Digital Commons Network^™

Bridging The Gap In Adolescent And Young Adult Sexual Health Education, Claire Rau, Anjali Jacob, Cassidy Harris, Michael Ago Tetteh

Liberty University Research Week

This research addresses the critical need for improved sexual health education for adolescents and young adults, prompted by current STI and pregnancy data in Virginia. Following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review evaluated existing evidence-based, relationship-skills-focused sexual health interventions. The findings indicate that while current programs effectively target risk reduction and pregnancy prevention, they often lack the integration of a Biblical worldview and sufficient focus on comprehensive relational development alongside sexual health knowledge. Consequently, this project proposes adapting the Love Notes program and developing the Digging Deep curriculum to better bridge these gaps.

Carrying The Call: A Literature Review On Pastoral Burnout, Nisaa Robinson

College of Arts and Cultural Studies

This literature review examines theory and practice related to the leadership challenge of burnout among Black full-time pastors serving mid—sized urban churches in the Midwestern United States. Utilizing 21 sources across peer—reviewed, professional, popular, and action—network literature, the review applies pragmatic and interpretive research philosophies to evaluate contributing and mitigating factors, conceptual frameworks, validated assessments, and leadership practice implications. The review synthesizes foundational literature, clergy—specific extensions, and culturally responsive scholarship to identify evidence—based insights. Significant gaps in culturally specific, regionally disaggregated research are identified, with implications for future inquiry and organizational leadership practice.

Keefektifan Pelatihan Keterampilan Asertif Untuk Meningkatkan Perilaku Asertif Siswa Korban Bullying Di Sma, Karyanti Karyanti, Adi Atmoko, Immanuel Hitipeuw

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of assertive skills training in improving assertive behavior of bullied high school students. Single Subject Research with ABAB reversal design is used in this study. There are 4 subjects from class X in academic year 2013/2014 which is identified as victims of bullying and had low assertive behavior based on the scale of victims of bullying and scale of assertive behavior (internal consistency validity and reliability 0,800 e” 0.3). Baseline data phase and intervention phase are obtained through observation. Data is analyzed using visual analysis chart. The results show the assertive skills training …

Crossing The Border: A Participatory Action Research Project For The Brentwood Oaks Church Of Christ To Engage With Spanish-Speaking Neighbors Through Missional Hospitality, Charles Johanson

Harding School of Theology Dissertations and Theses

Throughout Scripture, hospitality occupies a central place in the mission of God. Welcoming the stranger across cultural barriers requires the church to practice missional hospitality by playing the role of host and, especially, guest in the neighborhood. Moreover, small group experimentation facilitates the innovation necessary to effectively practice missional hospitality. Through experimentation in cross-cultural situations, church members increase their awareness of cultural differences that leads to opportunities for the congregation to welcome neighbors in loving, sacrificial, and hospitable ways. Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ (BOCC) resides next to a neighborhood with a high population of Spanish-speaking immigrants. The goal of …

Spirituality-Based Character Education Strategic Management, Henderikus Dasrimin, Ali Imron, Achmad Supriyanto

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

The purpose of this study is to determine the process of strategic management of character-based characterization of Carmelite spirituality at Senior High School. This study uses a qualitative approach with multi-site study design. Data were collected through observation, interviews and documentation studies. Data analysis used single data analysis and cross-site data analysis. The results of the study show that: (1) strategic planning is characterized by the formation of organizational structures and task descriptions by principals, (2) character education programs formulated in Academic Guidebooks or Learning Guidelines (3) the implementation of character education is done by assigning character values in the …

Rhetorical Strategies In Writing-Based Suicide Prevention: A Qualitative Study For Navy Chaplains And Command Leadership In Region East, Herode Jean-Vilien Thomas

Masters Theses

Suicide prevention remains a critical challenge within military environments, particularly in operational settings where communication between leaders and service members often occurs under conditions of stress and urgency. While the United States Navy has implemented numerous prevention initiatives, limited attention has been given to the role of written communication as a relational and persuasive tool in crisis response. This study examines how rhetorical strategies influence writing-based suicide prevention communication within Navy Recruiting Command Region East. Drawing on classical rhetorical theory and contemporary communication research, the study explores how tone, clarity, message structure, and audience awareness shape the effectiveness of crisis …

A Phenomenological Study Of Thai Adult Christians’ Experiences Of A Secure Attachment To God, Sujirat Sirichai

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe Thai adult Christians’ experiences of developing a secure attachment to God. Many Thai children experience insecure attachments with their primary caregivers and attachment trauma. This study was guided by attachment theory to examine how attachment to primary caregivers, life crises, and relational and spiritual factors influenced the development of a secure attachment to God. This research used a transcendental phenomenological approach with a snowball sample of eight Thai adult Christians who demonstrate a secure attachment to God. Data collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed through coding. Data analysis revealed six themes …

Christian Leadership In Times Of Persecution: A Comparative Study Of The Pastoral Response Of Tertullian And Cyprian To The Phenomena Of Oppression And Martyrdom In North Africa, Thomas Michael Ray Knoff

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examines Christian leadership during persecution through a comparative study of Tertullian and Cyprian in Roman North Africa in the late second and mid third centuries. Although both figures are central to early Christian theology and ecclesiology, their leadership is often assessed without sustained attention to the pressures created by persecution.

Using a historical and theological approach, the dissertation examines the writings and ministerial actions of Tertullian and Cyprian as responses formed under conditions of hostility. Close engagement with their treatises, letters, and apologetic works shows how persecution influenced their understanding of martyrdom and apostasy and guided their handling …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Utilization Of Coping Strategies Among Pastors: Religious Strategies Vs. Secular/Traditional Strategies, Arbedella Denise Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how Christian pastors serving congregations throughout the United States utilize religious and secular coping strategies to address occupational stress and achieve work-life balance. The theory guiding this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) transactional model of stress and coping, as it provided a framework for understanding how pastors cognitively and emotionally respond to ministry-related challenges, and how their coping choices, whether spiritual or secular, reflect an ongoing process of adaptation, meaning-making, and resilience within complex realities of pastoral life. The study was guided by three research questions that explored how pastors …

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study Exploring Leadership Styles That Support Teacher Retention In Christian Secondary Schools, Jeremy T. Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the leadership styles of school administrators that influence teacher retention for secondary Christian school teachers, in a southeastern coastal state. The theory guiding this study was Avolio’s full-range leadership model, which provides the background to understanding how leadership styles of school administrators influence the retention rate of their teachers. The central research question was: What are the retention experiences of secondary Christian school educators who attribute their persistence to the leadership styles of school administrators? Data was collected from 11 secondary Christian school teachers to explore the persistence experiences of …

The Modern Shift In The Roman Catholic Understanding Of Speaking In Tongues, John Gresham

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Over the course of the twentieth century, the Roman Catholic understanding of speaking in tongues shifted from viewing the gift as always and exclusively xenolalia (infused knowledge of foreign languages) to a view of tongues as primarily glossolalia (inspired praise not in any known human language). This theological shift is reflected in standard Catholic reference works and in the ordinary teachings of the Catholic magisterium. This shift was a result of Catholic acceptance of historical-critical study of Scripture, a new understanding of charisms, ecumenical openness to the gifts of other Christian traditions, and most significantly, the rise of the Charismatic …

Faith-Based Coping In Crisis: How Religious Beliefs Shape Trauma, Resilience, And Recovery Across Contexts, Kailyn M. Howard

Honors Theses

This study examines the relationship between religious belief and responses to trauma, with a focus on how faith-based coping mechanisms influence resilience in crisis situations. Drawing on interdisciplinary research in psychology, theology, and education, the paper analyzes how individuals interpret and respond to trauma through religious frameworks. The biblical book of Job is examined alongside contemporary psychological theories of trauma and recovery to identify areas of alignment and tension. Using a comparative approach, the study explores common themes across religious traditions, including meaning-making, suffering, community support, and hope, and evaluates how these factors contribute to or hinder emotional healing. The …

As I Remember Your Tears: A Biblically Grounded, Integrated Ecosystemic Model For Mentoring Ministers In Distress, John R. Dingle

PhD in Organizational Leadership

This study addressed a gap in the literature concerning how mentoring supports ministers who are experiencing distress and turnover intention. The purpose of this dissertation was to develop a biblically grounded model for mentoring ministers in distress. This qualitative study employed a two-phase design consisting of a sociorhetorical analysis of 2 Timothy and a phenomenological study of four Assemblies of God ministers who experienced turnover intention but remained in ministry because of a mentor’s intervention. The biblical text was analyzed using the sociorhetorical textures of inner texture, intertexture, and sacred texture. The phenomenological data were analyzed using open, values, and …

Collaborative Ministry Leadership: A Mixed-Methods Study Into The Application Of Collaborative Leadership In United Pentecostal Churches In The Southeastern United States., Omar A. Williams

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This dissertation examines how collaborative leadership, grounded in theological and practical applications, impacts ministry effectiveness in United Pentecostal Churches (UPCI) in the Southeastern United States. It employed a mixed-methods design, with in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with twelve senior UPCI pastors, and quantitative surveys administered to 63 members of their core leadership teams. Although collaborative leadership is a widely held ideal in ministry, a gap often exists between its theory and its practical implementation. The findings reveal a significant convergence in the relational, visionary, and developmental dimensions of collaboration. The pastors are theologically committed to rejecting autocratic models. They are perceived …

Pastoral Listening Skills Training In The Black Baptist Church: Equipping Clergy To Better Support Congregants, Regina Pair Allen

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

This study engages a historical survey of qualitative studies of perspectives of Black pastors regarding pastoral care, examining various avenues for training in pastoral listening and the role of ministers as theological clinicians in supporting church ministries and community needs. The findings highlight the ongoing need for professional development among pastors as primary educators and theological clinicians. The study underscores the importance of equipping Black Baptist pastors to address the clinical pastoral needs of African American congregants. The significance to this field of study is providing Black Baptist clergy with practical skills and tools, grounded in theological principles, to better …

Clergy Prayer Life And Vocational Satisfaction, Zoraida C. Kelly

Great Commission Research Journal

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of clergy concerning their prayer life as part of their spiritual renewal and vocational satisfaction. The central research question is “How do clergy describe the relationship between their prayer life, vocational satisfaction, and spiritual renewal?” This study used Michael Gemignani’s (2002) Spiritual Renewal Theory and Super’s (1953) Theory of Vocational Development as lenses. The research design consisted of semi-formal interviews with open-ended questions. The investigation shed light on the lived experience of prayer as part of spiritual renewal and its potential positive effect on vocational satisfaction. This study included five participants who …

Cultural Landscaping Of North Korea: Preparing For Mission Engagement Through Large-Scale Defector Insights On Economy And Society, Soo Min James Park

Great Commission Research Journal

North Korea is one of the world’s most closed societies, yet history shows that closed systems can shift rapidly. A sudden opening through political change, humanitarian crisis, or expanded cross-border engagement could expose millions to unprecedented cultural, social, and spiritual influences. While earlier mission research relied primarily on anecdotal testimonies or small-sample studies, this study draws on the most comprehensive resource available to date, in-depth surveys of 6,351 North Korean defectors released in 2025 by South Korea’s Ministry of Unification. Through thematic analysis, the study conducts cultural deductions across nine categories, including five of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, cultural tightness/looseness, communication …

Giovanni Da Legnano’S Reception Of Thomas Of Ireland’S Manipulus Florum (1306) In The Prohemium To The Somnium, Chris L. Nighman

History Faculty Publications

This article demonstrates the reception of the influential florilegium Manipulus florum in Giovanni da Legnano’s Somnium, a discovery that has major implications for future scholarship on not only this text, but all of this author’s surviving works. It also reports some very unusual, probably unique, contextual evidence for his reception of the Manipulus.

The History And Distinctives Of Liberty University In Training Pastors At The Undergraduate Level, Mason Andrew Hamilton

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis aims to demonstrate that the Pastoral Leadership major is a viable discipline that calls for appropriate consideration for all considering pastoral ministry. More specifically, this thesis documents the historical distinctiveness of Liberty University’s Pastoral Leadership major in preparing and training men and women for life in pastoral ministry.

The first section discusses the historical developments of pastoral ministry. Ample attention is given to the biblical roots and significant events in church history that discuss the progression of pastors and ordination. The second section discusses the establishment of professional pastoral ministry at Liberty University. The third section illustrates the …

Reclaiming The Listening Pastor: A Pastoral Introduction To Spiritual Direction And Its Implications For A Recovery Of Pastoral Identity, Formation, And Sustainability In The Pentecostal Tradition, Hannah E.R. Sims

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

American Pentecostalism has long been marked by spiritual vitality, yet its theology of pastoral identity remains comparatively underdeveloped. Pentecostal pastors are often recognized as Spirit-led leaders and compelling communicators, but many now find themselves functioning primarily as organizational executives or cultural personalities—roles shaped more by business strategy and therapeutic expectation than by historic practices of spiritual care. In this quiet shift, something sacred has thinned. Pastors frequently experience role confusion, spiritual fatigue, and a subtle distancing from the relational and formational heart of their vocation. This dissertation explores what has been diminished within Pentecostal pastoral identity and what might yet …

Haitian Protestant Leaders’ Perceptions Of Social Media Use For Discipleship, Cherubin Dorcil

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This qualitative descriptive study explores how Haitian Protestant church leaders in a large urban area of the northeastern United States describe the influence of their use of social media on promoting discipleship. The study addresses a gap in understanding how digital ministry practices are interpreted within Haitian Protestant diaspora contexts and how these practices inform both theory and ministry application. Using a qualitative descriptive design, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 Haitian Protestant church leaders selected through convenience sampling. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis, which resulted in the identification of five primary themes: social media as …

Do Not Sit Or Quit: From Marginalized To Mobilized In The Third Stage Of Life: A Theological And Pastoral Response To The Rebirth Of Purpose, Dignity, And Calling Among Aging Believers, Brent M. Nordan

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

This project examines how senior citizens can rediscover purpose, productivity, and spiritual vitality in the third stage of life through intentional pastoral engagement and church-based ministry models. The study addresses the growing demographic of aging adults who often face social marginalization and spiritual neglect within local congregations. Using a qualitative research approach, this project incorporates biblical and theological reflection, case study analysis, and ministry fieldwork conducted within an active church context. Grounded in the biblical doctrine of the imago Dei, the research affirms that senior adults retain divine purpose and value regardless of age. Key passages of Scripture form the …

Columns Spring 2026, Southern Adventist University

Alumni Newsletter

The Spring 2026 issue of Columns features articles about Southern's new mission statement, living memoirs, and a new student led ministries.

Mood Monitoring In Schools: A Promising Alternative To Single-Time-Point Screening, Shane L. Rogers, Brown, Kathryn Campbell, Matthew Goulding

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

School-based mental health screening typically relies on single-time-point assessments, which assume that students’ emotional well-being is sufficiently stable for classification based on a single measurement. The present study examined this assumption by evaluating the stability of emotional well-being classifications under repeated mood monitoring. Students from two secondary schools (United Kingdom, n = 413; Australia, n = 354) completed the Brief Emotional Experience Scale weekly across six to seven weeks. Emotional well-being classifications were examined relative to a predefined low well-being threshold to assess stability across time, and a post-monitoring survey examined students’ self-reported perceptions of the monitoring experience. Most students …

The Unlikely Outcome Of A Struggling Kindergartner: A Cognitive Rags-To-Riches Tale, Amanda M. Butler

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Despite teachers’ implementation of research-based strategies, many students fail to make adequate progress. In some cases, this stems from a neurophysiological response that is beyond the teacher’s and student’s control. Drawing on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, unintended findings from a previous study illuminate a larger, deeply convoluted issue that will promote unique conversations in education circles. These findings bear significant discoveries that could alter the trajectory for failing students and elevate the teaching profession.

Full Issue: Volume 15, Number 1, Fall 2021, Judy Beck, Susan Fernandez

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

This file contains the full issue of TEJSC, including front matter, table of contents, editorial notes, and articles.

Annual Report 2025, Tennessee. Department Of Correction.

Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Henri Nouwen: Theologian, Caregiver - How Do His Writings Support Informal Caregivers?, Dr. Julie Yonker

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

•Analyze the Impact and Visibility of Informal Caregivers   •Evaluate Henri Nouwen’s Theological Framework for Caregiving   •Develop Practical Support Strategies for Faith Communities

Graduate Student Supervision And Artificial Intelligence: Findings From Academic Faculty Interviews Across Disciplines, Kari D. Weaver, Nadine Fladd

Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students

There is widespread discussion in higher education about the potential implications of GenAI for research and writing tasks (George, 2023). Many graduate students are under intense pressure to finish their degree milestones in a timely manner, and these rapidly evolving technologies offer the potential to optimize and automate much of the research and writing process. But the ethical, developmental, and career implications of graduate students – both masters’ and doctoral – using these technologies requires particularly careful consideration, as these students are simultaneously learners, scholars, and, sometimes, educators. Although emerging research about GenAI use in higher education has examined the …

“Enslavement By Unbridled Passions:” Catholic Magisterial Institutional Attitudes Toward Homosexuals In Poland Between 1945 And 1989, Agnieszka Laddach

Journal of Global Catholicism

During Communism, the Polish bishops presented a narrative about (homo)sexuality with in order to create the image of a righteous moral and social life that was to influence the Catholics. In my research I conduced a thematic analysis of this narrative. I highlight the doctrinal and Polish social-religious context to foreground tendencies in the formation of Church teaching about homosexuality as well as the importance of the Church in Poland to its formation. Then, I show the factors that characterize the episcopal discourse’s content and language about homosexuality, recognizing that components of episcopal discourse suggest a specificity of Church potential …