Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Exclusionary Discipline In Early Childhood, Courtney O'Grady, Michaelene M. Ostrosky

Journal of Catholic Education

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to examine how the perceptions and experiences of teachers relate to the suspension and expulsion of preschoolers in Catholic schools.Results indicated that teachers have a range of experiences with suspension, from children being removed from the classroom temporarily to out-of-school suspensions lasting up to a week. Most participants also had experienced expelling a student because of behavior. Patterns that emerged from the data included a frequency of extreme behavior from some children, the application of various strategies in response to challenging behavior, the use of exclusionary discipline when other strategies did not …

Measuring Students’ Sense Of School Catholic Identity, Monica J. Kowalski, Julie W. Dallavis, Stephen M. Ponisciak, Gina Svarovsky

Journal of Catholic Education

As a ministry of the Catholic Church, Catholic schools are charged with educating stu­dents’ hearts and minds. Multiple standardized academic tests and other student assessments are available for monitoring both student and teacher outcomes in Catholic schools, but fewer measures exist for considering the school’s faith-related mission. Although tests of student religious knowledge and benchmarks related to specific Catholic elements of the school are available, we do not yet have a robust set of instruments that provide teachers and leaders an understanding of their progress in providing a school environment permeated by Catholic culture and faith. To consider how students …

Raising The Roar: A Case Study Of Early Adolescent Student Voice On Service-Learning And Catholic Identity, April Beuder

LMU Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined early adolescent students’ perceptions of their service-learning program experiences at one Catholic elementary school in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA). The purpose of the study was: (a) to understand how the powerful tradition of the Church related to doing works of social justice and outreach was experienced by students in one ADLA Catholic elementary school in the form of experiential service learning, and (b) to explore whether associations exist between the students’ perceptions of their Catholic identities and their service-learning experiences. This study gathered research from student voice and work samples and utilized Carver’s …

Expanding The Church’S Understanding Of The Scope Of Apologetics In Evangelism, Jonathan Dinkins

Selected Honors Theses

This paper examines the scope of Apologetics. It argues for the need of a nuanced, holistic form of Apologetics that incorporates a vast array of forms of persuasion that may be used by the Holy Spirit to show a nonbeliever the truth of the Gospel and the necessity to trust in Jesus. It records data from a quantitative study which investigated the personal faith journeys of disciples of Christ and the factors which helped to persuade them of the truth of the Gospel and to submit to the leadership of Jesus. This thesis proposes that the common evangelical understanding of …

Discipleship Renewed: Returning To The Ancient Teachings Of Jesus As The Manual For Modern-Day Christianity, Sarah Duron

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

The modern American Christian is faced with a society that is in unprecedented spiritual decline. Yet, is today’s church equipped with the fortitude to shine as light in darkness like Jesus intended? The concern behind this project is that a broad view of current Christian landscape reveals a great need to reclarify what it means to be a Christian. In His teaching, Jesus provides everything that is needed for the Christian life. The American church needs to experience a genuine return to the kind of Christianity that Jesus intended. It is the kind that can be referred to as discipleship. …

A Kingdom Model Of Leadership: Developing A Biblical Leadership Standard Established On Kingdom Principles And Exemplified By The Person And Ministry Of Jesus, Meredith James

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Although secular leadership principles and insights may benefit pastors and ministry leaders, business practices and cultural trends should not be the driving influences that guide and inform the church. Many pastors and ministry leaders are not practicing the biblical concept of kingdom leadership that Jesus modeled. Instead, they have increasingly relied on secular leadership strategies to produce successful results for their churches. This approach to ministry can often guide ministry leaders to depend on their natural gifts, marketing campaigns, and elevated production elements to grow attendance. The problem with this ministry methodology is that faithfulness and biblical truth are many …

Providing Effective Pastoral Leadership Through Difficult Seasons: Overcoming Barriers To Becoming A Revitalized Church, Joseph Lee

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Leading churches in revitalization is challenging. Church plateau, decline, and revitalization have been issues for major denominations for years. Revitalization efforts have produced positive results for some churches, but the overall trend of decline in church attendance and participation in North America persists. One complicating factor in engaging church revitalization is the contextual nature of barriers contributing to plateau and decline. Some barriers may be specific to the churches' time, location, and culture. A second complicating factor impacting church revitalization is the COVID-19 pandemic that began early in 2020. This project explores church leadership dynamics during challenges seasons by focusing …

A Daily Time With God For Spiritual Growth: How Worship, Scripture, And Prayer Transform People Into Fully Devoted Followers Of Jesus, Luke Cunningham

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Bible engagement, faith practice, and people identifying as followers of Jesus are at an all-time low in America. Christians are casually attending church, occasionally volunteering, but not transforming into fully devoted followers of Jesus. Discipleship is defined differently from church to church, and “spiritual formation” is the new rave without much local church praxis. How do Christians go from a weekly faith of attendance to a daily faith of transformation? The focus of this doctoral dissertation is to present the practice of daily meetings with God as the solution to this problem. It is by laying out a clear theology …

Called To Serve: Developing An Understanding Of Pentecostal Pastoral And Practice From Pentecostal Theology And Tradition, Joshua Willaford

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Alongside Pentecostalism’s continued growth in both adherents and influence, there has also been an effort amongst contemporary Pentecostal scholarship to crystalize the ways in which Pentecostal theology and tradition finds its expression in practical theology. At present, too little effort has been dedicated to clearly articulating a theological vision for the role of the pastor in a Pentecostal church in a way that aligns with the movement’s unique contours. The aim of this research was to discover the impact of a presentation of Pentecostal theology and tradition on the development of the pastoral identity and practice of Assemblies of God …

Young Adult Attrition In The American Church: The Suspected Causes And Suggested Cures, Randall M. Morrow

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Young adults in America today are deciding that the Church is no longer relevant, so they are choosing to drop out in increasing numbers. Their disaffiliation from communities of faith is also harming their personal faith. This observation is irrespective of Church denominations; their exodus occurs in most faith groups, including Catholic, Mainline Protestant, Evangelical, and Pentecostal/Charismatic denominations. Consequently, the future vitality of the Church is threatened. Why does this problem exist, and what can be done to intervene and change the downward trajectory? What should Christian parents and ministry leaders do differently to achieve a higher retention rate of …

The Top Ten Challenges Facing Churches In 2023, Edward E. Moody Jr.

Great Commission Research Journal

This article summarizes the results of a study conducted by the Great Commission Research Network seeking to identify the top challenges facing churches in 2023. The results are similar to other recently conducted studies, emphasizing challenges related to evangelism and young adults.

Introduction To Special Section On Gary L. Mcintosh, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

My Pilgrimage In Church Growth, Gary L. Mcintosh

Great Commission Research Journal

A short autobiography by Gary McIntosh focusing on his role in the Church Growth Movement

Book Review: Polycentric Leadership: Toward A New Theoretical Model For Global Leadership By Joseph W. Handley, Jr., Mark D. Wood

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Great Commission Research Journal Spring 2023, David R. Dunaetz

Great Commission Research Journal

No abstract provided.

What Is New In The New Covenant?, Jiří Moskala

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Robert X House Collection, Dan Bonenberger, Brooke Boyst, Franklin Haywood, Carrie Malas, Jaclyn Panter, Ian Tomashik, Laura Waskiwicz, Taylor Williams, Austin Martin

Digital Heritage Preservation Collection

This collection examines the Robert X House at 18827 Keystone Street in Detroit, Michigan, a significant site in the history of the Nation of Islam and the broader narrative of Black empowerment and civil rights in mid-20th century America. Originally built in 1951 as a modest Federal Housing Administration (FHA) minimum ranch-style home, the property was purchased by Robert Davenport (later known as Robert X), an influential leader in the Nation of Islam. The house became a hub for religious instruction, community-building, and activism.

Robert X, a former boxer and musician, became a prominent figure in Detroit’s Nation of Islam …

Rape Jokes, Sexual Violence, And Empire In Revelation And This Is The End, Meredith J.C. Warren

Journal of Religion & Film

The Book of Revelation is one of the most borrowed-from texts of the New Testament when it comes to popular culture. Although there are dozens of other ancient apocalyptic writings, it is John’s apocalyptic visions that directly inform contemporary ideas of apocalypse. The apocalyptic comedy This Is The End (Dir. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, 2013) not only invokes imagery from Revelation but also adapts portions of the text in its portrayal of the end times. However, it also reproduces and expands upon the use of sexual violence as a means of punishment found in Revelation. This paper will examine …

“Knowledge Belongs To All, But You Don’T Understand That Because You’Re Nothing But A White”: The Mystical Philosophy Of Embrace Of The Serpent, Rebecca Makas

Journal of Religion & Film

This article explores the implicit theory of mysticism in Ciro Guerra’s 2015 film Embrace of the Serpent (Sp. El abrazo de la serpiente). While many theories of mysticism argue that true mystical experience is unmediated and, therefore, universal, Guerra makes a more provocative statement in the film. He depicts two Westerners’ attempts to have an entheogenic mystical experience in journeys on the Amazon, guided by an indigenous shaman named Karamakate. While the first experience is unsuccessful, the second produces an astonishing mystical vision. The film’s apex transcends culture and suggests the power of the mystical to heal the trauma …

Justice For All: Moira, Tyche And Nemesis In The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jason Osborne

Journal of Religion & Film

This article explores the ways in which the ancient concepts of moira, tyche, and nemesis permeate the films and series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Dardenne Brothers’ Cinematic Parables: Integrating Theology, Philosophy, And Film, Matthew Kingcroft

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a book review of Joel Mayward, The Dardenne Brothers’ Cinematic Parables: Integrating Theology, Philosophy, and Film (Routledge, 2023).

Natalia, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of Natalia (2023), directed by Elizabeth Mirzaei.

Lars Von Trier’S Cinema: Excess, Evil, And The Prophetic Voice, Jeanette Solano

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a book review of Rebecca Ver Straten-McSparran, Lars Von Trier’s Cinema: Excess, Evil, and the Prophetic Voice (Routledge, 2021).

Disruptive Homiletics: Liberationist Hermeneutics And The Preconditions Of Critical Consciousness, Joel (J.T.) Young

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Liturgical Items In The Churches Of The Pyriatyn Protopopy In The Second Half Of The 18th Century, Oleksandr Lukyanenko, Vitaly Dmytrenko, Vita Dmytrenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article, based on descriptions of church property, analyzes the state of provision of liturgical items in the parish churches of the Pyriatyn Protopopy (Archdiocese) as an ecclesiastical-administrative district of the Kyiv Metropolitanate. During the second half of the 18th century, there were 87 churches in 81 settlements under the rule of the Archpriest of Pyriatyn. The research found 19 names of things for worship described as church property of the churches of the Pyriatyn Archdiocese. We divide them into three categories. The first includes the clothes in which the priest was dressed during the liturgy, the second unites items …

The Czech Republic: From The Center Of Christendom To The Most Atheist Nation Of The 21st Century: Part Ii: The Martyred Church: The Clandestine Catholic Church (Ecclesia Silentii) In Czechoslovakia After Communism 1991-2021), Scott Vitkovic

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This manuscript consists of two parts, Part I. and Part II. Part I., written by the same author and titled "THE PERSECUTED CHURCH: THE CLANDESTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH (ECCLESIA SILENTII) IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA DURING COMMUNISM 1948 – 1991," was published in the January issue of the Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe (OPREE), ISSN: 2693-2148.2 It includes a brief historical overview and introduces the Clandestine Catholic Church (Ecclesia Silentii) in Czechoslovakia during Communism from 1948 to 1991. Part II. directly follows Part I. and continues with the following sections: Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and References. Part II considers the collapse of the …

Full Issue

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

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