combining of the data for …

Exploring Graduated Court Diversion Clients' Experience Of Psychotherapy In Their Community Reintegration, Daniel Oduro Sem

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Court Diversion Program (CDP) seeks to reduce the criminalization and reoffending among people living with mental illness to ensure their community reintegration (Schneider, 2010). The complex nature of achieving this goal calls for a comprehensive strategy, which requires a collaborative effort of legal, health care, and allied professionals including psychotherapists. However, because most CDP clients frequently receive medication treatment, not much is known about how CDP clients find psychotherapy services even though psychotherapy is effective for addressing mental illnesses and offending behaviors (Feingold & Fox, 2018; Feucht & Holt, 2016), To gain more insight into the issue, this study applied …

Discipling The Whole Student, Scott R. Ward, David Sedlacek, Rogelio Paquini, Jasmine Fraser

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Self-Harm: Warning Signs, Risk Factors, And Prevention, Alina M. Baltazar

Faculty Publications

Rates of suicide and self-harm have been increasing in children and adolescents over the last 20 years (CDC, 2022). Suicidality and self-harm are preventable, treatable, and manageable. Parents and those who work with children, teens, and young adults are an important part in addressing this issue. This article reviews the current statistics of suicide and self-harm, role of trauma, risk-factors, causes, prevention, and treatment options. Practical tips and resources are included. The reader will better understand the phenomenon and know how self-harm and suicide can be prevented and treated.

Raising Godly Leaders : For Finishing The Task In Thailand, Weerawut Hongsa

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Training Program For Adult Mentors Working With Teenagers To Enhance Their Spiritual Health And Church Life, Mark Damon Albertino

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A major problem facing the church is that a significant number of teenagers leave after high school. The researcher addressed the problem of teenagers leaving Taylorsville Church of God after high school by training adult members to mentor the church’s teenagers. In the program, seven adult mentors, which included six females and one male, and six teen mentees, which included four females and two males, participated. The training program included the following topics: mentor spiritual health, servanthood, church life, active listening, parents, empathy, compassion, spiritual health of teenagers, and current teen issues. Through a series of interviews with the adult …

Three Approaches To The Greater Inclusion Of Women In Public Worship, Jennifer M. Dabbs, Shannon Clarkson Rains, Kaley D. Ihfe

Discernment: Theology and the Practice of Ministry

In the spring of 2022, elders and ministers from three West Texas Churches of Christ convened for a discussion of how their congregations expanded the roles of women in public worship. Tradition within the Churches of Christ dictates that men fill all visible roles during worship services. Since these practices are based in commonly accepted interpretations of the scripture, women’s active participation in worship represents a momentous change in both practice and belief. The ninety-minute discussion covered the initial decision-making process, the implementation of new roles, problems encountered, and advice for others wanting to make a similar change. The transcript …

Self-Compassion Education, A Framework For A Self-Care Plan For Military Chaplains: A Qualitative Study, Opeyemi Samuel Oluwafisoye

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Self-compassion education promotes coping skills to ease emotional discomfort and suffering by offering a sense of belonging, understanding, and caring, similar to the benefits of empathy for someone else. No research has been done examining the buffering importance of self-compassion education as a framework for self-care among military chaplains. The current study was tailored toward understanding military chaplains’ perception of self-compassion as a framework for self-care. The dissertation aimed to determine a need to formulate a self-care plan for military chaplains to reduce their pain after helping Soldiers and their families diagnosed with trauma through different interventions. The goal of …

Concordia Seminary Magazine Summer 2022, Vicki Biggs

Concordia Seminary Magazine

Proclaim His Name

Present And Post-Pandemic Theology: What And How We Will Teach And Preach, Seventh=Day Adventist Theological Seminary

Current: Faith Meets Life and Culture

No abstract provided.

The Rinpoche Sent Me A Friend Request: The Roles And Perceptions Of Social Media In Buddhist Religious Life, Solveigh Barney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

When I first heard about His Eminence the 8th Chokyong Palga Rinpoche, I didn’t expect to find an Instagram page consisting of gym pics and sunglass selfies. As I kept scrolling through Instagram, I soon found out that Palga Rinpoche is not alone in this influencer-like social media façade; he is a part of a younger generation of Buddhist monastics who are trying to be what some call monkfluencers. These monastics are growing up in the digital world of social media, making it more accessible to share with the outside world the #monklife. My goal is to investigate the relationship …

Small But Strong: Growth And Development Of The Sikh Community In Kathmandu, Sarbjot Z. Jessop

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

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, …