Digital Commons Network^™

Library As Place: Fostering The Christian Traditions Of Scholarship, Silence, And Hospitality, Lyndi Fabbrini

Librarian Publications and Presentations

Academic libraries have changed and evolved, yet they remain a staple of academic life, supporting students by providing them with the space and materials they need to succeed in their courses. Beyond housing physical collections, library space holds a special significance and fulfills a vital need in the community to which it belongs. In studying Library as Place, three qualities of libraries emerge that are also deeply rooted in the Christian tradition: scholarship, silence, and hospitality. An exploration of these traditions demonstrates how libraries provide spaces for these practices to flourish.

Neither Jew Nor Greek: Considering A Christian Social Justice Model, Steven Brooks

Faculty Publications and Presentations

American society has been on a necessary trek towards social justice, mainly because of a history of institutional slavery, the systematic oppression of native peoples, and unnecessary gender bias. However, in the 21st century, social justice has not only become a rallying cry for socialism, but also a platform that has resulted in inequalities. In contrast, a Christian social justice model recognizes humanity as equal recipients of God’s grace in that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34, NIV). The “level playing field” of social justice is summarized in Jesus’ words, “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16a, …

Brain Development And Intervention For Students Who Experienced Trauma, Alicia Teeter

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been a growing recognition of the profound impact of trauma on students' academic achievement, behavior, and overall well-being. Schools play a critical role in supporting students affected by trauma, and implementing a trauma-informed approach within educational settings has emerged as a crucial strategy for creating safe and nurturing environments to improve learning. The essential components of how to implement when implementing the essential components of a trauma-informed approach, the focus should involve collaboration and partnership with mental health professionals, community organizations, and families. These essential components are to ensure that students receive comprehensive support for each of their …

Death Notification For The Law Enforcement Chaplain; Considering Models That Emphasize The Ministry Of Presence, Steven W. Brooks

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Against a backdrop of protocols developed in the medical community for delivering bad news (news of a distressing nature) to patients and survivors (e.g., friends and family of a patient or victim), a straightforward procedure is described for law enforcement chaplains who must deliver death notifications to civilians. A description of and appreciation for the ministry of presence is explored. Specifically, the ministry of presence, modeled after Jesus’ example in the Incarnation and His development of disciples, is described as the cornerstone of chaplaincy.

Silent Holy Spirit, January-March 2024

Silent Holy Spirit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in St. Louis, MO

Silent Holy Spirit Finding Aid

Christian Leadership Development: A Christian Leadership Development Curriculum To Increase Emotional Intelligence (Eq) Using A Multifauceted Approach, Molly Katherine Schroeder

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study delved into the need for, design, and evaluation of a Christian Leadership Development curriculum aimed explicitly at increasing Emotional Intelligence among leaders within the Christian faith through a multifaceted approach that blended Spiritual Practices, activities, and periods of reflection, all underpinned by Experiential Learning Theory. Adopting a qualitative case study research design, Christian leaders currently serving in a pastoral role participated in a two-session workshop series utilizing the Christian Leadership Development curriculum. An Emotional Intelligence self-assessment, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, was utilized both prior to participation in the workshops, and immediately following the workshops. Participants also completed a survey …

Chaplaincy & Medical Family Therapy: Christian Witness To Presence, Incarnation, And Hospitality In The Pacific Northwest, R. Fraser Reach

Seattle Pacific Seminary Theses

This essay is an exploration of hospital chaplaincy as a frontline of faith in America today. This Thesis is a joint project between Seattle Pacific Seminary and the Department of Medical Family Therapy. It combines a literature review addressing topics of concern and practice for hospital chaplains and medical family therapists with a personal appeal to Christian ministers, seminary students, therapists, chaplains, and clergy who are called to serve in this vocation, including those who relate to this topic as a sense of mission. It is a compilation of tools, evidence-based explorations, and theology addressing hospital chaplaincy. It includes history, …

Hybrid Faith: A Study On The Impact Of Digital Technology On Church Communication During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Gertrude Dzirasa-Payne

Doctor of Ministry

The 21st Century has witnessed a new age characterized by exponential growth of global internet users and the central role of digital technology impacting the economy, science, religion, government, and society.1,2 Information is available via digital channels in every form, whether word, image, or sound.3 Digital technology is integrated into society and has influenced the practice of the Church, leading to the emergence of a phenomenon known as “Hybrid Faith,” the merging of in-person faith and online faith into one holistic integrated experience.4 This study explores how small and medium-sized churches in two cities adopted digital communication technology to engage …

How Does Therapy Impact African American Christians?, Suzette Theresa Law

Doctor of Ministry

A fundamental problem for African Americans is the underuse of mental health services, leaving mental health needs unmet. Many African Americans have already been subjected to enough stigmatization to the point they refuse to open themselves up to further ridicule and do not acknowledge mental health problems as medical. As a culture, African Americans continue to be distrustful of Caucasians, who fill most roles in the mental health field. 1 The researcher found cultural mistrust was the most consistent and powerful predictor of help-seeking attitudes.

This research explores the reasoning behind why those in African American communities are reluctant to …

Carriers Of The Cloak: Six Steps For Christian Chaplains To Grow As Humble Leaders And Healthy Servants, John Gabriel Lawson

Doctor of Ministry

Chaplains are expected to be the spiritual leaders of their units, sometimes for thousands of people at a time, while also being expected to maintain the highest professional standards of regular military officers. They are charged with defending religious freedoms and guarding the spiritual development of those under their care, regardless of their faith background. These expectations, coupled with combat deployments and high levels of vicarious trauma that is often experienced through counseling, make it very difficult to maintain spiritual health. Given all these pressures, I noticed how spiritual health and leadership quality can suffer in the lives of military …

Calvin Bibliography 2024, Sam Ha

Calvin Bibliographies

No abstract provided.

Providing Specialized Preparation For Counselors In Catholic Schools, Timothy J. Cook, Jan Powers, Jiwon Kim

Journal of Catholic Education Pre-Prints

School counselors are needed now more than ever. Providing Catholic school counselors the specialized formation they need to be effective in the Catholic school context is essential. This study addressed two research questions in this regard: (1) What competencies (e.g., understanding, incorporating) and topics do Catholic school principals and school counselors believe are important for school counselors to fully contribute to the educational and faith-based mission of Catholic schools; and (2) How might the research findings inform pre-service education and/or continuing education and formation of school counselors for the Catholic school context? Online surveys were developed using the “Defining Characteristics …

Calvin Theological Seminary Academic Catalog 2024-2025, Calvin Theological Seminary

Seminary Academic Catalogs

No abstract provided.

“The Program Encourages People Not To Have A Heavy Heart”: A Qualitative Study Of A Family Strengthening Program In Kenya, Johanna K. P. Greeson, John Gyourko, Sarah Wasch, Christopher Page

Department of Social Work - Faculty Scholarship

There are millions of street-connected children worldwide, with thousands estimated in Kenya. Many child-serving organizations - including Agape Children’s Ministry (Agape) in western Kenya - provide rehabilitation and family reintegration services to remove children from the streets and reunite them with their families. This study aims to elucidate barriers and facilitators of Agape’s Family Strengthening Program (FSP) and elicit feedback. Twelve children and 12 caregivers who participated in the FSP, as well as 11 Agape staff, participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews for this study. Salient child/caregiver themes include: (1) spirituality/religion, (2) reflections on the FSP, (3) reflections on Agape, and …

I Am Gay And Catholic: An Analysis Of Identity Integration In Lgbtq+ Members Converting To Catholicism, Maria Julian

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This article examines the negotiation of sexual and religious identities among Catholic members of the LGBTQ+ community. I explore context-specific identity negotiation to determine how and why, in a time of “cultural warfare” within the Catholic Church surrounding the acceptance of LGBTQ+ participants, LGBTQ+ members choose to convert to Catholicism. Through semi-structured interviews conducted with members of the LGBTQ+ community, I identify and discuss several themes based on the identity integration process of these individuals: (1) Experiencing “The Call” (the initial interest in Catholicism), (2) Encountering the Religious “Other” (association with a welcoming and enduring Catholic LGBTQ+ Community), (3) Immersion …

The Calvin Forum: Summer 2024, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 34., SUMMER 2024

Main Features: 5 - Letter from the President

8 - Calvin Theological Seminary: A living tradition of service for the 21st Century

12- Virtuous reasoning

15 - Why on Earth look to the church for help in society?

19 - Bringing the trouble to church: the call to Christ-Centered mental health support

22 - The need for effective leaders: Competency-based education on the rise

24 - A challenging journey: Preaching through competition, wariness, and trauma

Calvin Seminary News: 28 - Calvin Theological seminary partners with Missional training center

31 - Calvin Theological …

Moral Exemplars Attitude Surveys, Sam And Pearl Oliner

Moral Exemplars Study

No abstract provided.

2024 Acts Of Synod, Crcna

Agendas and Acts of Synod

Grand Rapids, MI: Rev. Derek Buikema, president; Rev. Stephen F. Terpstra, vice president; Rev. Joshua M. Christoffels, first clerk; Rev. Daniel De Graff, second clerk

The Calvin Forum: Winter 2024, Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

CONTENTS - Vol. 33., Winter 2024

Main Features: 5 - Letter from the President

8 - Introduction: What does it mean to be Reformed?

10- Coming around the table to explore our reformed identity

14 - Understanding reformed identity from a teaching, learning, & scholarship perspective

18 - Essays on being Reformed

20 - Reformed identity through the eyes of a Professor of philosophical theology

24 - New faculty members' reflections on Reformed Identity

28 - Looking ahead: A faculty project on the Reformed Identity of Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Seminary News: 32 - Latino Minitries program update …

2024 Church Order, Crcna

Church Order and Its Supplements

No abstract provided.

2024 Agenda, Crcna

Agendas and Acts of Synod

Grand Rapids, MI: Rev. Derek Buikema, president; Rev. Stephen F. Terpstra, vice president; Rev. Joshua M. Christoffels, first clerk; Rev. Daniel De Graff, second clerk

An Examination Of Religious Leaders' Perceptions Of Scrupulosity, Nicole K. Hale

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Religious obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or scrupulosity is a subtype of OCD consisting of religious-themed obsessions and/or compulsions. Individuals with scrupulosity are most likely first to disclose symptoms and seek help from their religious leaders. As a result, religious leaders’ responses to disclosed symptoms may have a substantial impact on the course of the disorder, including how individuals interpret their symptoms and whether they decide to seek assistance from a mental health provider. Despite the potentially important role of religious leaders in the course of scrupulosity, research focused on the religious leaders’ perceptions of scrupulosity is limited. Further, little is known …

Impact Of Social Support On Turnover Intentions And Burnout Among Hispanic Religious Leaders, Sandra Montenegro

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

In some cases, role stressors force members of the clergy to rely on social support to maintain themselves serving in ministry. In this study, the Job Demands and Resources (JD-R) model is applied to investigate the interaction between vocational demands (role stressors and occupational distress) and resources (social support) in predicting burnout and turnover intentions in Florida clergy. A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the buffering role of social support systems in mitigating turnover intentions and the overall impact on clergy burnout. The findings suggest that role overload, role conflict, and occupational distress are significantly related to burnout, …

Emotional Stressors Faced By Medical Students Expressed Using Cartoons: A Qualitative Study, Casey Fishman, Ba, Justin Do, Bs, Fred W. Markham Jr., Md

Alpha Omega Alpha Research Symposium Posters

Purpose: Empathy, a fundamental pillar of medicine, has been shown to decrease in medical school. Increased stress is linked to decreased empathy, but specific stressors remain unclear. The goal of this study was to qualitatively explore specific stressors among third year medical students.

Methods: Third year medical students (n=248) participated in Reflection Rounds with a clinician and a member of pastoral care at Thomas Jefferson University and in their final sessions created a cartoon to express sentiments surrounding medicine. Qualitative analysis of the cartoons was conducted on both the images and text. Common themes were identified from the students’ …

A Triage And Case Management Approach To Membership Management Prioritizing Soul Treatment, Dwayne K. Jones

Doctor of Ministry

Many individuals and families feel disillusioned by churches failing to address their emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. With limited research demonstrating how the needs of members are prioritized, the research we have done has shown triage is critical in evaluating the priority of treatment needs in life-saving matters. The question this dissertation addresses is if there is a triage and case management approach that can set a better course for prioritizing treatment and healing for an individual or family seeking restoration when joining the church. It aims to assess how this approach can target critical needs beyond regular church activities …

The Federal Future Of Medication Abortion, Michelle S. Simon

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

A majority of Americans believe that there should be a right to abortion, at least in some cases. Yet a vocal and determined minority has its sights set on a complete ban on all abortions everywhere in the United States. In many states, these anti-abortion activists have achieved their goal through new laws and limitations enacted in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 decision in Dobbs. Anti-abortion advocates are also challenging the Food and Drug Administration's regulatory approval of mifepristone, one of the drugs used in medication abortion (also known as medical abortion). The FDA had initially approved mifepristone …

Transforming The Culture Of Care, Implementation Of Developmentally Supportive Care In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Taylor Ann Jones

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The current study examines the implementation of the evidence-based practices of the neonatal integrative developmental care model in the neonatal intensive care unit and how these practices are implemented in reference to initiation method and frequency. In recent years, research examining the effectiveness of individualized, developmentally supportive care to infants in the NICU has demonstrated a variety of positive effects. Although great strides have been made in efforts to provide developmentally supportive care, wide variability and inconsistency remain in the quantity and quality of experience for infants and families in the NICU. Even though a hospital may incorporate developmentally supportive …

Cancer Survivorship Care In The United States At Facilities Accredited By The Commission On Cancer, Julia Stal, Kimberly A. Miller, Timothy W. Mullett, Judy C. Boughey, Amanda B. Francescatti, Elizabeth Funk, Heidi Nelson, David R. Freyer

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Since 2021, American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) accreditation standards require providing a survivorship program for patients with adult-onset cancer treated with curative intent. Since more than 70% of all patients with cancer in the US are treated at CoC-accredited facilities, this presents an opportunity for a landscape analysis of survivorship care availability.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence, types, and outcomes of cancer survivorship services at CoC-accredited facilities.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This survey study used an anonymous, online, cross-sectional survey conducted from May 4 to 25, 2023. Participants were CoC-accredited facilities in the US representing diverse …

Ministry Formation: An African American Pastor's Perspective On The Use Of Non-Seminary And Secular Work Training For Pastoral Leadership, Jerry Kelvin Maynard

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In contemporary society, the role of pastors and religious leaders is crucial in guiding communities towards spiritual growth and providing support during times of hardship. However, the traditional path to becoming a pastor typically involves seminary training and theological education. This project aims to explore how an African American pastor utilizes his non-seminary training and secular work experiences to serve in pastoral leadership. By examining the unique background and experiences of this pastor, the researcher seeks to shed light on the ways in which non-traditional forms of preparation can contribute to effective pastoral ministry, particularly in diverse pastoral selection and …

A Mixed-Method Evaluation Of Implementation Determinants For Chaplain Intervention In A Hospital Setting, Jennifer S Mascaro, Marianne P Florian, Erin Brauer, Patricia K Palmer, Marcia J Ash, Maureen Shelton, Roman Palitsky, Deanna M Kaplan, Shaheen Rana, Cam Escoffery, Charles L Raison, George H Grant

Faculty and Staff Publications

Healthcare chaplains address broad social and emotional dimensions of care within a pluralistic religious landscape. Although the development and evaluation of chaplaincy interventions has advanced the field, little research has investigated factors influencing the implementation of new chaplain interventions. In this mixed-method study, we examined attitudes about evidence-based interventions held by chaplain residents (n = 39) at the outset of an ACPE-accredited residency program in the southeast United States. We also used semi-structured interviews (n = 9) to examine residents' attitudes, beliefs, and decision-making processes after they trained in the delivery of a novel manualized intervention, Compassion-Centered Spiritual Health (CCSH). …