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Religion Has A Public Relations Problem: Integrating Evidence-Based Thinking Into Clinical Practice, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

Religion and religious institutions receive a great deal of negative, rather than positive, attention and press. This creates an impression, for the casual observer, that religion and associated institutions are a plight on the planet. It is critically important for evidence-based research and best practices in clinical services to be well known and utilized within professional psychotherapy practice. Clinicians must be mindful of the many advantages of religious engagement for physical, mental, and community health and wellness. Psychologists, and other mental health professionals, tend to be secular and nonreligious and receive little, if any, training on religious diversity that may …

A Model For Identifying, Developing, And Installing Elders In The Church: The Path Family Church Has Taken, Stephen Harrison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The problem is that Family Church does not identify, develop, and install their potential elders well. This intervention research project addressed this problem by establishing prerequisites for elder identification, a seven-week elder training workbook, and guidelines for installation after the research project. Current elders at Family Church completed a questionnaire, participated in case studies, and evaluated their intervention project in a focus group to establish an effective method of identifying, developing, and installing potential elders. This intervention research project produced a list of prerequisites for identifying potential elders, a seven-week elder training manual, and clear guidelines for ordaining elders at …

Clergy Social Activity During War Conditions: The Case Of Western Regions Of Ukraine, Ihor Lutsan, Iryna Horokholinska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In this article, the authors analyze the impact of Russia-Ukraine war on church-religious life and the state of public consciousness in Ukraine and identify the main trends and contradictions in public reactions to threats to their lives and spirituality. The research focuses on religious communities of the western regions of Ukraine and their socially significant activities. The primary empirical source of the article was the study (by questionnaire survey) of the opinions of the clergy of this religious organization on the characteristics of parish life and the role of the pastor in the conditions of war. Three defining vectors that …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Impact Of The Extrovert Ideal On Introverted Senior Pastors, Shawn Patrick Liebegott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Susan Cain (2012) coins the term Extrovert Ideal. According to her, this ideal is the notion that extroversion is the preferred personality type in North American culture. This ideal extends to leadership where the best leaders are expected to exhibit extroverted personality traits. The Extrovert Ideal can be problematic for introverted leaders who may not fit the typical stereotype of the ideal leader. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact of the Extrovert Ideal for introverted senior pastors who lead churches within the NorthStar Church Network located in northern Virginia. The data collection for this study …

Developing An Intentional Disciple Making Strategy For Fathers To Lead Their Families In Spiritual Transformation, Michael Cauthorne

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Do current student ministries produce disciples that can stand the test of the current culture? Has creating a separate ministry worked against God’s plan for making disciples? Statistics from across the Church would suggest the American Church is in decline. Within the Southern Baptist Convention there has been a continual decline in baptisms over the past few years. This project will seek to determine if there is a correlation between how student ministries are led in the modern church to how effectively the church has been in making disciples. With research and data collected from current and former student ministries, …

Vatican Ii, Liberation Theology, And Vernacular Masses For The Family Of God In Central America, Bernard J. Gordillo

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

The Second Vatican Council (1962–65) instituted reforms in the Catholic Church that included changes in language and music employed in the liturgy, inspiring a proliferation of sung vernacular masses throughout Latin America. Drawing on archival and ethnographic research undertaken in Nicaragua and the United States, this article examines three Central American vernacular masses—Misa típica panameña de San Miguelito (1967), Misa popular nicaragüense (1969), and Misa campesina nicaragüense (1975). Each mass emanated from communities founded as part of the transnational Familia de Dios (Family of God) movement, which established programs of religious education, leadership training, and community building among impoverished …

Expanding God's Redemptive Fractal: Spirit-Centered Counseling And The Transformative Wisdom Of Jesus, Bill Buker

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Using the image of a fractal, a Spirit-centered approach to counseling is proposed that conceptualizes the Spirit’s activity as seeking to replicate the patterns of God’s redemptive story throughout creation by facilitating deep second-order change. Involving an epistemological shift from ways of knowing shaped by the conventional wisdom of culture to a renewed mind grounded in the transformative wisdom of Jesus, this deep change is explored from the perspectives of science and Scripture. Integrating findings from systems theory with the ministry and message of Jesus, this approach to counseling emphasizes relational premises and values believed to be characteristic of the …

Apprentis D’Auteuil: A Place Of Spiritan Mission, Marc Whelan C.S.Sp.

Spiritan Horizons

No abstract provided.

What’S Happened To My Church, South Church Andover, Ucc? Individuals Change Within A Community Of Faith, Changing The Church, Evangelical To Progressive, Janet Clarke

Religious & Theological Studies Student Work

My college admission letter dated August 25, 2020, the personal statement for my college application, included here, states my heartfelt concern about the declining church, for my family, for all people, and for society in general.

"My faith journey has been so rich and informs who I am, as a child of God, living in God's Grace, and Love, and Forgiveness, and taught me so much of how to live in the wider universe, teaching what was unavailable from my family or schooling. I am so grateful for God’s Grace and Peace, and I can not understand how others live …

Libermann’S Understanding Of Suffering And The Challenges Of Covid-19 Pandemic In Africa, Kenneth Ofoma C.S.Sp.

Spiritan Horizons

No abstract provided.

Equipping Military Chaplains With A Framework For Mental Wellness: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Stephanie Okolo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although it is said that the sight of a battlefield after combat can fill princes with a love of peace and haunt them with the horrors of war, the mental health effects of war on soldiers are often frustratingly difficult to comprehend. It is, however, clear that warzones and the general environments in which deployed soldiers work can have negative impacts on their mental health. Military chaplains work closely with deployed soldiers and should be well-equipped with the knowledge to help them understand their mental health needs. It is important that they possess the right skills to do this well. …

The Father’S Business: Exploring The Challenges Of Second-Generation Ministry Leaders, Garrett Booth

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Today’s pastoral leader must balance more competing priorities than ever before. Pastors are responsible for strategic planning, providing excellent messages, developing a staff or ministry team, overseeing finances, and building ministries to meet the needs of their flocks and communities. Many times, the demands of pastoral leadership, especially in a growing church environment, can be so consuming that the family of the pastor pays the price. Pastors’ children who grow up in such a leadership environment face their own additional pressures and extra challenges. This project explores the question “What are the challenges of growing up as a pastor’s child …

Haneke Avec Foucault: The White Ribbon, Religion, And Violence, Bradley L. Herling

Journal of Religion & Film

This article utilizes Michel Foucault's characterization of the Christian pastorate to examine The White Ribbon (2009), directed by Michael Haneke. Foucault's framework assists us in inspecting the nature of the Protestant community depicted in the film, its systems of discipline, repression, and control, and the bond between these systems and the violence that erupts as the plot unfolds. Reading Haneke avec Foucault thus sheds light on the broader problem of "religious violence," while also drawing out the sometimes submerged but skillful interpretation of religion proposed by these two auteurs.

Crisis Mode: 10 Keys To Unlock Thriving In Christian School Leadership - Part 3 Of 5, Joshua E. Bowar

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

No abstract provided.

Vision, Fall 2021

Vision

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in USA

VisionFinding Aid

Catholic Deaf Community Newsletter, February 16, 2020

Catholic Deaf Community Newsletter

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Portland, OR

Catholic Deaf Community Newsletter Finding Aid

The Revival Of Myth: Allusions And Symbols In The Wasteland, Lauren Haas

Ephemeris

No abstract provided.

Engagement Of Millennials: Understanding The Decline Within Greater Hartford Area Churches, Victor Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

ecent trends reveal the sharpest decline in Church attendance in the Greater Hartford area has occurred within the population known as the Millennials. A question that is looming and of significance in this decade is what causes this generation to be attracted to some Churches and not others? Ten Protestant inner-city Churches within the Greater Hartford Area were studied to discover if there is a nexus between millennial participation, church leadership, and tools for equipping the millennial population of the church body. This study discovered several factors which impact millennial engagement which include, social influences, political ideologies, technology, and generational …

Contributor Bios, Obsculta Editors

Obsculta

No abstract provided.

Using The Examen, A Jesuit Prayer, In Spiritually Integrated And Secular Psychotherapy, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

The Examen is a 500-year-old end of day prayer developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (better known as the Jesuits). Like many other religious or spiritual practices, such as mindfulness and yoga, the Examen is suitable as either a spiritually focused or secular intervention strategy to assist people within clinical psychotherapy practice and elsewhere. Adapting the Examen as a cognitive behavioral psychotherapy intervention is easy to do and may add another important tool to the toolbox of practicing clinicians interested in thoughtfully integrating spiritually based approaches in their clinical work with religiously as well …

Pauline Theology: The Interdependently Called Body Of Christ, Katryna Bertucci

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

Utilizing the mindset of theology defined as faith seeking understanding, this paper will explore the apostle Paul’s theology on vocation and calling in relation to the “Body of Christ.” It will first aim at exploring Paul’s theology on calling and vocation of the Body of Christ by highlighting 1 Corinthians 12, followed by zooming out to consider recent scholarship on more general Pauline theology. It will then demonstrate how interpretations of Paul’s theology have been utilized and/or critiqued over time in its implementation in relation to vocation and calling. It will conclude with an analysis of newer perspectives of how …

Four Positive Lessons Learned During The 2020–2021 Covid-19 Global Pandemic: Implications For Spirituality In Clinical Practice, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

While the COVID-19 global pandemic has wrecked havoc for over a year in ways that we have not seen in our lifetimes, many important positive lessons have been learned during these tumultuous and what has felt like apocalyptic times. Upon close reflection, four critical and positive lessons were learned by this author that have implications for how we productively move forward in our efforts to provide spiritually and religiously informed psychotherapy services both now and in the future. These important lessons include the benefits of telehealth and “telespirit” services as well as highlighting the advantages of reflection, discernment, and resetting …

Collaborating Mentors In The Discipleship Process, Tyson Wahl

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher presents an action thesis conducted at Crossroads Family Ministries, studying multiple mentors’ effects in the discipleship process. Single mentor discipleship systems where one mentor disciples one mentee are common in many churches. However, placing one mentee with multiple mentors should produce better-discipled individuals with a greater experience and spiritual gift base from which to grow. This study aims to measure the effect collaborative mentoring has on a mentee during the discipleship process. The researcher has recruited five mentees and fifteen mentors to participate in this study. Four mentees are unfamiliar with the discipleship material and will each be …

Jesus Christ, Revelation Of Love: A Christology Of The Disabled Christ, Lisa Hancock

Religious Studies Theses and Dissertations

Though Nancy Eiesland’s The Disabled God first introduced the identification of Jesus as disabled in 1994, sustained reflection on the person and work of Christ as disabled remains a mostly untapped wellspring for theological reflection in disability theology. Sitting with Christ’s disabled performativity, I identify Christ as disabled in both person and work, noting that recognizing disability in Christ’s person influences understandings of Christ’s work and vice versa. Establishing my use of the cultural model of disability, which I expand for use in constructive theology with Judith Butler’s notion of performativity, I examine resonances of the Disabled Christ in disability …

Economic Ethics Of Ukrainian Protestants As A Means Of Stabilization Of Economic Processes, Liudmyla Shtanko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article considers the influence of Protestant business with its inherent business ethics, attitude to work, "labor ethics" on economic processes in Ukraine. It is noted that although Ukraine does not belong to a group of Protestant countries; Protestants take a very active position in addressing many issues of social orientation. This paper describes the activity of Protestants in various fields of public life in Ukraine, including science, education, health, legal, and social spheres. Protestant businessmen have formed a Protestant business environment, which can include enterprises and organizations founded by Protestants and the influence of the founders on the concept …

The Impact Of Mentoring Young People Aged Eighteen To Thirty-Five Through Military Chaplaincy In Ghana, Noah Boahen

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Communicating The Gospel And The Culture To America’S Younger Generation Vietnamese Who Have Lost A Connection With Their Cultural And Historical Roots, Linh Le

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Communicating the Gospel and Culture to the younger Vietnamese American generations comes with many challenges. There seem to be many Vietnamese parents living in the United States who are concerned with their children losing their distinctive family cultural characteristics while living in another culture. The younger generation themselves find it hard to adapt to the American and Vietnamese cultures where they are living here. How can these young generations adapt to their new culture and not lose some of their distinctive family cultural and Christian religious roots to balance their lives? How can we help to communicate the Gospel and …

Faith Development Theory And A Developmental Approach To Spiritual Formation For The, Joshua Nolt

Doctor of Ministry

The Church has a strong vision of the beginning of a life of faith as men and women come to Christ, but it lacks a framework and language to articulate the continued development, growth, and formation of faith over a lifetime. The result is a group of leaders and followers who lack direction to facilitate a deeper participation in and formation of life with God. The external tools provided by the church do not quench the questions of their inward reality. This leads to identifying faith as doing and believing the right things, on one hand, or becoming disillusioned on …

Calm And Quiet My Soul: A Holistic Approach To Spiritual Care For The Mothering Pastor, Alyssa Bell

Doctor of Ministry

The church has seen a growing number of women emerging as pastoral leaders, many of whom are mothering children or will mother children in the coming years. In order to thrive as ministers and parents, these women need ongoing care for their souls that addresses the many facets of their being. However, such resources are scarce in the current institutional structures and spiritual patterns suggested for this demographic of clergy. In this dissertation I argue that Pastoring mothers face unique challenges in their desire to draw closer to heart of God in the midst of meeting family and ministry needs. …

The Integration Of Roman Catholic Traditions And Evidence-Based Psychological Services, Thomas G. Plante

Psychology

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest, and most enduring continuous organization, secular or religious, of any kind in the world with a 2,000-plus-year history. It currently includes well over a billion people. Regardless of its size, scope, history, and impact, the Roman Catholic Church is often greatly misunderstood and people frequently maintain stereotypic and even discriminatory views about Catholics and their clerical leaders. The purpose of this article is to present the integration of the Roman Catholic tradition into psychological assessment and therapy and to provide several examples of this integration. The article highlights how this integration can be …